Car Fire Extinguishers – Safety on the road is all about preparedness. It is essential to have your vehicle prepared and equipped to address the most common emergencies that you may encounter in your travels. One piece of equipment that should be in every vehicle is a fire extinguisher. These safety items can do more than minimize the damage to car.
They can also be the difference between life and death when occupants are trapped inside a vehicle that catches fire after an accident. Before purchasing a fire extinguisher for a car, drivers need to understand a few key things about them. Click here for the Top 10 Best Fire Extinguishers.
Using Your Car Fire Extinguisher
No matter what fire extinguisher you choose, it is worthless if you are unable to operate it properly. Incorrect application techniques can use up the extinguisher without fully suppressing the fire.
A good first step is to check with your local fire department to see if it offers classes on fire extinguisher use. Many such classes provide participants with the opportunity to use extinguishers on actual fires, and others have high-tech simulators that provide the same learning in a safer environment.
The basics of fire extinguisher operation are described with the acronym PASS. These letters stand for the four main steps a user must go through to use a fire extinguisher correctly. The “P” stands for “pull” the pin out of the extinguisher handle. The “A” is for “aim” the extinguisher at the base of the fire. The first “S” is for “squeeze” the handles to discharge the extinguisher, and the second “S” is for “sweep” back and forth to cover all the fire.
Once you’ve been armed with proper knowledge of how to use an extinguisher, it’s time to select the particular extinguisher for your car.
General Properties of Car Fire Extinguishers
There are as many types of fire extinguishers as there are places to use them. Most models designed for use in cars are designed to store safely inside the vehicle, often with a metal bracket of some kind to hold the extinguisher securely in place while the car is in motion. It is very important to use this bracket correctly. Should it not be properly latched, the extinguisher can dislodge unexpectedly and damage vehicle contents, strike occupants, or even discharge accidentally, creating very dangerous conditions for driving.
Extinguishers designed for cars also may have an elongated shape that makes it easier to store. Most vehicles have small nooks and spaces where nothing else really fits, so an extinguisher can often by tucked inside without using up a lot of space needed for luggage or daily cargo.
What Size Fire Extinguisher?
Size is a very important consideration, for space as well as for other reasons. The bigger the extinguisher, the more fire you can extinguish. That’s an obvious benefit of a larger model. However, very large extinguishers can be hard to quickly remove from the vehicle, and they may even be too heavy for some users.
Extinguishers are rated by pounds, so you can easily compare them when shopping, especially online. Look for one that’s around two pounds. This may not sound like a lot, but it will extinguish any minor vehicle fire. Larger fires are too dangerous for civilians to attack, so a bigger extinguisher could actually tempt the user to attack a fire that should be left to professionals. In addition, a large reusable extinguisher costs more to refill than a small one.
What Type of Fire Extinguisher?
Fire extinguishers are classified according to the type of materials that they are designed to extinguish. Class A includes paper, rubber, cardboard, and other ordinary materials. Class B fires involve flammable liquids like gasoline, and Class C fires are those associated with energized electrical equipment (once power is cut off, it will probably become a Class A fire).
As you might have noticed, a vehicle fire is likely to include all three. You could see fire involving spilled fuel plus the rubber hoses and belts under the hood, as well as electrical components that are still connected to the battery.
For that reason, a Class ABC extinguisher is the best choice for a car. They are safe and effective on all types of fires, and they don’t require any examination of the fire to determine what materials are involved.
Maintaining and Storing Your Car Fire Extinguisher
Some drivers think that once you buy the extinguisher, you’re done. That’s not quite the case. While extinguishers should last for many years in storage, they are not a lifetime purchase.
Fire extinguishers utilize pressurized air or other gases to force the extinguishing material out of the cylinder. This requires a strong seal where the nozzle is attached to the cylinder, as well as within the nozzle. In time, these gaskets can leak and slowly release pressure to the point that an attempt to use the extinguisher could result in little more than a puff.
Watch the pressure level
Some extinguishers have a gauge that shows the acceptable range, while others have a simple button that will rebound after you push it if the pressure is still adequate for use. If you have your extinguisher through a safety company, be sure it is inspected on a regular schedule.
Storage considerations for your extinguishers
The extinguisher should stay dry to prevent corrosion of the cylinder. It also needs protection from temperature extremes, which can accelerate the degradation of the gaskets. As we noted earlier, the extinguisher must be properly secured in its bracket, and it should be in a location where it won’t be struck by vehicle occupants or contents.
Some Final Words
Fire extinguishers save lives every day in homes and vehicles. There are countless stories of passersby putting out a fire before it can further injure victims of a car crash, and the life it saves might be your own. With careful research, training, and maintenance, a fire extinguisher can be a great investment in your family’s safety as well as the protection of the lives of others.