What is the difference between wet water and foam in regards to firefighting?

Question

Thank you everybody so far...
-but let me edit my question, I know the points of water vs. foam, but does anybody know about WETWATER?

Answer 1

Yes. WET WATER is a manufacture name for a brand of Class A foam. Foam has typically been used to suppress Class B fires of hydrocarbons or polar solvents. Recently, foam has been found to be effective as extinguishing agent on class A fires. ANSUL developed WET WATER as a Class A foam to help reduce water damage and overloading on upper floors in structures. It's also useful in combating wild fires.

Firefighters tend to use brand names to describe equipment that they use. So if I tell you to get me the WET WATER, you'll bring me the Class A foam and not Class B. WET WATER is manufactured by ANSUL but other manufacturers make Class A foam.

Answer 2

There is no clear answer to your question. These days even watches are never deemed waterproof because there really is no such thing as a waterproof watch. Watches are rated for water resistance based on the depth where water penetrates the casing. Eventually everything will leak. With regard to fabrics there is no law in the United States or international agreement that defines the terms water repellent or water resistant so manufactures may use these terms in various overlapping ways. Therefore, you need evaluate the fundamental properities of the fabric you are considering and the job you want it to do. Water repellent generally means that the material is going to be impervious to water in its ideal state, but there are many factors that may make this a less than ideal solution. For instance a thin sheet of plastic me be water repellent, but it might rip easily. Plasitic may also leak at seams. A water repellent fabric such as canvas or wool will shed water even though it is not water repellent and will eventually absord some water and leak. Canvas has been the traditional material of choice for awning makers due to its durability. Modern wedding tents are usually made out of a tough plastic coated material. Maintenance, cost and longevity are also big issues to consider. To summarize, you cannot rely on the labels repellent or resistant. Generally, repellent means something not penetrable by water and resistant means that the weave sheds water. Resistance is often a feature of more breathable fabrics, whereas repellence is more easily attained by plastic like fabrics that do not breathe. Expensive fabrics like Gortex offer both high repellency and breathability. The different materials have various strengths and weaknesses. If you want to be completely dry, you generally need to stay inside or spend a lot of money. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

You can't use water on a grease fire, but you can use foam. Foam extinguishes more types of fires...gasoline, other chemicals, etc. Firefighting foam agents suppress fire by separating the fuel from the air (oxygen). Depending upon the type of foam agent, this is done in several ways:

Foam blankets the fuel surface, smothering the fire and separating the flames from the fuel surface.
The fuel is cooled by the water content of the foam.
The foam blanket suppresses the release of flammable vapors that can mix with air

Answer 4

Water is fine on material fires such as, paper, wood, cloth, etc as a cooling medium to bring the fuel temperature down.

On liquid fires like oils, water will spread the fire by the oils being carried around by the water.

Large oil fires use foam to blanket the burning oil particularly in and around storage tanks to exclude oxygen.

Electrical fires are treated mainly using CO2 - foam or water can be deadly where electricity is concerned.

Answer 5

To have a fire you must have fuel, oxygen and ignition temperature.

Water lowers the temperature and briefly blocks the air, but the water evaporates quickly.

Foam blocks the air and does not evaporate away as easily. So it can be more effective in putting out a fire

Answer 6

I would say that water is used to reduce the temperature to below the temperature which sustains combustion where foam is designed to smother the fire by cutting off the oxygen supply to the burning fuel

Answer 7

Foam displace the oxygen,it creates a big layer and water reduce the temperature of the combustion.

Answer 8

Foam is fun.

Wet water is used when foam is not available.

If ever you see a fireman kicking dirt toward a fire, increase his department's budget.

Fires destroy property, almost every time.
.

Answer 9

Wet Water Fire Fighting

Answer 10

foam smothers the fire and water puts it out. the wet water helps break down the surface tension letting the water disperse better thus putting out the fire better helps with agricultural fires and such
does that help?