kitchen
Extinguishing Class F Fires

class f fire extinguishers. The kitchen is the most likely place where a residential fire starts. One of the common causes of these fires is unattended cooking and this can include fires ignited by deep fat fryers and cooking oil. As a precaution, all structures with kitchen, commercial and residential buildings included, should have class f fire extinguishers to suppress the fire or supplement other fire equipment found in homes and establishments.

What Makes Distinct Class F Fires Distinct

Fires Distinct

Strictly speaking class F fires should be under the category of class B fires. Class B fires are those that are caused by flammable liquids like gas, oil, petrol, and paraffin. Cooking oil and fats, which cause class F fires, are also flammable liquids. However, class F fires are categorized on their own because cooking oil and fats only ignite when the temperature is near 340 degrees Celsius. On the other hand the flammable liquids that cause class B fires ignite readily.

Why Water Cannot Be Used for Class F Fires

Just like when suppressing all types of fires, you must be able to remove one of the three elements which can be the heat, oxygen, or fuel. In the case of class F fires, bringing down the temperature can be the most effective way to suppress the fire.

Using water is one of the most common mistakes of people when dealing with class F fire. Fire can explode or grow bigger when water is poured over a class F fire. It can also spread the fire to adjacent items.

N the other hand, CO2 fire extinguishers cannot be used on a class F fire because burning cooking oil can or fat can be carried out of the fryer. The fire can also reignite when CO2 dissipates.

Why Class F Fire Extinguishers Should Be Used

Class F fire extinguishers work well with burning cooking oil and fats because they can bar the source of oxygen and lower the temperature as well because of their pressurized alkali solution content. A wet chemical fire extinguisher, they create a fine mist that cool down the flames without causing splashing.

How to Avoid Class F Fires

FiresWhile we may have fire extinguishers and other fire suppressants in our homes, the best way to avoid fire is prevention. To prevent class F fires, always be attentive to what you are cooking. This may not be the best time that you do multi-tasking. Avoid doing other things when you have already put on your stove, especially chores that require you to go out of the kitchen. When choosing cooking oil, you should know the smoking and flash point of the oil you are buying. Used cooking oil and fats may also lower the smoking and flash points which make them more combustible.

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