Fire Extinguishers
Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD
Well not something anybody wants to read about they SHOULD. I Sell/Service extinguishers for a living. When you locate extinguishers in your home I have seen MANY people that put them in the cabinet BESIDE the stove. They really should be at LEAST 10 feet AWAY from the stove TOWARD an EXIT. Just think IF there is a fire on the stove DO YOU want to get as close as the cabinet next to the FIRE to DIG OUT the extinguisher you have put there ? Also when you are MOUNTING that extinguisher and you check it every year, TURN it upside down and listen for the powder inside to shift... If need be "spank" it with your hand and LISTEN for the powder to shift. Also CHECK the GAUGE to see if it is still charged. ANYTIME you use even PART of what is in the extinguisher it WILL need to be recharged or replaced, Partial discharge WILL cause them to leak down over time. When I moved in here the 1st thing I did was MOUNT 3 extinguishers in this double wide. 1 in the Laundry Area off the kitchen. 1 in the hall outside the 2 back bedrooms, 1 IN the master bedroom bathroom (kinda looks better than on the bedroom wall). Stay safe.
great reminder!!thanks . but where and how do you get them refilled? Ive asked the fire dept . not sure what they told me. i have two and had to use both of them up when my washing machine caught fire ,and now they are empty. for years! and now you have reminded me to get them refilled. as a reminder ..... never keep bleach above the washing machine! my bottle had a small pin hole and it dripped slowly right above the plug to wall and becomes a powder which can ignite and does! thats how i had my two fires. carol
If they have been empty for years they are not worth refilling. Buy at least a 5 pound size with a METAL head. The little 2 1/2 pound extinguishers only have a 5 to 10 second discharge time. I know I do not to have to try to put out any size fire in that small amount of time. The one at the "home stores & places with the black plastic heads are now worth the savings, Get a good Professional Metal Head extinguisher. One of the ones I have here is over 20 years old and still in great shape. The co. I work for is listed under "Fire Extinguishers" in the yellow pages.
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the reminder...it's something we try to remind people of a couple times of year.
You are so right about the placement of an extinguisher...I see so many homes that either have none, or placed directly above or beside the stove, same with the furnace area!
Just a couple little extras here, make sure you have the proper extinguisher for your home, also do not forget to place one in your garage or utility shed and I also like one readily available near the grill.
Happy New Year
~Yanita~
Thanks for the reminder...it's something we try to remind people of a couple times of year.
You are so right about the placement of an extinguisher...I see so many homes that either have none, or placed directly above or beside the stove, same with the furnace area!
Just a couple little extras here, make sure you have the proper extinguisher for your home, also do not forget to place one in your garage or utility shed and I also like one readily available near the grill.
Happy New Year
~Yanita~
Yep, I totally agree with Charles!
We have 6 extinguishers! Five are located inside the home and the other one is out in our shop. Make sure that they are rated just right for all fires. Check them every 6 months!
This also pertains to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors! Both should be in your home! We have one combo carbon monoxide detector in the living area, plus another smoke detector. We have a very large, open living area. Smoke detectors in every bedroom.
But, even these all have a life span these days. These may need to be replaced at the very least, every 5 years.
When you add up the cost, it's a small price to pay for security.
Maureen
We have 6 extinguishers! Five are located inside the home and the other one is out in our shop. Make sure that they are rated just right for all fires. Check them every 6 months!
This also pertains to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors! Both should be in your home! We have one combo carbon monoxide detector in the living area, plus another smoke detector. We have a very large, open living area. Smoke detectors in every bedroom.
But, even these all have a life span these days. These may need to be replaced at the very least, every 5 years.
When you add up the cost, it's a small price to pay for security.
Maureen
Well Maureen 6 is a good start. an ABC type is best for 98 % of household fires. I ran out of paces in here to put em (28'x65'). The only one near a heat source is the one in the laundry room 6' from the dryer. Now for outside.... I have a 10# ABC in a cabinet out front on the back side of the well pump house, Another 10# ABC on the back of the house (We have woods out back), I have a 10# BC (Best for liquid & electrical fires) in the shed for the mower and lawn tools, I have a 20# ABC, 20# Co2, and a 2 1/2 gal Water extinguishers in my shop.