All About CO2 Extinguishers

When most people picture a fire extinguisher, the image that is called to mind is that of a CO2 extinguisher. With their large, metals cylinders of bright red and hard horns, these fire extinguishers have been installed as an emergency measure in homes and businesses for generations. Carbon dioxide extinguishers can be differentiated from similar extinguishers by the lack of any sort of pressure gauge at the top of the tank.

This form of fire extinguisher is primarily effective at battling certain chemical and electrical fires and is particularly popular for laboratories, kitchens and storage areas. Because the gas that is released from these extinguishers only travels a distance of three to eight feet, carbon dioxide extinguishers are only effective at controlling or extinguishing fairly small fires. All CO2 extinguishers require regular service every five years in order to be both hydrostatically tested and recharged.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers were invented in 1924 by the Walter Kindle Company as a method of controlling the electrical fires that were known to break out on the early telephone switchboards of the Bell Telephone Company. Prior to the invention of the CO2 extinguisher, the only portable fire extinguishers that were available were chemical devices which often used very dangerous chemicals.

Although there have been advances in fire control technology since the invention of the carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, it remains widely popular today in part thanks to the low impact of the pressurized gas on the environment. Alternative fire extinguishers that are more effective at battling organic fires are even banned in many parts of the world due to their toxic chemicals. The only potential environmental danger of using CO2 extinguishers is the possibility of frost bite if skin is exposed to the cold gas for an extended period of time.

CO2 extinguishers operate by releasing highly pressurized carbon dioxide onto that comes out a velocity that is high enough to remove all of the oxygen out of the area of a fire and extinguish the source of combustion. The gas that is released from CO2 extinguishers is also very cold and rapidly lowers the temperature of a fire. While CO2 extinguishers are very common in many buildings, they are not effective at extinguishing all fires. However, there are effective at controlling many fires long enough for residents to evacuate a building or for the fire department to arrive on the scene.

CO2 extinguishers are an excellent tool for controlling and extinguishing many fires that erupt in the industrial workplace, but they are considered to be ineffective at extinguish organically fuelled fires, also known as Class A fires. These fires often burn organic fuels that are beneath the surface of the materials and will quickly reignite once the carbon dioxide gas has been removed from the area.

The use of carbon dioxide is a regular staple of set prop for use in television and film productions due to its ability to quickly squelch the flames of a stunt person who has been set on fire. These extinguishers might be used safely to extinguish a person with little risk for further injury other than frostbite. However, real fire rescue workers rarely use CO2 extinguishers when answering calls to regular house fires.