CO2 extinguishers are mainly used for electrical fire risks and are usually the main fire extinguisher type provided in computer server rooms. They also put out Class B fires. CO2 extinguishers suffocate fires by displacing the oxygen the fire needs to burn.

Water fire extinguishers

Class C

CO2 extinguishers are ideal for places with a lot of electrical equipment such as offices or server rooms because they are safe to use on fires involving electrical apparatus. Carbon dioxide extinguishers do not leave any residue, unlike a foam extinguisher.

Carbon Dioxide is a non-flammable gas that extinguishes fire by displacing oxygen, or taking away the oxygen element of the fire triangle. The carbon dioxide is also very cold as it comes out of the extinguisher, so it cools the fuel as well.

The main danger with CO2 extinguishers is that they will cause upset in a confined space. They starve a fire of oxygen, but in a confined space they’ll also reduce the amount of oxygen available to breathe. They must never be used for dealing with fat or cooking oil fires and must have a frost-free handles.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Fire Extinguishers are distinguished by a black coloured band around the top of the cylinder. Carbon dioxide is a non-conductive and non-corrosive gas used to reduce the amount of oxygen available to the fire.

C02 fire extinguishers don’t have a pressure gauge because they use liquefied C02 (commonly known as dry ice) which as a chemical characteristic, always has a pressure of 830. Therefore a pressure gauge would always read 830 – making a gauge pointless.

The carbon dioxide considered the best fire extinguisher to put off fires caused by burning of inflammable liquids such as petrol or oil because carbon dioxide stops the influence of oxygen because it decreases the oxygen present in that fire which leads to the fallout of fire.

10 years

After that much time, they tend to lose pressure. It’s possible for rechargeable extinguishers to last longer than that if they pass testing of the shell’s integrity. External factors like damage, rust, and corrosion can cause a fire extinguisher to lose its ability to operate properly over time.

The horizontal range of the CO2 extinguishing stream is limited to a range of 3 to 10 feet. How long will it take to use up the 10 to 15 pounds of CO2? The approximate time of discharge for the 10 to 15 pounds of CO2 ranges from 8 to 30 seconds.

Even in pristine condition, a fire extinguisher should be replaced every 12 years and may need to be recharged after 6.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that locations such as offices, classrooms, and assembly halls that contain mainly Class A combustible materials have one 2-A extinguisher for every 3,000 square feet.