Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishers

What Are CO2 Fire Extinguishers?

A CO2 or Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher is specially designed to extinguish fires ignited within electrical environments or fuelled by flammable liquids (Class B).

How Do CO2 Extinguishers Work?

Carbon dioxide extinguishers discharge CO2 gas onto the affected area, displacing the oxygen and replacing this with CO2. This effectively extinguishes the flames by smothering the fire and starving it of oxygen.

The fire triangle details the three main components needed to sustain a fire: oxygen, heat and fuel. Without oxygen, the fire cannot survive.

When Would You Use A CO2 Extinguisher?

CO2 extinguishers can be used on two main areas of fire:

• Fires involving electrical equipment such as generators or servers

• Fires involving flammable liquids (Class B) such as paint, fuel or petrol.  

When Should You Not Use a CO2 Extinguisher?

Carbon Dioxide fire extinguishers cannot extinguish flammable gases (Class C) or hot oil fires (Class F).

How Would You Identify a CO2 Extinguisher?

Carbon Dioxide extinguishers can be identified via a black-coloured CO2 label on the front of the extinguisher. The nozzle of CO2 extinguishers also ends in a black horn.

• Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher – Black

• Water-Fire Extinguisher – Red

• Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher – Blue

• Foam Fire Extinguisher – Cream

• Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher – Yellow

UK Statistics for CO2 Extinguishers

• The number of fires successfully extinguished by portable extinguishers has increased from 80% in 2003 to 93% in 2021. 

• Electrical fires are the main cause of house fires. Over the past year, more than 20,000 electrical fires were reported to have occurred within the home, accounting for 53.4% of all home fires.

• The increased popularity of air fryers has seen a 57% rise in house fires in the UK.  

What Are the Benefits of CO2 Extinguishers?

No Harmful Residue

Unlike foam or dry powder extinguishers, CO2 will completely dissipate into the air. This removes the risk of the extinguishing agent leaving behind harmful residue and damaging the affected area further.

Does Not Conduct Electricity

Water-based agents can make electrical fires even more dangerous. Luckily, CO2 is a non-conductive gas. This means it can be safely used on live electrical equipment without the risk of electrocution. 

Clean Extinguishing Agent

CO2 is a naturally occurring gas, meaning it does not contain any harmful chemicals.

Fast and Efficient

CO2 is a fast-acting agent that can be used for efficient fire suppression.