Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher Singapore

The fire extinguisher is manufactured with a red cylindrical body and has a second coloured band which depict the contents inside so that you can identify what type of fire extinguisher. Each type of extinguisher agent has a corresponding colour which is easy for identification purpose. The yellow colour band is for dry powder fire extinguisher. Before starting to fight a fire it is important to check whether the extinguisher is fully charged and that the safety pin is not bent.

However, until the invention of the wet chemical extinguisher, many commercial kitchens were equipped with foam or powder units whereby the occupants wrongly think these could be used on the fat fryers. The cost is also higher compared to other extinguishers but the risks are much higher in the kitchen.

The wet chemical fire extinguisher is invented specifically for use in deep fat cooking fires. It has potassium solution which can effectively kill the flame in two ways:

• When in operation, it creates a fine mist, which cools the flames and prevents the fire from spreading and splashing of hot oils or fat.
• When the potassium solution comes into contact with the hot oil, saponification process takes place and coats the surface of the cooking oil or fat to form the soapy foam that is non-combustible and acts a barrier between the fat and oil.

One vital point to note is that the contents of the extinguisher can be corrosive so the quality of the extinguishers is made of stainless steel.

Like normal fire extinguishers, the wet chemical fire extinguisher can allow you to stand well back from the fire and to spray the agent gently over the surface of the fire. Wet chemical fire extinguishers work only with deep fat oils in the kitchen so they cannot be used on Class B fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol or diesel.

 Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers and Electricity

Wet chemical fire extinguishers are not developed for use on electrical equipment. In modern kitchen environment, the use of electrical cables is inevitable, wet chemical fire extinguisher is non-conductive

It is advisable to keep wet chemical extinguishers closely with other fire safety items such as a CO2 extinguisher for electrical items, and a substantial fire blanket such as a 1.8m x 1.2m size. Fire blankets should be used to smother small pan fires, not to deal with commercial fryer fires.

Where are the places you can use a Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher?

The wet chemical fire extinguisher can be used commonly in two places:

• Restaurant kitchens: The most common places where oil fires occurred are the restaurant kitchens. It is the place where speedy cooking takes place which causes negligent of the fire

• Hotel kitchens: Fire usually happens in the hotel kitchen and has to be extinguished before it starts to spread rapidly. One of the most effective fire safety devices is the wet chemical fire extinguisher which is used to stop the deep fat cooking fire immediately.