A fire extinguisher gives you about a minute of agent, and then it is a heavy red can. A full attack line gives you volume, but it takes time to set up, and on a small fire in a tight space time is what the crew does not have. The F-500 EA TKO Nozzle was built for the gap between the two.
A nozzle with its own reservoir
The TKO Nozzle is a hose-end nozzle with a reservoir that holds a half gallon of F-500 EA concentrate. F-500 EA, from Hazard Control Technologies, the manufacturer of the agent, is an Encapsulator Technology — not a foam and not a powder — and it is fluorine-free. The nozzle proportions the concentrate with the turn of a dial: 0.5% for decon and washdown, 1% for Class A, and 3% for everything else. It flows 20 GPM at 100 psi, with a stream that reaches about 26 feet and a fog pattern that reaches about 13 feet.
“This is the perfect tool for achieving instant knockdown while combating multi-class incipient fires in restricted areas.” — Hazard Control Technologies
Ready the moment the hose is on
On a small fire, the minutes before the agent flows are the expensive ones. With the TKO Nozzle there is nothing to mix first.
“There’s no need to batch mix agent in the pumper or set up an eductor.” — Hazard Control Technologies
Attach the hose to a standpipe or wall box in a hotel, office building, or factory and the tool is ready. When the reservoir runs low, the crew unscrews the bottle and replaces it in seconds, even in gloves. And because the F-500 EA comes from the nozzle rather than an eductor, no agent is left sitting in 200 feet of hose after the fire.
More than an extinguisher can throw
According to the manufacturer, a 2.5-gallon fire extinguisher offers about a minute of firefighting and throws 2.5 gallons of solution, while the TKO Nozzle puts out 20 gallons in the same time. Flow times with F-500 EA run from 60 to 320 seconds depending on the proportioning setting, and the water keeps flowing after the concentrate is used up.
“Unlike a fire extinguisher, which is useless once exhausted, the TKO Nozzles still have a back-up of plain water.” — Hazard Control Technologies
Where it earns its place
The nozzle is aimed at multi-class incipient fires: Class A, Class B, Class D, Class K, and lithium-ion hazards such as EVs and handling equipment. The manufacturer lists high-rise packs, industrial fire brigades, foundries and metal fabricators, power plants, car fires, fuel spills, maritime applications, and confined spaces.
What to know before you order
The TKO Nozzle is sold unfilled, and F-500 EA concentrate is sold separately, so a department decides how many nozzles to load and stocks concentrate the way it stocks any other consumable. For bulk refills a 5-gallon pail of F-500 EA does the job, and additional bottles are available. The inlet is a standard 1½-inch NH-NST fitting.
What it means in Northern California
Between older commercial buildings, warehouse districts, multi-story hotels, and long stretches of highway, many departments see a steady run of fires that are too big for an extinguisher and not worth a full attack line. A nozzle that arrives loaded, flows from any standpipe, and covers Class A, B, D, K, and lithium-ion with one dial is a conversation worth having with the crews who would use it. A good first step is simple: walk a high-rise stairwell or a warehouse aisle with the crew and time how long it takes to get agent on the fuel. That is the number this nozzle is built to shorten.
Next week we continue with the equipment that puts F-500 EA on the fire.
On-site training is available for your department or facility. Contact us at ControlHazards.com to schedule yours.
