How to Buy a Fire Extinguisher and Why Every Home Should Have One
Most of us, including me, live in blind faith that nothing will every catch fire in our homes. We convince ourselves that things don’t spontaneously combust and that most kitchen fires can usually be handled with a sturdy lid or a container of salt. It wasn’t until our laundry room caught fire that I realized the importance of owning a fire extinguisher.
I had been cleaning the basement when the smoke alarm went off and came up the steps to discover smoke pouring out of our back porch laundry room. Flames were shooting up the wall behind the clothes dryer and had ignited the bead board ceiling and timbered supports. Lucky for us, Grandpa had installed an ABC fire extinguisher in the kitchen and after calling 911, I grabbed the extinguisher and put out the fire on my own in less than 20 seconds.
The firemen who responded to the 911 call commended me for my quick thinking and told me that an old multi-storied home like mine could have been completely engulfed in flames within ten minutes. Had the kids been home from school, had we not placed smoke alarms throughout the house, and had we not a fire extinguisher, this story would have had a different ending.
Whether you live in an old farmhouse or a brand new model home, installing fire extinguishers and smoke alarms is one of the more important safety measures a person can take to protect both their family and home.
Types
If you’ve never purchased a fire extinguisher before, they can be a little intimidating to shop for. All fire extinguishers are divided into four types based on the type of fire it can be used for.
Class A are used for combustible solids, such as wood, paper, rash, and even most types of plastics.
Class B are used for flammable liquids, such as kitchen grease, gasoline, or kerosene.
Class C fires are electrical fires which can only be put out with the non conducting material found in a Class C canister.
Class D are used for fighting chemical fires and burning metals.
Ratings by number
In addition to a letter rating, most extinguishers also have a number rating. This number indicates the size of the fire an extinguisher can handle; the higher the number, the greater the fire fighting capacity it has. The fire extinguisher in my kitchen is a larger unit and is rated at 2A 40B-C. This size is recommended for protection on an entire floor and is the extinguisher I used to put out our laundry room fire. The “2” indicates that the extinguisher functions as well as two gallons of water; the 40 tells me the approximate square footage of a B class fire that an average homeowner can extinguish.
For smaller kitchen fires, I also have a 2A 5B-C which is nice, light weight extinguisher that is more portable and much easier to handle for oven and stove top fires. For garages, laundry room, and utility rooms, a larger extinguisher with a 10B-C rating is recommended.
All my extinguishers have pressure gauges which tell me at a glance is the cannister is still under pressure. When the pressure dips, I have it recharged at my local hardware store. Pressure gauges are important features which can tell you if the extinguisher will work, BEFORE it’s needed.
Buying a few fire extinguishers for your home really isn’t that difficult once you understand the classification and rating system. For most homes, an all-purpose ABC is the most practical since it can be used for both combustible solids, flammable liquids, and electrical fires. Just make sure to select a rating size that is adequate for the area and purchase only an extinguisher that is UL approved.
