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DesignOur History with Fire Suppression Systems and Extinguisher Services
Piper Fire Protection has been servicing the Greater Tampa Bay area for over 35 years, taking care of all your fire and life safety needs! For nearly 20 years of those same years, we have been recharging, installing and servicing fire suppression systems and fire extinguishers. There’s a great deal more to putting out a fire with suppression systems and fire extinguishers than most people realize, and we’re here to help! We pride ourselves on excellence: expert knowledge demonstrated from our office staff, responsive technicians taking care of your needs and our team educating our customers on the most up-to-date information regarding suppression systems and extinguishers.
Types of Fire Extinguishers: A Class Act
We’re all familiar with what fire extinguishers look like. We have become accustomed to seeing the bright, red canisters with shiny, silver handles hanging in our children’s schools, gyms, our workplace offices and (even) our homes. If you go a step further, taking into account the drastic differences of life and property safety in each of these locations, you realize how each one must prepare and protect everything accordingly inside the building. How do you know which one to use? Extinguishers are defined by class: Class A are meant for common combustible fires (wood, paper, etc.), Class B are meant for more flammable liquid and gas fires (gasoline, oil, etc.), Class C are meant for electrical fires, Class D are meant for flammable metal fires, and Class K are meant for cooking-related fires (grease fires, oils, etc.). You can find out more by visiting our website where we go into further detail on types and maintenance of this equipment!
Cleaning Up ABC Extinguishers vs. Clean Agent Fire Extinguishers: The Aftermath
Most educational institutions today have computer labs and, in order to protect the students and important electronic equipment, many of these rooms would be outfitted with ABC extinguishers to put out the fire. These extinguishers are safe to use in heavily populated areas like a school and would be effective in putting out a Class A, B and C fires. The only downside to using an ABC extinguisher in a computer lab fire would be the residue left behind on the electronics that, while stopping the immediate danger of a fire, will cause further damage as it settles on and corrodes the hardware. Not only this, but the “duct cloud” it creates and the cleaning aftermath that is required when discharged in an indoor setting is extensive and expensive. In the event of a fire in an office workplace, what would be the best suppressor to use? Whole buildings dedicated to online communication and server rooms filled with costly electronic equipment to keep everything running, you would need more than just an ABC extinguisher, and this is where clean agent fire extinguishers would come in and not only save the day, but save your important electronic property long term! These extinguishers are designed to not only quickly and successfully put out fires, but specifically protect and preserve sensitive electronics! On top of there being extinguishers dedicated to this, there are entire suppression systems designed for it, and you can find out more about these systems on our website.
Types of Clean Agent Fire Extinguishers
There are several situations where one kind of fire extinguisher will be more effective and/or protective than another, and we’d like to help educate you on what that looks like! For a short video on types of fire suppression systems, check out our YouTube video where we sat down with one of our Suppression Managers and discussed differences and details. Here’s a breakdown of clean agent and Class C fire extinguishers, going over when and where best to use them:
- CO2 Fire Extinguishers: These are designed to put out Class B fires and are safe to use on Class C (electrical) fires. It leaves no residue and is neither conductive nor gas- contaminating. The incredible capability of CO2 is due to its ability to remove the oxygen from a specific area of coverage causing whatever flame is present to be suffocated and go out.
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Halocarbon-Based Fire Extinguishers: These extinguishers are ideal for protecting server rooms, sensitive equipment, electronics, hardware and more as they don’t leave any kind of residue that damages or corrodes the electronic components. They are used for Class B and C fires, but, under some circumstances, can be used on Class A fires too. These extinguishers work through heat absorption upon dispersal and contact, which is both quick and effective when extinguishing flames!
Fire Extinguisher Services Near You!
Whether it’s an ABC fire extinguisher or Clean Agent suppressor, we are happy to provide service, perform an inspection, repair or even install suppression systems and fire extinguishers for you! If you’re interested in receiving a free estimate for our services or just have questions regarding the topic of fire extinguishers, please call us either at our Clearwater, FL location (1-800-327-7604) or Sarasota, FL location (941-377-2100). We look forward to hearing from you and helping service all of your fire and life safety needs!
Written By: Marlana Sadorf & Ryan Carter
Date Posted: February 16, 2022