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Types of fire extinguisher – all

you need to know in 2019,
explained in our simple
guide.

There are 5 main fire extinguisher

types – Water, Foam, Dry
Powder, CO2 and Wet Chemical. You
should have the right types of fire
extinguisher for your premises, or
you may not meet current
regulations.
The various types of fire extinguisher put out fires
started with di!erent types of fuel – these are called
‘classes’ of fire. The fire risk from the di!erent classes
of fire in your business premises will determine which
fire extinguisher types you need.

You will also need to make sure that you have the
right size and weight of fire extinguisher as well as the
right kind. You can read more about the current UK
extinguisher regulations here.

Whilst there are 5 main types of fire extinguisher,

there are di!erent versions of both the Water and Dry
Powder extinguishers, meaning there are a total of 8
fire extinguisher types to choose from. The 8 types of
fire extinguisher are:

– Water
– Water Mist
– Water Spray
– Foam
– Dry Powder – Standard
– Dry Powder – Specialist
– Carbon Dioxide (‘CO2’)
– Wet Chemical

There is no one extinguisher type which works on all

classes of fire.

Below is a summary of the classes of fire, and a quick

reference chart showing which types of extinguisher
should be used on each. We then provide a detailed
explanation of each type of fire extinguisher below.

The classes of fire

There are six classes of fire: Class A, Class B, Class C,

Class D, ‘Electrical’, and Class F.

– Class A fires – combustible materials:

caused by flammable solids, such as wood, paper, and
fabric
– Class B fires – flammable liquids: such as
petrol, turpentine or paint
– Class C fires – flammable gases: like hydro‐
gen, butane or methane
– Class D fires – combustible metals: chemic‐
als such as magnesium, aluminum or potassium
– Electrical fires – electrical equipment: once
the electrical item is removed, the fire changes class
– Class F fires – cooking oils: typically a chip-
pan fire

Which fire extinguisher types are used

for each class of fire? – quick guide

The di!erent types of extinguisher tackle di!erent

types of fire

Types of fire extinguisher – a detailed

guide

Water

Extinguishers

Overview:
Water extinguishers are the most common fire extin‐
guisher type for class A fire risk. Most premises will
require either water or foam extinguishers.

Label Colour:
– Bright Red

Use for:
– Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard
o Fabrics and textiles
o Wood and coal

Do not use for:

– Fires involving electrical equipment
– Kitchen fires
– Flammable gas and liquids

How water extinguishers work:

The water has a cooling e!ect on the fuel, causing it
to burn much more slowly until the flames are eventu‐
ally extinguished.

Types of premises/business who may need

water extinguishers:
– Buildings constructed of wood or other organic
materials
– Premises where there are organic materials to be
found such as:
o O"ces
o Schools
o Hospitals
o Residential properties
o Warehouses

In fact most buildings need either water or foam

extinguishers.

Where to locate water extinguishers:

– By the exits on a floor where a Class A fire risk has
been identified

Water spray extinguishers – what’s the di!er di!er‐‐

ence?:
Water spray extinguishers are equipped with a spray
nozzle, rather than a jet nozzle, meaning a greater sur‐
face area can be covered more quickly and the fire put
out more rapidly.

Water mist extinguishers – what’s the di!er di!er‐‐

ence?:
Water mist extinguishers have a di!erent type of
nozzle again which releases microscopic water
particles. These particles ‘su!ocate’ the fire and also
create a wall of mist between the fire and the person
using the extinguisher, reducing the feeling of heat.

Contact us to buy water fire extinguishers

Foam Extinguishers

Overview:
Foam extinguishers are most common type of fire
extinguisher for Class B fires, but also work on Class A
fires as they are water-based.

Label Colour:
– Cream

Use for:
– Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard
o Fabrics and textiles
o Wood and coal
Plus:
– Flammable liquids, like paint and petrol

Do not use for:

– Kitchen fires
– Fires involving electrical equipment
– Flammable metals

How foam extinguishers work:

As with water extinguishers, foam extinguishers have a
cooling e!ect on the fuel. On burning liquids, the
foaming agent creates a barrier between the flame
and the fuel, extinguishing the fire.

