What is the importance of having a fire extinguisher in the car?
For many people around the world, passenger cars are the most common option for transportation. Although a car is quite an easy option for transportation, vehicles are always subject to accidents such as accidents or fires. Therefore, it is necessary to have a good fire extinguisher inside the car. You must have heard about the tragic death of Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker. Walker and his friend Roger Rodas were driving a Porsche over the weekend in Southern California when they crashed into a tree in the middle of the boulevard and their car quickly burst into flames.
Before dealing with what type of fire extinguisher is suitable for the car, it is necessary to know the reasons for the car fire. It is rare that only one factor causes a car fire. Car fires are usually caused by a combination of factors, including technical defects, mechanical problems, driver errors, and chemical causes. When the above factors are combined, they can create a dangerous situation, in other words, when your car catches fire, the addition of each of the mentioned factors to the main cause of the fire can make the situation more complicated. Knowing the mentioned factors helps the car owner to avoid being in dangerous situations. When a car catches fire, it is not important to know the cause, what matters is that the car is burning. Therefore, if you are not able to control the car fire quickly and your efforts to extinguish the fire are useless, get away from the car as quickly as you can because a small car fire does not last long and will die down after a while. can be widespread. According to statistics, about 20 percent of reported fires are related to cars, so knowing how to reduce the risk of a fire in your car or truck is valuable.
The most important causes of car fires:
1- Leakage in the fuel system
Fuel spillage from the fuel system is the most important cause of fire in the car. Many reasons can cause fuel leaks. Many liquids in the car have corrosive, toxic and flammable properties, among which gasoline is the most dangerous. Gasoline can catch fire only at a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius or higher and with a spark. This ignition happens inside the car engine all the time the car is on. When the temperature of gasoline reaches 272 degrees Celsius, it ignites automatically without the need for a spark. Therefore, if the fuel spills on the hot metal or plastic parts of the car, it will easily cause a fire. Therefore, the best way to reduce the risk of fire in the car’s fuel system is to properly maintain the car. If you smell gasoline around your car, act quickly to find and repair the fuel leak.
2- Malfunction in the car’s electrical system
The second major cause of car fire is a malfunction in the electrical system. Standard conventional car batteries have the capacity to produce many problems. Since the battery supplies the vehicle with electricity, the possibility of a fire is high, although most batteries are safe if they are properly maintained. It is very important to regularly check the battery and its connections. The charging cycle of the battery produces hydrogen gas, and the electric current in the car battery, in case of a fault in the adjacent wires or the presence of a bare wire and creating a spark, may cause the gas or hydrogen liquid leaking from the battery to catch fire. When the battery is charged while driving, a mixture of electrolyte vapor and hydrogen gas may escape from the plastic shell, which will corrode the battery and its connections and start a chain of dangerous events inside the battery. Many people ignore the rotting cables and battery, but this problem can start a fire. Another issue that can put the battery at risk of fire is if the connections holding the battery are not tight, and as a result, it shifts while driving. In this case, there is a possibility of damage to the plastic cover of the battery head cable, resulting in a connection and spark. Also, there are many wirings inside the car, from the inside of the car doors to the cooler and seat heater system, and the connection or overheating of these wires can lead to a fire in the car.
3- Dripping and spilling car fluids
Cars and trucks contain a number of flammable and hazardous liquids. For example, gasoline and diesel, engine oil, hydraulic oil and brake oil are all flammable. When the car is on, all these liquids are circulating and if the pipes and their transmission paths are damaged and as a result they leak or their tanks get hot, they can catch fire. When the said liquids drip, there will be more possibility of fire in case of an accident. Remember that some of these fluids, such as fuel and brake fluid, travel the entire length of the vehicle and can quickly cause a fire throughout the vehicle if caught on fire.
4- Overheating of the car’s engine and catalytic converter
Normally, a car’s engine does not get hot enough to cause a fire, but if the engine overheats for any reason, it is possible for flammable fluids such as engine oil to reach a dangerous temperature and begin to spew out. do it yourself In this situation, the oil may be spilled on the exhaust or engine body or other hot parts, followed by a fire and rapid spread of the fire. This issue shows how the occurrence of a problem can lead to the creation of more and bigger problems. Therefore, when the temperature ampere of the engine increases too much, immediately refer to a mechanic to determine the cause.
Excessive heating of car catalytic converters is another reason for increasing the risk of car fire. One of the hottest parts of the car, which extends throughout the entire length of the vehicle, is the exhaust system. Car catalytic converters tend to get very hot because they often work harder than they can to reduce exhaust fumes. In other words, if the car engine does not work properly due to reasons such as a fault in the power supply system or a problem in the engine spark plug, it will not burn the fuel completely, and as a result, more pollutants will enter the exhaust, and the catalytic converter must work more than the normal capacity. slow and as a result it gets hotter than usual. An exhaust catalytic converter, when closed or overworked for some reason, can easily reach temperatures as high as 1100°C from the normal temperature of around 650-870°C, which in the long run will not only damage the The catalyst itself will cause damage to its adjacent areas in the vehicle. When the car’s catalytic converter heats up too much, it can lead to a fire in the insulation of the cabin or the floor of the car by heating the adjacent metal body.
