4.5kg Dry Chemical ABE Powder Fire Extinguisher

Commander™ 4.5kg ABE Dry Chemical Powder Fire Extinguisher

The Commander 4.5kg ABE fire extinguisher carries a 4A:60B:E fire test rating and is certified to AS/NZS 1841.5. It is the size most commonly specified for commercial and industrial premises in Australia.

Specifications

• Agent: monoammonium phosphate (MAP) dry chemical powder
• Capacity: 4.5kg
• Fire test rating: 4A:60B:E
• Standard: AS/NZS 1841.5
• Dimensions: 510mm (H) x 182mm (W) x 150mm (D)
• Finish: epoxy coated red, UV resistant
• Handle and safety pin: stainless steel
• Valve: brass
• Model: CP45ABE
• Supplied with: flexible rubber hose, wall bracket, AS 1851 maintenance tag
• Bulk pricing applies from two units
• Warranty: 1 year

Fires It Can Handle

Class A, Class B and Class E, as stated by the 4A:60B:E rating.

• Class A: timber, paper, cardboard, textiles.
• Class B: petrol, diesel, oils, paints, solvents.
• Class E: energised electrical equipment.

Powder interrupts the chemical reaction sustaining the flame, and on Class A material the MAP melts and seals the surface against reignition. Covering three classes from one cylinder is why ABE is the default across warehouses, factories and commercial floors, where the risk varies by area and nobody can predict which class comes first.

Where Not to Use It

• Class C combustible gases
• Class D combustible metals
• Class F cooking oils and fats: powder is not rated for deep fryers or range tops. Kitchens need a wet chemical unit and a fire blanket

What Powder Leaves Behind

The residue is corrosive and draws moisture once it settles. On a switchboard, a server or a control panel, that turns a contained fire into an equipment replacement plus a clean-up before anyone works in the space again. Where electrical risk is the primary concern and the equipment matters, CO2 discharges without residue and leaves the equipment recoverable.Discharged in an enclosed space, powder also removes visibility almost immediately. Get out and stay out once you have discharged it.

What the 4A Rating Means for Coverage

The 4A is the number that drives the count. AS 2444 sets a maximum travel distance of 15 metres to the nearest Class A extinguisher, measured along the path a person actually walks rather than in a straight line across the floor plan. Racking, plant, partitions and locked doors all lengthen that path.Two rules catch people out:

• Smaller units cannot be combined to substitute for one unit of the required rating. Two 2.5kg extinguishers do not equal one 4.5kg
• Travel distance is measured from any point on the floor, not from the middle of the room

Working out the count from floor area alone produces a number that fails on inspection. Our AS 2444 selection guide sets out how type and coverage get calculated together.

Where This Size Fits

Warehouses, factories, workshops, commercial offices, retail floors, plant rooms, transport depots, farm machinery, and larger vehicles including trucks and buses.Below it, the 2.5kg suits site fire points and smaller premises. Above it, the 9kg carries the highest rating in the range for heavy industrial risk and larger Class B volumes. At 510mm and 4.5kg of agent, this unit is a one-handed carry for most adults, which matters when the extinguisher has to be brought to the fire rather than used where it hangs.

How to Identify an ABE Extinguisher

Red body with a white band. Full breakdown in our fire extinguisher colour code guide.

Mounting and Placement

Under AS 2444:

• Base at least 100mm clear of the floor
• Top of the handle no higher than 1,200mm
• Maximum 15 metres travel distance from any point on the floor to the nearest Class A extinguisher
• Smaller units cannot be combined to substitute for one unit of the required rating

Where the extinguisher sits in a public area, a corridor or anywhere it takes knocks, a cabinet protects it and keeps the presentation consistent.

Signage Requirements

AS 2444 requires an identification sign above each extinguisher, mounted at 2 to 2.5 metres so the type and its fire classes are readable on approach. An extinguisher without a compliant sign fails the placement check regardless of the unit's own certification.

• ABE sign kit, identification sign plus location sign
• ABE sign

Servicing and Maintenance

Under AS 1851-2012:

• Six-monthly inspection by a competent person
• Yearly detailed service, including signage, location and bracket check
• Hydrostatic pressure test at five years

Any extinguisher that has been discharged, even partly, requires service immediately rather than at the next scheduled visit. Intervals and record-keeping detail in our fire testing intervals guide. Manufacture sits under the ACCC mandatory standard for portable non-aerosol fire extinguishers.

Coverage Calculations and Bulk Orders

We supply, install and position first-responder fire equipment against AS 2444 for construction, industrial and commercial sites across Australia, and we can work out the unit count for your floor plan. Call 1800 273 473 or see the full Commander fire extinguisher range.