Extinguishers are one of the best inventions for all times. Because of these devices, people are given the ability to stop a small fire from getting worse. In cases where the event of fire is surrounded by factors that could worsen it then it could be prevented. At times when fire outbreak is imminent, this device can facilitate escape as you can use it to clear your way.
As much as it has many uses, this device has many classes as well. For every classification of extinguisher means that its can be used to a particular kind of fire. It is very important to know the use of a particular extinguisher so that you can be very effective in putting out fire. These devices have different components or agent used. This particular agent might be good for fire caused by woods but may not be good for a fire cause by kerosene. You cannot just use a particular device without knowing what it is for because one, it is a total waste of the device as well as your time and effort. Second, you might put it out but still the risk of re-igniting it is high, thus you can still endanger yourself. Third, because of the ineffectivity of the device, fire can worsen and it might make things a little too late for you. Therefore, if you want to have a device that can be an all around active fire protection, you can use halon fire extinguisher.
This device can put out fire of Class A, B, C and K categories. The compounds used in here have extreme cooling effect on fire. Its chemical reaction is prevented from happening. The radicals contributing to it are altered by removing the element of oxygen, lowering the concentration of fuel and lowering down the temperature. Halon 1301 and 1211 are famous for its variety.
1301 was introduced in 1954. It is a gaseous flooding agent. This means that they are used to dump on an area filled with fire. Before the process of dumping, people are warned to evacuate the area and it can be triggered automatically or manually. People need to be warned to evacuate the area because the compounds used can cause temporary alteration in perception. On the other hand, 1211 is known to be a liquid streaming agent. They are commonly used for portables or hand-held devices. The good thing about these products is that they leave no harmful residue after usage because they simple diffuse in the atmosphere.
Even though halon fire extinguisher has gained popularity in fire suppression, they also have gained popularity in the destruction of ozone. Despite of it all, it is considered the best as it has wide coverage and it is non-toxic for human use. Nowadays, they are limited for military use. In some countries, they are now considered illegal. It was not banned in the USA until the US EPA strongly encourages the use of devices that would not result into harming the environment.