Are You Using the Wrong Fire Extinguisher?
September 14, 2011, By Greg Hoard 0 comments
For some reason—I’m not exactly sure why—I've become obsessed with safety around the house. Maybe this feeling comes with getting older and the growing awareness that I am no longer the invincible, 35-year-old beast I used to think I was.
It may have something to do with the day I was taking down a 30-foot maple in the back yard, messed up the walk-a-round cut and ended up with my pet hernia, which I now refer to—not so affectionately—as Red-Dot, a term softball players will fully understand.
The most harrowing and recent incident involved an aerosol can that was mistakenly left on top of the stove while I was baking meatloaf. Pam never made such a bam! After gathering myself and realizing that a terrorist had not snuck in the house, I cleaned up the shrapnel in complete awareness that the situation could have been much worse.
What if there had been a fire?
That day I boned-up on fire extinguishers and equipped the house with the proper equipment. Seriously, if you don’t have fire extinguishers around the house, you should! A modest expense and a little knowledge can prevent a major problem—even if you are a 35-year-old beast, or think you are.
Here are some things you need to know before you go shopping for a fire extinguisher:
- Understand the Ratings: Different types of fire extinguishers come with ratings of A, B and C. These letters indicate what kind of fire the extinguisher will put out. Class A extinguishers will put out fires fueled by wood, paper, cloth, rubber and most plastics. A Class B rating extinguishes flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil and grease. Class C is for wiring, appliances and electrical fires. (There is also a Class D, but this rating covers fires that are very uncommon around the home. They involve magnesium, titanium and sodium.) Best choice: an ABC combo rating.
- Pick a Suitable Extinguisher for the Area it Will Protect: For the kitchen, for instance, chose a combination B-C extinguisher. In the garage or workshop, a Class A-B is probably sufficient.
- Check the Number Rating: The higher the number, the more fire the extinguisher can handle. An A-4 unit will put out twice as much Class-A fire as an A-2. Also know that the higher the number, the heavier the apparatus. Look for a five- or 10-pound model. While there are small, decorative kitchen models that weigh two pounds, they aren’t capable of handling much of a fire.
- Chose a Style: You can go with a disposable unit, which will run about $10 or $20, or go with a rechargeable unit, generally about $50. Disposables are often plastic and lose their pressure after about 12 years. Rechargeable units can be refilled after use or if they lose pressure. (They should be serviced or checked on an annual basis.)
- Make sure the extinguisher is approved by Underwriters Laboratories or Factory Mutual.
- Install the fire extinguishers in plain sight and near an escape route. Hold some drills so everyone in the family knows those routes and knows how to use the extinguishers, even the bubbalas.
- Finally, know when to fight a fire yourself and when to evacuate. En Fuego tops macho most every time.
(For more information and prices, try the Amerex website. Hard to beat those folks.)
