Under What Circumstances Should A Water-based Fire Extinguisher Not Be Used?
Water based fire extinguishers are not suitable for specific types of fires, mainly because the use of water-based extinguishing agents may exacerbate the fire or bring additional safety risks. Water based fire extinguishers should not be used in the following situations:
1. Live fire: Traditionally, water-based fire extinguishers are not suitable for fires involving electrical appliances or circuits that are currently powered on, as water is conductive and may cause electric shock accidents. However, with the advancement of technology, some water-based fire extinguishers on the market have been labeled as suitable for low voltage (such as below 220 volts) electrical fires, but they should be avoided until clearly labeled.
2. Gas fire: For fires caused by natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas leaks, water-based fire extinguishers cannot effectively extinguish them. Instead, they may spread the fire due to the mixing of water mist and gas, and even cause explosions.
3. Metal fire: Especially when active metals (such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, lithium, etc.) burn, water not only cannot extinguish the fire, but also reacts with the metal to produce hydrogen gas, increasing the risk of fire and potentially causing explosions.
4. Certain chemical fires: For certain chemical substances (such as certain solvents, oil compounds), water-based fire extinguishing agents may react with them, producing toxic gases or exacerbating the fire.
When dealing with the above types of fires, corresponding specialized fire extinguishers should be selected. For example, dry powder fire extinguishers are suitable for electrical fires and certain chemical fires, carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are suitable for electrical and precision instrument fires, and sand or professional metal fire extinguishers are suitable for live metal fires. Correctly identifying the type of fire source and selecting appropriate fire extinguishers is crucial for quickly and safely extinguishing fires.
