What is a marine fire extinguisher?
It is actually a fire extinguisher that is used on ships. There are different types of extinguishers used on ships, depending on the type of materials used as fuel. Fires and their ferocity are classified in accordance with the type of fuel that fans them. Likewise, fire extinguishers can also be classified on the same basis. Depending on the agent use, marine fire extinguishers can be classified into the following categories:
- Soda Acid Extinguisher
- Water Extinguisher
- Foam Extinguisher – Chemical and Mechanical
- Carbon dioxide Extinguisher
- Dry Powder Extinguisher
Soda Acid Extinguisher
This type of marine fire extinguisher is used to douse flames of Class A fire, or fire caused by combustible materials like paper, refuse, wood, fabric and the likes. Soda or sodium bicarbonate and sulphuric acid are the major components which form the dousing agent of this type of extinguisher. These two chemicals combine with each other, forming CO2 or Carbon dioxide, which is used to overpower the flames.
Water Extinguisher
Another type of fire extinguisher is the one that uses water as the dousing agent. The device contains two containers – the outer one, which is filled with water and the inner one that is filled with carbon dioxide. The gas gives pressure to the water to force it out of the container under tremendous pressure, which generates the speed needed to overwhelm the flames.
Foam Extinguisher – Chemical and Mechanical
This is another type of marine fire extinguisher which is used for extinguishing the Class B fire; fire caused by flammable liquids. As it is understandable from the name, this type of fire extinguisher uses foam in order to put off the flames. Two types of foams are used for the purpose – chemical foam and mechanical foam.
- Chemical Foam
For chemical foam, sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulphate are the two prime components that are used as discharge agent. While the main container is filled up with sodium bicarbonate, the inner one is filled up with aluminum sulphate. - Mechanical Foam
This type of extinguisher uses two canisters as well. While the outer one contains water, the inner or the central one contains a solution of carbon dioxide charge and foam. The solution comes out through a tiny nozzle under great pressure and at great speed, creating mechanical foam.
Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher
These devices are mainly used to overwhelm Class B and Class C fires. This type of marine fire extinguisher is not used in areas that are used by the passengers or in other words, the accommodation areas. This is because the gas used is harmful to the health of people in contact with it.
Dry Power Extinguisher
This variety of fire extinguisher uses sodium bicarbonate as the dousing agent. This chemical is applicable for fighting nearly every type of fire and is generally installed in and around the engine room and various electrical equipment and circuitry.
Fire on ships can be extremely dangerous not only for the cargo but also for the human lives. Thus, it is important that an appropriate marine fire extinguisher is installed to take care of emergencies on the ship. Apart from knowing where to buy a fire extinguisher in Singapore and installing one, it is also important to keep it properly maintained to ensure that it is in working function when a fire emergency arises.