What type(s) of fire extinguisher should I buy?

[Guest Michael]

Hi

I live in a 2 bedroomed flat, and I have decided to buy at least 1 fire extinguisher, possibly 2, though I do not know what types are most suitable i.e. foam, liquid etc.

My kitchen has a gas boiler and gas hob in it, apart from that there are no other heat appliances elsewhere in the flat, except radiators.

Can anyone advise what will be most suitable type(s) of fire extinguisher to buy for my flat?

Thanks in advance.

Michael

[Rahel Lock]

Hi Michael

The best solution for home owners & flats would be water mist extinguishers. These extinguisher are safe to use & effective for most common types of fires (A, B, C and F) and are also safe to use on electrical equipment. Water Mist extinguishers are also 100% non-harmful and clean to use.
They discharge microscopic water droplets which reduces the oxygen content (required for combustion) around the fire, extinguishes the flames and creates a highly effective cooling blanket on the hot fuel, preventing re-ignition. Safelincs has a range of water mist extinguishers here.

I hope this helps.
Rahel

[AnthonyB]

Powder is common as very cheap and suitable for everything in the home other than cooking oils - it's very, very messy though. Water Mist has the same all round cover, but also can cover cooking oil risks too and is far less messy so is worth the extra cost.

A fire blanket can be handy to - but only if it's a Kitemarked one as sold by Safelincs - many online marketplaces sell cheap imports that are counterfeit and don't work effectively

[Lyledunn]

That is a very good question and one that I am keen to get an answer for, albeit a different situation. AnthonyB is the expert and I note his post above.

I provide technical advice for the NI Federation of Clubs which has a large membership of private member clubs. They are obviously not identical but they all have very common features when it comes to fire safety. Many are run on a voluntary basis with a high turnover of either voluntary or part-time staff so the fire safety strategy has to be as simple as possible. 
Most venues are littered with extinguishers of all types. It has been made clear by NIFRS that they expect to see appropriate levels of training in the use of the devices irrespective of the status of those in charge of the premises.

The strategy employed by many clubs in the past was for immediate evacuation in the event of a fire and no one other than the FRS should use extinguishers. The strategy was accepted for many years by inspecting authorities, or perhaps a blind eye was turned to it. That is no longer the case. It seems that NIFRS is taking a much more robust approach in this regard.

That being the case, it would seem reasonable that a single, versatile extinguisher such as water mist would be a prudent approach. However, it seems that many extinguisher providers who supply and maintain systems in our clubs are adamant that water mist is a poor substitute for current provision.

Do they have a point?

[AnthonyB]

No, the main reason water mist and stuff like Firexo get bad press from the trade is that it reduces the numbers they sell and have to maintain. These emerging new technologies have gone through the required EN3 fire tests and can provide single extinguisher type solutions for a wide range of premises and work types.

[Guest Thank you]

Hi, thank you everyone for your responses, this has been very helpful. I will look into buying a water mist extinguisher.

Thanks, Michael