Fire Extinguishers and Your Home

Fire Extinguishers and Your Home

Fire extinguishers save lives. It is that simple. An easy addition to your home can save you and your family’s life. The main question is, do you know what type to buy and where they should be? Disaster Cleanup Services in Colorado offers fire cleanup for homes and business. We would much rather you have a fire extinguisher in your home, then for us to get a call that you need fire restoration. Today, we will discuss the different things you should know when purchasing and placing them in your home.

Understanding the Label

Fire Extinguishers are labeled as either A, B, or C.

• Type A is for regular combustibles like clothing, paper, or wood.
• Type B is for flammable liquids such as cooking oil or gas.
• Type C is for electricity.

Next to each letter is a number. The higher the number the better the effectiveness is. Basically, a 4-A is more effective than a 2-A. Type C does not have a number, it just means that it will not conduct electricity.

What Size Do I need?

Fire Extinguishers come in the sizes of 2, 5, and 10 Pound.

• 2 pound is best used for the car. They usually have a mounting hardware to keep in secure inside your vehicle.
• 5 Pound is perfect for your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room. They have rechargeable models with a hose to make it easier.
• 10 Pound is great for larger areas of your home such as the garage, workshop or living area. They also are rechargeable and have a hose.
• Stove-Top models are perfect for mounting on the hood of your oven range. These usually are pressured cans that release from the heat of flames. It sprays baking soda over the fire.

Being Prepared

It is important to check your fire extinguishers yearly as they can lose pressure. They also sell wired systems that will feed into your home security system and will notify them if you take one off the wall. It is also important that everyone in the home knows where the fire extinguishers are and how to use them. Always ensure you have a fire preparedness plan and that your entire family goes through drills to make sure they understand it.