When it comes time to purchase a fire extinguisher, you will have to decide which one is the right one to own. Different fire extinguishers are good for different types of fires. People who are worried about electrical fires are going to want to choose either a CO2 fire extinguisher or a dry chemical fire extinguisher. Either one of these will be sufficient at putting out your electrical fire. However, the dry chemical extinguisher may do just as much harm as it does good. Therefore, you'll want to choose the CO2 extinguisher instead.

It is important to understand that there are different types of fire extinguisher in part because there are different types of fires. Fires are divided into different classes: A, B, C and D. Class A fires are simple fires in which wood or paper is burning. Class B fires include fires that have an added flammable liquid such as kerosene. Class C fires include electrical wiring. Class D fires are those that feature the types of chemicals that may be found in lab settings. To put out any of these fires, you will need a fire extinguisher that is designed for the class of fire that you have.

Most people are seeking a fire extinguisher that can put out Class B and Class C fires. Fires that include flammable liquids or electrical wiring are very dangerous so they need to be put out quickly. Of course, class A fires are dangerous, too, but these fires can often be put out with water alone. Class B and Class C fires definitely need the extra help from a fire extinguisher. Class D fires would need that help as well but most people don't have to concern themselves with these fires since they generally only take place in lab settings.

Dry chemical fire extinguishers are one choice for putting out Class B and Class C fires. They include the CO2 fire extinguisher. In fact, there are also multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguishers that can put out Class A, B and C fires. Either way, the fire extinguisher will be filled with a powder or foam chemical base that is used in putting out the fire. It will also be filled with nitrogen to create the pressure necessary to use the chemical base to put out the fire.

Since they are capable of putting out 2 and sometimes even 3 types of fires, it seems like dry chemical fire extinguishers would be the best choice. However, there are some drawbacks to these fire extinguishers. Namely, the chemicals that are used can be damaging to the area where the extinguisher is sprayed. A traditional Class B, C dry chemical extinguisher uses either sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate, chemicals that leave a corrosive residue where they are sprayed. Multi-purpose (A, B, C) extinguishers use monoammonium phosphate which leaves a sticky residue behind. In both cases, the residue left behind can be damaging to electrical equipment.

Imagine that you have a fire in your home that is caused by an electrical problem with your home computer. You take your dry chemical fire extinguisher out and it succeeds in putting out the fire. However, the residue it leaves behind damages your computer beyond repair. That's not a good situation. That's why you want to choose a CO2 fire extinguisher instead. A CO2 fire extinguisher is going to put out both Class B and Class C fires. However, it will not leave the same residue behind that you get from the dry chemical extinguisher. This means that you're less likely to experience damage to your electrical equipment if you use this type of extinguisher.