Type of fire extinguisher to be installed in a car

For safety reasons, the law suggests that motorists equip their cars with a fire extinguisher. This is a useful tool for extinguishing a fire, both in the home and in the car. Unlike fire extinguishers intended for homes and public places, car extinguishers are generally small in size, but they all have the same operating principles. What type of fire extinguisher is suitable for your voiture ? The answer is in the rest of this article.

Importance of installing a fire extinguisher in your vehicle

Installing a fire extinguisher in an automobile has many advantages. Indeed, by having an extinguisher in your vehicle, you can very quickly contain and control a fire caused either by a short baking in the cables or overheating of a mechanical part. Moreover, thanks to this safety tool, you will be able to settle incidents on the petrol pump or intervene on a fire caused by a pierced hose and pouring fuel on the hot engine.

Another advantage of having a fire extinguisher in your car is that it will allow you to react quickly in the event of a fire in a vehicle other than your own in the event of an accident, for example. Basically, this safety tool will help you save your car and also that of others, while limiting very expensive property damage.

Type of fire extinguisher adapted to your car

There are four main categories of fire extinguishers: foam extinguisher, dry chemical extinguisher, dry ice extinguisher, water extinguisher and additives. Each type of extinguisher can be used on a given fire class. Unlike water and foam extinguishers, which are effective on class A and B fires, dry ice extinguishers extinguish all classes of flames. As for the dry powder extinguisher, it extinguishes class A, B, C and F fires.

Because of its versatility, it is often recommended to equip a car with a powder extinguisher. Favour the NF, EN3, PED 97/23/EC approved models, as they are equipped with a pressure gauge and an anti-corrosion shell. In addition, an approved powder car extinguisher is effective on the majority of fires that occur on cars.

In addition, for the purchase of the car fire extinguisher, we recommend a 1 kilo dry powder portable model, as it is easy to install and takes up little space. Alternatively, you can opt for the model with a capacity of 2 kilos and a rustproof shell, as it is practical to use. As far as installation is concerned, it is best to place the fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place. You can place it either in the passenger compartment of the car or under the passenger seat.

Use and maintenance of a car fire extinguisher

Thefire extinguisher is a reliable safety tool whose use and maintenance must be mastered.

How does utiliser ?

To use the powder extinguisher in front of a car fire, you must first shake it and then pull the pin. Hold the container of the extinguisher in one hand and put the second one on the hose so that it is away from your position, then aim at the bottom of the flames. Then press the handle to release the extinguishing substance. Proceed by repeated pulses, then check that the flames are extinguished.

How does entretenir ?

The maintenance of a car fire extinguisher consists of checking a number of parameters. On the one hand, you should check that the pressure gauge gauge is in the green zone. On the other hand, you should check the use-by date if it is on the container of the extinguisher. Note that if the pressure gauge is in the red zone, then you should consider changing the fire extinguisher.