5- Defects in car design
A design defect usually cannot cause a car fire by itself, but can create conditions that lead to a fire, and sometimes even create conditions that make a car fire inevitable. Usually, automakers find out about such problems before they lead to widespread accidents. They call dangerous vehicles and solve their problems. As with all car fires, a design flaw is only the first step in starting a fire. Not all design flaws lead to fire, but some problems may increase the risk of fire. Therefore, if any defect is detected, the car manufacturers must take action to fix it and prevent the risk.
6- Car accidents
One of the main causes of car fires is road accidents. Depending on the location of the impact, a car accident may cause a fire. For example, if an accident results in damage to the gas tank, spilling gasoline can cause a fire. Although in most cars, these sensitive points are designed in such a way that a metal sheet absorbs the pressures and forces and protects the dangerous internal points such as the engine, battery and fuel tank, but sometimes accidents are severe and cause serious damage. to the fuel tank or other points. In fact, there are not many barriers to protect, and a severe crash may cause fluid to leak and spill, and the heat in the parts can quickly cause a fire. Since it is not possible to identify the damaged areas when an accident occurs, the risk of a vehicle fire is not immediately apparent, so the best thing to do in these cases is to quickly move people away from the accident site and contact the emergency services.
7- Poor car maintenance
Human errors are usually not the direct cause of a car catching fire. However, if you fail to maintain your vehicle, this can indirectly increase the risk of the vehicle catching fire. If you neglect to repair damaged parts, leaking fluids and damaged wiring, you will prepare the conditions for a fire in the car. A bad gasket in the car engine can lead to the leakage of flammable liquids such as oil. Worn out wiring can also cause a car fire by creating a spark in the vicinity of flammable materials. Therefore, you should regularly check your car for possible defects and be serious about its proper maintenance. Initial checks can be done by the car owner. The brakes should be checked to see if they are working properly, the tires should be checked for inflation or any bulges, and the engine oil and hydraulic oil levels should be checked. At regular intervals, the technical condition of the car should be completely checked by referring to the mechanic in order to determine the existence of any possible technical defects.
Since there is always a risk of a car fire and if it is extinguished quickly, it is possible to prevent life and financial damage, it is necessary to carry a fire extinguisher for the car. In the following, the selection of the appropriate extinguisher for the car will be discussed.
What is the best car fire extinguisher?
It is important to always have the best extinguisher in your car because you never know when you might need it. Choosing the right type of fire extinguisher for the car is very important. Before dealing with the type and size of fire extinguisher suitable for the car, we must first know what type of fire is likely to occur in the car. Click to buy car fire extinguishers.
What kind of fire may occur in the car?
The three main types of fire in different cars are:
Type A fire: which includes fire caused by wood, cloth, rubber or other solids.
Type B fire: fire caused by flammable liquids and gases such as gasoline, diesel, gas and oil.
Type C fire: Fire caused by electricity such as car wiring.
Therefore, a powder and gas capsule capable of suppressing all types of fire is a suitable option for your car. Although the use of powder and gas extinguishers in car engine fires may have some corrosive effects, there is no need to worry because after the car engine fire is extinguished, its residues can be easily cleaned by washing.
What is the size of the car fire extinguisher?
It is recommended to buy 1 kg or 2 kg powder and gas capsules for private passenger cars. Although lighter weight fire extinguishers may be available in the market, they may not be as effective in extinguishing a fire. The average discharge time in a 1 kilo extinguisher is about 6 seconds and in a 2 kilo extinguisher it is about 10 seconds. For semi-heavy cars and vans, 2 or 3 kg fire extinguishers are a good choice. For heavier vehicles such as trucks, depending on their size and the type of cargo they are carrying, fire extinguishers with more weight such as a 6 kg powder and gas extinguisher or a 12 kg powder and gas extinguisher are recommended. Click to see the types of fire extinguishers.
Can foam capsules be used for cars?
Yes, you can use a foam extinguisher for your car, but the advantages of powder and gas fire extinguishers for cars are more than foam fire extinguishers.
Where is the best place to store car fire extinguishers?
The location of the car’s fire extinguisher should be such that the driver can access it in the shortest time if needed. It is recommended to place the fire extinguisher in a place such as under the student’s seat that is easily accessible to the driver. You can also put the fire extinguisher in the trunk of the car. Remember that the extinguisher must be fixed in its place so that it is not damaged by sudden movements of the car or it is not discharged unintentionally. For this purpose, special fasteners and holders for fire extinguishers can be used.
How to maintain car fire extinguisher?
Like all portable fire extinguishers, car fire extinguishers must be tested and charged annually by authorized companies. In addition, a number of useful tests can be performed periodically by yourself, which are as follows:
1- Check that the locking pin and seal are intact and healthy.
2- Check that there is no visible damage, corrosion or leakage in the extinguisher.
3- Make sure that the nozzle or drain hole is not blocked.
4- Fire extinguisher powder can become hard or lumpy over time, so you can turn the extinguisher upside down and gently shake it at least every 6 months to avoid this situation.
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