A fire extinguisher in a car is a guarantee of the safety of the driver and passengers. A properly selected fire extinguisher purchased from a specialized store will save your nerves and your car.
In case of fire, and according to safety rules, a fire extinguisher must always be in the car. But what kind of fire extinguisher is best? First you need to figure out what kind of fire extinguishers there are.
What you can choose from or types of fire extinguishers
Water extinguishers (OF) are more suitable for extinguishing premises. They are convenient in that they precipitate light particles that rise from the fire and cool the fire site. They can extinguish electrical appliances at a distance, but water cannot cope with fuels and lubricants. Therefore, the type of OV is not suitable for cars, it will not extinguish the fire on the engine or fuel tank.
Air-foam (ORP) fire extinguishers extinguish fuels and lubricants and solid objects in the initial phase of ignition. ORP is used at gas stations and enterprises, but they are also not suitable for a car, because when extinguishing electrical appliances under voltage, the fire can intensify due to the chemicals in the foam. And a short circuit of the wiring is quite possible.
Burning electrical equipment under voltage is extinguished with carbon dioxide fire extinguishers (OU). They are effective fire extinguishers that are used in fires of any strength, they deal with gases, liquids and solids. Carbon dioxide does not leave dirt, and therefore this type of fire extinguisher is used in business centers, offices filled with office equipment, museums. There are portable op amps, however, it is inconvenient to use them in a car, because this requires overalls and a mask, otherwise you can be poisoned to the point of paralysis and get burns.
Powder fire extinguishers (OP) are universal, they extinguish all fires of all classes and all types of substances. This is a popular type of fire extinguisher bought for cars. Inside there is powder and gas under pressure, the OP is equipped with a pressure gauge, which indicates the readiness of the apparatus. According to the rules, a dry powder fire extinguisher in a car must have a volume of 2 liters, but one-liter ones are also sold. The disadvantage of OP is that all extinguished parts are contaminated with powder.
Cheap dry powder fire extinguishers that do not have a pressure gauge work by a chemical reaction that pushes the powder out. Therefore, they do not work immediately, after their activation, you have to wait some time.
A new type of fire extinguishers that can also be carried in a car in case of a fire is air emulsion (OVE). They are considered safe and environmentally friendly; they practically do not cause secondary damage. They extinguish all substances, except for burning metals, and have a long service life - up to 10 years. OVEs are also available in 2L volumes and have a modern compact design.
How to use
Most of the cases of car fires occur in the engine compartment, less often a fire breaks out in the passenger compartment and very rarely in the trunk and on the chassis. The reason may be an improperly selected wire, an overpowering audio system, fraying of old wire insulation, an unextinguished cigarette, or arson. In case of thick smoke from under the hood, quickly pull the hood opening lever and open the hood slowly and carefully, preferably with gloves. The fire extinguisher must be ready. We check the pressure in it on the manometer, if everything is in order, we break the seal, pull out the check and press the lever.
It is safer to store a fire extinguisher in the trunk, but if it is located in the passenger compartment, it should not roll freely. It needs to be fixed in order to avoid spontaneous operation.
If a fire is quickly detected, the driver responds promptly and a good fire extinguisher is available, a dangerous problem can be localized without the help of special services.
