The Type of Fire Extinguisher Every Home Should Have. This depends on the type of fire extinguisher you have. 1. All Rights Reserved. Is the pin still intact? An avid traveler, she loves to collect pieces that tell a story and in her off hours she can be found hunting for vintage furniture and textiles. When a fire occurs, most of us tend to panic first, think second. Class A fire extinguishers meeting this regulation are: A fire extinguisher may look intimidating but everyone in the family should know how to use it, especially when under duress of an actual fire. You’ve probably experienced a fire-related emergency in your own home. Knowing what type of fire extinguisher to have in your home and how to use it can alleviate worry and make you and your family feel more prepared for this type of emergency. Experts advise at least one fire extinguisher per floor, but understand that if a fire does start, you don’t want to have to run too far to find it in the home. If they don’t, you can sometimes recycle them, but you’ll need to empty the contents and then check with your local recycling station. There are many different types of extinguishers, but today I plan to discuss only the ABC extinguisher. In my experience I have seen small fires turn into big ones for the simple lack of an extinguisher. Here’s your guide to buying a fire extinguisher, using it, and where it should go in your home. Read the instructions out loud and make sure everyone understands what it means. In terms of the number of home fire extinguishers you should have, try to have at least one per floor, so you have it available in case of an emergency. If so, it indicates that the pressure is still good. “A” stands for Ash. With a background in furniture and antiques, Anne has spent the last several years writing about home improvement and interior design. Fire extinguishers are colour coded – here are cream (foam) and blue (powder) examples. Keep at least one fire extinguisher on every floor of your home, including the basement and attic, if you have them. The ideal locations to keep your RV fire extinguisher are in the galley, the bedroom and outside in … * A grease fire requires a Class K fire extinguisher (or look for one that says “for cooking fires”). Why Should I Have a Fire Extinguisher at Home? A portable fire extinguisher is an important safety item that every home and vehicle should have. Subscribe to our blog now! 4 Types of People Targeted for Home Invasions. Well, not quite. The prompt use of a home extinguisher can smother a small fire before it spreads, but fire extinguishers can be dangerous in inexperienced hands. Fire extinguishers are designed for everyone in the family to use and tend to differ in the capacity, handle size and hose. “C” stands for Current. Since it’s easy to forget when you last purchased your fire extinguishers, it’s a good idea to inspect them on a regular basis (tip: check your extinguishers the same day you test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms). A fire blanket and wet chemical extinguisher in the kitchen and dry powder device in the garage could prove invaluable tools in saving your home and your life in case of a house fire. 5. Fires can start anywhere at any time in your home. Before we continue on talking about the benefits of purchasing a fire extinguisher, I’d like to emphasize the fact that a fire extinguisher is in no way a replacement for a smoke detector. Place this extinguisher in an easy to reach place like under the stove, under the kitchen sink or mounted on the wall. Fighting an electrical fire with a water-based extinguisher, for example, could give you an electric shock, and trying to put out a large or rapidly spreading fire with an extinguisher is useless and could leave you trapped in a burning building. But it can also happen inside the home if these types of metals are used for hobbies or home-based businesses. How to Use a Fire Extinguisher. Grease fires, for example, are caused when oil or grease (like bacon grease, cooking oil or lard) comes into contact with high heat. 3 Reasons You Should Have a Fire Extinguisher in Your Home. Never use water to put out an electrical fire! They are by far the most versatile and my personal choice. P ull the Pin A im the Nozzle S queeze the handle S weep back and forth at the base of the fire Remember, you should aim the nozzle at what is burning, not at the flames. Australian experts advise at least one fire extinguisher per floor, but understand that if a fire does start, you don’t want to have to run too far to find it in the home. How to Identify and Remove them, Turn Over a New Leaf with an Organized, Decluttered Home, How to Set Up Your Ideal Home Gym for Hassle-Free Daily Fitness. Never use water to put out a grease fire! That’s why every family should have the best home fire extinguisher for themselves. Because of this, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains specific DOT fire extinguisher requirements for the vehicles that travel U.S. roadways. Class K: Class K extinguishers help put out grease fires, like in the kitchen. These devices extinguish fires at home in situations you can control. Let’s take a look at what type of fire extinguisher you should have in your home, how many you should have, where they should be located, and how to use them. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/, How To Set Up the Best Compost Pile (and it won't cost a cent). In fact, “cooking” is the leading reported cause of house fires and accounts for about 50% of residential building fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. 2/14/2018 . Fire extinguishers are a vital piece of safety equipment in any home, commercial building or vehicle. Class C: The Class C extinguisher is designed for electrical fires. Whether it’s faulty wiring or an unattended candle, fires can start in unexpected locations. For added safety, extinguishers should be installed near exits on every floor of the home and in every room that has a high potential for fire, such as the kitchen or garage. Every home needs at least one fire extinguisher, and most should have at least two or three. His finger got burned and the kitchen sustained quite a bit of damage. 