Fire Extinguishers Safe for the Home

A Fire Extinguishers In Murrieta Homes!

Fire extinguishers are essential pieces of safety equipment in any house. These portable fire extinguishers are an important part of an overall fire safety program. Portable fire extinguishers can be an effective early response to a developing fire if they are installed, used properly and will keep you calm in an emergency.

When used properly, fire extinguishers can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or controlling a fire until additional help arrives. Fire extinguishers are designed to combat fires of different classes. fire extinguishers can be safely used on fires involving flammable solids, liquids, and gasses as well as those involving electrical equipment.Fire extinguishers can be used on very hot burning metal fires such as lithium, but unlike copper powder, extinguishers will not stick to and extinguish flowing or vertical lithium fires.

What Fire Extinguisher Should I Buy For My Home?

Unintentional house fires are terribly frightening, not to mention costly and sometimes, deadly. 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. You’ve probably experienced a fire-related emergency in your own home. Have you ever watched a spark fly out of the fireplace onto a nearby rug? Or have your pan of food catch fire on the stove (or in the microwave)?

What type of fire extinguisher should I have?

Fire extinguishers come in various sizes, shapes and formulas to combat the different types of fires you might encounter in a home situation. Grease fires, for example, are caused when oil or grease (like bacon grease, cooking oil or lard) comes into contact with high heat. 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.* A grease fire requires a Class Kfire extinguisher (or look for one that says “for cooking fires”). Here are the different classes of fire extinguishers and their purpose:

Class A: The Class A extinguisher is meant to combat ordinary combustibles like firewood (and other wood), paper, cloth, and plastics. This is the best extinguisher to have near the fireplace or fire pit (like a camp fire). This type of fire can be extinguished with water as well. “A” stands for Ash. See more here.

A necessity within any working environment, fire extinguishers can be found in just about any public or private workspace, office, factory, school, college, garage etc.

How to Choose and Use Fire Extinguishers

A fire extinguisher can be a lifesaver. Placed near an exit, in an easy-to-grab spot, it can put out a small fire before the firefighters arrive, or at least suppress the flames while you escape. The main distinction among home extinguishers is size. In most cases bigger is better, but sometimes the biggest extinguishers are too heavy to maneuver. (The weight on an extinguisher refers to the amount of chemical inside; the canister adds several more pounds.)

Reading the Label

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
Every household extinguisher is labeled A, B, or C. In the fine print, the higher the number preceeding each letter, the greater the extinguisher’s effectiveness against each type of fire.

Every household extinguisher is labeled A, B, or C, which tells you the types of fires the extinguisher is effective against. A is ordinary combustibles like wood, paper, and cloth; B is flammable liquids, such as gasoline or cooking oil; and C is live electricity.

In the fine print on the label, these letters are preceded by numbers — for example, 3-A:40-B:C — which are the extinguisher’s classification rating. The numbers, assigned by Underwriters Laboratories, tell the extinguisher’s relative effectiveness against each type of fire, regardless of its weight or the chemical it uses. Read more here.

Fire extinguishers are typically fitted in buildings at an easily accessible location, such as against a wall in a high-traffic area.

THE MOST ESSENTIAL PLACES TO KEEP A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN YOUR HOME

No one wants to think about the possibility of a fire in their home. Having your home burn down in a fire is a nightmare scenario that happens all too frequently. When it comes to home fires, the best thing you can do is to have a plan and the proper equipment close by and ready for use.

Putting out a fire quickly before it escalates is important both for personal safety and preventing property damage. The best way to respond quickly and control fires is to have a fire extinguisher within reach of the source. Time is of the essence in a fire emergency, and you don’t want to be running around the house in a panic looking for a fire extinguisher. With proper fire extinguisher placement, you will be prepared to act quickly in the case of a fire in your home.

The Kitchen
With 65% of all fires starting in the kitchen, this is the most important room to have a fire extinguisher in your home. Most kitchen fires involve grease and can’t be put out with water. Grease fires have high flashpoints and burn extremely hot. A Class K extinguisher is necessary in your kitchen because it is designed specifically to put out fires fueld by vegetable or animal oils and fats.

The Garage and Workshop
If you have a garage or a workshop, then you probably use these spaces to store some flammable materials. Paints, oil, gasoline, solvents and other chemicals are all extremely combustible. When working with tools in a workshop, you might generate sparks that could lead to a serious fire. Keeping a fire extinguisher in this area is a must. Read full article here.

Proper Use Of Fire Extinguishers Can Help To Reduce Fire Damage

Choosing and using fire extinguishersIts important to help the public understand that with proper training and education, fire extinguishers can save lives and property. Fire extinguishers can also be made to extinguish more than one type of fire. Fire extinguishers can be very useful tools for bringing a fire under control in its early stages, but it is very important to make sure you use the correct type.

Regular maintenance and inspections of your fire extinguishers will provide assurance that they will operate effectively and safely if they are needed. Fire extinguishers can save lives in the workplace or at home – so get protected without delay. Help people decide when to use a fire extinguisher, call us here: (951) 805-1262, fire extinguishers are helpful for immediate use on small fires.

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