Following working on the commissioning of a new building a few years ago, and being involved with the fire suppression systems for the building, datacentre, and also the portable fire extinguishers to be supplied, I would very, very strongly recommend a
WATER MIST PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER for use in the home (and the office and car).
@Wayne J earlier said that there isn't a single one size fits all fire extinguisher. This used to be the case but definitely is NOT the situation now.
Although filled with (de-ionised) water, when activated, the special nozzle, rather than generating a stream of water, generates an extremely fine mist. This forms a protective cloud in front of the operator, and has the effect of both starving the fire of oxygen and also cooling it effectively. Not only are they effective on a wide range of fires, they also have a quicker knock-down time than conventional types.
They can be used on most types of fire:
Class A - Wood, paper
Class B - Flammable liquids
Class F - Cooking oils and fat
They are also safe to use on electrical fires involving live electrical supply up to 1000v.
The only types they are not effective with are:
Class C - Flammable gasses (methane, propane etc..)
Class D - Burning metals (aluminium, lithium, magnesium)
The reason they are safe on electrical items is that the mist is formed of separate individual droplets, which don't conduct electricity. The best ones are also filled with de-ionised water which likewise does not conduct electricity.
The reason they are safe on chip pan fires is that the mist floats in the air above the burning oil and starves it of oxygen, whilst also cooling it.
If you use a conventional water extinguisher on a burning chip pan, the thing really does make a very good impression of a violent explosion. The fire brigade videos that
@DRD was sceptical about above, are real. Pouring water on a burning chip pan causes the water to sink under the hot burning oil. It then heats up rapidly and instantly boils causing lots of steam to be ejected, which carried with it droplets of burning oil creating a vicious fireball.
Water mist extinguishers cause a lot less damage and mess than conventional water, foam, or powder extinguishers, and are environmentally friendly (if that is a concern).
In terms of damage to electrical and electronic equipment, this is minimal/zero as the actual amount of water delivered is very small. Also as it's de-ionised, it doesn't conduct electricity, and as it dries, leaves no residue.
Water mist systems are also now a recognised
fire extinguishant solution for commercial datacentres, in place of previous gas based systems. After being triggered, the kit is left for the small amount of water to evaporate, and can then be re-started with no damage.
Needless to say, I have a water mist extinguisher in the kitchen at home, and another in the car!
Edited to add - The reason that they are not so widely used/known about is that initially they were significantly more expensive (although prices are coming down).
Also where offices/buildings already have conventional fire extinguishers in place, facilities management are not going to replace them all with new water mist ones - it's pretty difficult to justify the budget expense.
You will likely see much wider adoption in the future, particularly in new buildings.
YOU BETTER BE SAVING THEM, M'LAD! I'd go full backdraft to save my hamster and games.