Types of premises/business who may need

Foam extinguishers:
– Buildings constructed of wood or other organic
materials
– Premises where there are organic materials to be
found such as:
o O"ces
o Schools
o Hospitals
o Residential properties
o Warehouses
– Buildings where flammable liquids are stored

In fact most buildings need either water or foam

extinguishers

Where to locate foam extinguishers:

– By the exits on a floor where a Class A or Class B fire
risk has been identified

Contact us to buy foam fire extinguishers

Dry Powder Extinguishers

Overview:
Standard dry powder extinguishers are also called
‘ABC’ extinguishers because they tackle class A, B and
C fires, however they are not recommended for use in
enclosed spaces. This is because the powder can be
easily inhaled, and also the residue is very di"cult to
clean up after. ABC powder extinguishers can also be
used on some electrical fires. Specialist dry powder
extinguishers are used for flammable metals.

Label Colour:
– Blue

Use for:
– Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard
o Fabrics and textiles
o Wood and coal
Plus:
– Flammable liquids, like paint and petrol
Plus:
– Flammable gases, like liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
and acetylene
Plus:
– Fires involving electrical equipment up to 1000v

Specialist dry powder extinguishers are only used on

flammable metals, such as titanium and magnesium.

Do not use for:

– Fires involving cooking oil
– Fires involving electrical equipment over 1000v
– or in enclosed spaces, such as o"ces or residential
properties

How dry powder extinguishers work:

Dry powder extinguishers smother fires by forming a
barrier between the fuel and the source of oxygen.

Types of premises/business who may need Dry

Powder extinguishers:
– Businesses using flammable gases for chemical pro‐
cesses
– Premises where welding and flame cutting takes
place
– Garage forecourts
– Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) dispensing plants
– Premises with large, commercial boiler rooms

Where to locate Dry Powder extinguishers:

– Place dry powder extinguishers near to the source of
the fire risk.

Specialist Dry Powder extinguishers – what’s

the di!erence?:
Specialist dry powder extinguishers work in the same
way as standard dry powder extinguishers but are for
use with flammable metals only. There are 2 types of
specialist dry powder extinguishers – ‘L2’ which only
tackles lithium fires, and ‘M28’, for all other flam‐
mable metal fires.

Contact us to buy dry powder fire extinguishers

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguishers

Overview:
CO2 extinguishers are predominantly used for electric‐
al fire risks and are usually the main fire extinguisher
type provided in computer server rooms. They also put
out Class B fires (flammable liquids, such as paint and
petroleum).

Label Colour:
– Black

Use for:
– Flammable liquids, like paint and petrol
– Electrical fires

Do not use for:

– Kitchen fires – especially chip-pan fires
– Combustible materials like paper, wood or textiles
– Flammable metals

How CO2 extinguishers work:

CO2 extinguishers su!ocate fires by displacing the
oxygen the fire needs to burn.

Types of premises/business who may need CO2

extinguishers:
– Premises with electrical equipment, such as:
o O"ces
o Kitchens
o Construction sites
o Server rooms

All work vehicles should also carry a smaller 2kg CO2

extinguisher.

Where to locate CO2 extinguishers:

– Place near to the source of the fire risk and/or near
the fire exits.

Contact us to buy CO2 fire extinguishers

Wet Chemical Extinguishers

Overview:
Wet chemical extinguishers are designed for use on
Class F fires, involving cooking oils and fats. They can
also be used on Class A fires although it is more usual
to have a foam or water extinguisher for this type of
fire risk.

Label Colour:
– Yellow

Use for:
– Cooking oil/fat fires
– Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard
o Fabrics and textiles
o Wood and coal

Do not use for:

– Flammable liquid or gas fires
– Electrical fires
– Flammable metals

How wet chemical extinguishers work:

Wet chemical extinguishers create a layer of foam on
the surface of the burning oil or fat, preventing oxygen
from fuelling the fire any further. The spray also has a
cooling e!ect.

Types of premises/business who may need wet

chemical extinguishers:
– Commercial kitchens
– Canteens

Where to locate wet chemical extinguishers:

– Place near to the source of the fire risk.

Contact us to buy wet chemical fire extinguishers

We hope this guide to the di!erent types of fire extin‐

guisher has been helpful.

If you still have questions, or if you’d like to book a

free survey of your premises by one of our BAFE
registered extinguisher engineers, please just call us on
0845 845 3001 or email us at info@surrey
info@surrey‐‐
fire.co.uk
fire.co.uk.

Alternatively you can ask us to call you back by clicking

on the link below.

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