Maybe you are thinking of Halon? My 5lb CO2s were only $100 more than their powder equivalent. The 5 lb Halon in the shop was $600.CO2 extinguishers are absolutely the best for equipment fires.
The problem: CO2 extinguishers are EXPENSIVE!
To save machinery, and/or lives, I choose dry chemical extinguishers, of larger size,..... and multiples of them!
The dry chemical potential mess is significant, but the primary issue is to have sufficient capability readily available to extinguish a fire!
Dry chemical powder CAN be cleaned up.
Items destroyed by fire cannot be cleaned up!
Dry chemical extinguishers should be inverted at least once each year, and wacked with a short piece of 2x4 or similar, to break up the settled powder inside.
Also don't forget that the contents of dry chemical extinguishers can be corrosive. Especially when exposed to moisture. Any little bit in electrical connectors is likely to cause issues later on.
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