Water Fire Extinguishers are colour coded with a red label; not to be confused with the normal red paint finish on the main body of most types of fire extinguisher. They are your classic model in solid read with the word ‘water’ printed across them in white text.

These extinguishers are only suitable for Class A fires, i.e. solids such as wood, cloth, paper, plastics and similar materials. They are NOT to be used on burning fat, oil fires or electrical appliances as they can actually do more harm than good!

Water Spray Extinguishers

These types of water extinguisher will be solid red and have ‘aqua spray’ printed across them in white text. They are more effective at fighting fires than the traditional water ones. This is because they spray the water over a wider surface area at a higher pressure. They are also only suitable for Class A fires. Both water and water spray extinguishers sometimes contain chemical additives to improve their effectiveness. These chemicals remove the water’s natural surface tension so that is soaks into burning materials more effectively when used.

Dry Water Mist Extinguishers

These types are again solid red but with the words ‘water mist’ printed across them in white. They are unique in that they can combat almost all fire types. These extinguishers work by converting the water into ‘dry’ microscopic particles which are drawn into the fire and simultaneous cool and suffocate it. They are also effective in fire-fighting because they form a safety barrier between the user and the fire. This repels some of the heat, and leaves no hard-to clean residue behind.

Other types of extinguisher are better suited for fighting electrical fires, but dry mist extinguishers, if accidentally used on electrical fires, will not pose as significant a hazard as normal water extinguishers.

Knowing which extinguishers are best for which classes of fire is key to keeping yourself and those around you as safe as possible.