10-Step Guide to Buying the Best Fire Extinguisher in India

Planning to buy the right fire extinguishers for your business or industrial setting, but unsure of the steps to choose them correctly? Rest assured, we have got you covered. In this detailed guide, we have curated a 10-step buying guide to help you choose the right firefighting cylinders that fit into your intended place. So, explore and select the right one!

A] Buying Quality Fire Extinguishers in India? Step-by-Step Buying Guide

Step 1: Know the Different Types of Fire Extinguishers for Different Fire Classes

Before selecting the fire extinguisher, let’s look at the range of fire extinguishers available in India while paying attention to the details of each type of fire extinguisher: 

• Water fire extinguishers: This fire extinguisher extinguishes class A fires, which typically stem from wood, paper, coal, and fabric. It is the most suitable fire extinguisher for homes, offices, workshops, and firms. 
• Foam Fire Extinguisher: The foam fire extinguisher puts out class A and B fires, which generally originate from ordinary solid combustibles and flammable liquids and gases. It helps extinguish fire situations in spaces, like homes, offices, warehouses, factories, commercial kitchens, and fuel storage locations.
• Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher:  It is a multipurpose fire extinguisher which helps douse class A, B and C fire types. These fire types usually originate from common combustibles(A), flammable liquids and gases (B), and electrical equipment (C). This extinguisher is used in industrial settings, workshops, vehicles, and storage areas.
• CO₂ Fire Extinguisher: The CO₂ fire extinguisher is highly recommended for class B and C fires, which arise from flammable liquids and gases and energised electrical equipment. It is suitable for offices and homes.
• Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher: It is a potassium acetate-based solution and is suitable for class F fires. Class F fires typically emerge from cooking oils and lard. Wet chemical extinguishers are highly recommended for home and commercial kitchens, food processing units, and catering businesses.

Step 2: Assess Your Fire Risk and Environment

After exploring different types of fire extinguishers in India, it’s now time to assess your environment to find out possible fire types that your place could face. 

• Homes are usually prone to catching electrical and cooking fires (ie, class C and F). The standard fire extinguisher suited for homes is a dry powder fire extinguisher.
• Offices are prone to electrical and paper fires, which fall under class A and C fires. For this, water and CO₂ are the best suited. 
• For industrial settings, ABC and CO₂ fire extinguishers are suitable, as industries are more susceptible to chemical and flammable fires.
• Commercial kitchens are at risk of catching a class F fire. So, for commercial kitchens, the highly recommended extinguisher is a wet chemical fire extinguisher, which effectively extinguishes class F fire.

Step 3: Choose the Right Capacity

Fire extinguisher capacity selection is highly crucial for better workability at the time of use. They come in different capacities, ranging from 1.5 litres to 140 litres, with 150 to 300 bar filling pressure. So far, we have assessed which fire extinguisher is the best suited for the places we usually encounter. Now, let’s understand how much capacity of fire extinguishers these places require. 

• For homes, use 2kg capacity of firefighting cylinders in kitchen and bedroom areas, 4 kg for hallways, and 6kg for covering large spaces, like larger living areas, exits, and garage. 
• For offices, use 2 or 4kg firefighting cylinders or those specified by the safety standards in areas sensitive to electrical short circuits. For general office areas, 4 to 6kg of cylinders are suitable, while large office spaces will require more capacity.
• For industrial settings, using firefighting cylinders with a capacity of 6 to 9 kgs, or even more, is recommended for crucial areas, such as those with powerful electrical equipment, high-heat equipment, fuel storage, gas storage, and high-load machinery.

Step 4: Check for Quality and Certification

After selecting the right capacity, it’s now time to assess the quality and certification of the cylinders, as it is crucial for ensuring workability, safety, and strength. Uncertified and low-quality extinguishers may fail during emergencies, as they are not monitored by the ISI and BIS in India. Ensure that the cylinders to be installed are certified by ISI and BIS, as the certification is proof that the cylinders have undergone rigorous testing procedures. It makes them safe for domestic as well as industrial use. 

So, before buying quality fire extinguishers in India, ensure they have:

• Clear and legible labels
• Operating instructions
• Service and manufacturing dates

Step 5: Evaluate Build Quality and Material

If the material used in manufacturing firefighting cylinders is weak, it may escalate a small fire into a catastrophic one. This happens because weak material can decrease the effectiveness of firefighting agents. Also, cylinders may corrode over time, raising safety concerns. So, make sure you choose only those cylinders that are made with steel or aluminium. However, various material experts suggest going for steel-made firefighting cylinders, as steel is tested for withstanding various diverse conditions, be it in industry or at home. It also provides durability under frequently changing Indian weather conditions.

Step 6: Factor in Maintenance and After-Sales Service

Fire extinguisher maintenance and after-sales services are highly crucial for firefighting cylinders, as they require refilling, servicing, and inspections at intervals. Ensure you select those cylinders that have service contracts attached, refilling availability in your city, and come with support whenever required. It ensures cylinders stay workable in case of fire situations and you stay ahead of legal situations, as you are following fire extinguisher rules and regulations. 

Step 7: Consider Ease of Use and Handling

When selecting fire extinguishers, it is crucial to choose a capacity that is large enough to be effective for the place while handy enough for seamless movement at the time of a fire emergency. You should ensure they have a lightweight design and ergonomic handles. However, despite the ease of use and handling of cylinders, user training and ensuring easy accessibility are also important to ensure optimum effectiveness when needed.

Step 8: Compare Prices but Don’t Compromise on Quality

Cheap and non-certified models can be dangerous to properties and lives around, as they are not tested for the required safety standards. So, ensure you always choose a trusted fire-fighting cylinder manufacturer, like Rama Cylinders, a reliable fire extinguisher cylinder manufacturer. It not only ensures you get economical cylinders, but also quality cylinders. Think of extinguishers as a safety investment, not a cost.

Step 9: Buy From Reliable Suppliers

As discussed in the previous step, reliable suppliers are certified with national and international firefighting safety protocols, and their cylinders are qualified for every test required to come out clean on national and international quality checks. So, ensure you always buy the cylinders from reliable suppliers. Rama Cylinder, a reliable firefighting cylinder manufacturer, offers installation, demo, and after-sales support with a range of cost-effective and high-quality firefighting cylinders.

Step 10: Evaluate Supplier Reputation and Reliability

Last but not least, the evaluation of a supplier’s reputation and reliability is equally important, as it ensures you are buying the cylinders from a trusted supplier who excels at credibility, whether online or offline. Before buying, look for reviews, user experience, and corporate client lists to assess the supplier’s reliability. Rama Cylinders is one of the world’s largest industrial and firefighting cylinders manufacturers, boasting of selling over a million cylinders worldwide. We have lists of prestigious clients (TATA, Bajaj, Mahindra, Eicher, and Volvo, among others) who have praised our cylinders’ quality and safety measures.

Conclusion

Buying fire extinguishers in India requires utmost attention, as it ensures the cylinders remain workable even in diverse conditions. Follow the buying steps discussed in this blog and buy cylinders that are suitable for your premises. Lastly, ensure you only buy the cylinders from a trusted manufacturer for extended safety and durability.

Rama Cylinders is the number one and trusted CNG cylinder manufacturer in India, offering cost-effective and nationally and internationally tested steel-made firefighting cylinders. Contact us and safeguard your properties and lives from fire situations with a safety and quality guarantee from Rama Cylinders.