2. Examples would be propane, gasoline, ethanol or butane. Aim away from any people or pets and practice squeezing and sweeping. They often host classes to teach people how to be fire-ready and can be a great place to feel more confident about fire extinguishers. But this type of fire can spread quickly. Now that I live alone, I have to think of the possibility of certain things happening… like grease catching fire, falling asleep while boiling or cooking something late at night, or leaving home forgetting that I had a lit candle going on, and so forth. Water and electricity don’t mix, and you can suffer from electrocution by using water to douse an electrical fire. Answer. When you’ve got multiple people in your home – and pets! Woman Installs Security System To Protect Her From Abusive Ex, Class A: ordinary combustibles like cloth, wood, and paper, Class B: flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, and oil, Class D: flammable metals (mostly in factories), Class K: vegetable oils, animal oils, or fats in cooking appliances. Electrical fires can be caused by appliances, overloaded outlets, circuitry boards, or other electrical components. Water can actually make a grease fire spread and splash, and it can be incredibly damaging (even deadly) to humans and pets. Eco-Friendly Cleaning for a Healthier 2021, Hidden Hazards in your home. For instance, every floor of your dwelling place should have at least one device to make sure you always have the first line of defense in case a fire breaks out. 4. Protect Your Home For instance, according to the IFC (International Fire Code), one 6-liter extinguisher should be present for every four fryers with 80 pounds of capacity each (320 pounds total). The most important weapon you have to fight an RV fire is, of course, your trusty RV fire extinguisher, and everybody who is traveling in the coach should know how and when best to use them. If an extinguisher is within reach, it can save you precious minutes of time in combating an unintentional fire. There are various types of fire extinguishers available on the market for a variety of fires that can ignite within a home. It is important what you also know when the fire cannot be contained. Stories like this have always made me think, “I should get a fire extinguisher” but then I’ve forgotten about it within a day or two. Have you ever watched a spark fly out of the fireplace onto a nearby rug? Is it in the “operable” or “normal” range (which may be colored green)? Look for an extinguisher labeled “ABC” which means it can be used on a Class A, B and C fires. Visually inspect the fire extinguisher. Start by factoring in at least one extinguisher for each floor, then add another extinguisher for every fireplace, one for the kitchen, one for the garage, and put one in any other room in the home you feel necessary. Does it look damaged in anyway? The different types of fire extinguishers are divided by ‘class’. Each type of fire can is best put out by a specific compound in a fire extinguisher. Fire Extinguishers No single type of extinguisher is totally effective on every kind of fire. indicates that the extinguisher should be replaced immediately. If you can’t get it refilled, you can contact your local fire extinguisher refilling company and ask if they accept old canisters. When using a fire extinguisher you’ll want to remember PASS. Share your story in the comments below! A family member recently had a big scare when a pan of cooking oil caught fire. You should test battery-operated smoke alarms regularly – preferably every time you go on tour. If you should have more fryers of that size or multiple fryers of greater size, then you will need to provide additional extinguishers. Perhaps you could get a hall rug to match the extinguisher! You can determine the firefighting capabilities of a fire extinguisher by reading its label. Understanding Fire Extinguisher Sizes. Typical houses would have no fire compartmentation so the nearest place of safety to house an extinguisher would be at the exit door of the house. Below are the best places to keep a fire extinguisher in your home: Class B: A Class B fire is one in which the fuel source is a combustible gas or liquid. A fire is a fire, and a fire extinguisher is a fire extinguisher, right? Stock every floor of your home with an ABC extinguisher (don’t forget the garage), and make sure everyone knows where they are. Make sure everyone has a turn and understands the noise it makes, how to aim at the fire, and how to make it stop spraying. You’ll also want a Class K extinguisher in the kitchen. These gases and liquids are highly flammable, but can also burn out quickly if the fuel source is removed (like if the propane tank were turned off). © Copyright 2021. When used properly, it can mitigate or even avert a disaster caused by fire. There are 5 types of fires. For example ‘grease fires’, which happen when grease and oil come into contact with heat, need Class K fire extinguishers to be put under control. Just keep in mind that some parts (especially plastic) don’t hold up over time and you may need to replace older extinguishers. Fire stations can help. This type of fire is more common to laboratories, businesses and factories. You have several options for your old fire extinguishers. “K” stands for Kitchen. Five main types of extinguisher for home use are: Water Foam The paper tag may have written notations as to the last date of service. Experts advise at least one fire extinguisher per floor, but understand that if a fire does start, you don’t want to have to run too far to find it in the home. To decide on the best fire extinguisher(s) for your home, figure out which situation is most likely to occur: It’s recommended that you only try to stifle a fire once everyone has safely evacuated the home and the fire department has been called. Check the paper tag or canister. by Bitner Henry | May 6, 2016. Take it to your local fire station and request that they take a look. – it’s a lot easier to rest assured that someone will have your back before anything were to go seriously wrong, but when you’re alone, it’s best to be as overly prepared as possible. Use the information here to help you determine how big your fire extinguisher should be. The canister may have expiration information. This is why there are all-purpose fire extinguishers. * U.S. Fire Administration Fire Estimate Survey http://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/, Tips to Raise your Home Value at any Price Point, Moving a Family: The Complete Guide for Parents. If you have children, you may want to have them actually practice pulling the pin so they know how its supposed to feel. Your local fire station is a fantastic resource for all things related to fire safety. Pressurized water, carbon dioxide, and wet chemical extinguishers have a minimum service life of 5 years. The best way to use a fire extinguisher is to remember the acronym PASS. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that fire extinguishers be placed around the home so that one is never more than 40 feet away. A fire extinguisher's size is just one of several factors that determine its effectiveness. a) What class of fire extinguisher should I get for home use? UK fire extinguisher regulations state that you should have a minimum of two ‘Class A’ extinguishers on every storey of the building. If you don’t see any of this information, you’ll want to have the extinguisher professionally inspected, refilled or replaced. Or have your pan of food catch fire on the stove (or in the microwave)? Now that I live alone, I have to think of the possibility of certain things happening… like grease catching fire, falling asleep while boiling or cooking something late at night, or leaving home forgetting that I had a lit candle going on, and so forth. Unintentional house fires are terribly frightening, not to mention costly and sometimes, deadly. This type of extinguisher relies upon saponification, which means it turns the fuel (in this case, fat) into soap. Fire extinguishers should also be kept in the kitchen and garage. Having a fire extinguisher in your home can be an essential part of home safety, just like having a smoke detector. 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