What Kind Of Fire Extinguisher Do You Need?

July 29, 2021 0 Comments

What Kind Of Fire Extinguisher Do You Need?

There are a lot of different types and sizes of extinguishers on the market. But which one do you need? It depends on what type of fire you’re putting out. There are quite a few classifications of fires to consider when choosing a fire extinguisher.

On Every Fire Extinguisher, There Is A Label That Lists The Classifications Of Fires It’s Rated For.

Common Combustibles Trash, fabric, wood, paper, plastic
Flammable Liquids Gasoline, oil, solvents, paints
Electrical Breaker panels, appliances
Flammable Metals Magnesium, Lithium, Titanium
Cooking Oils Vegetable oil, Olive oil, etc., liquid grease

The most common extinguisher is the ABC fire extinguisher and it’s usually red. This covers just about any type of fire you may encounter. Even though it’s not rated K for cooking oils, these extinguishers are effective on stove top grease fires. The K Class extinguishers are specifically designed for restaurants.

What Kind Of Fire Extinguisher For Home Use:

Most folks buy the 2.5 pound fire extinguisher. It’s lightweight and is easy to handle. This is great for the kitchen area. If you have a large home, a second extinguisher is prudent. If you have a second floor, you should have one up there as well. Other sizes to consider are the 5 pound and 10 pound. I also recommend at least a 5 pound extinguisher in the garage and/or workshop. The larger the extinguisher, the more coverage. Generally speaking, the 2.5 pound extinguisher sprays between 5 and 10 seconds. The 5 pound extinguisher sprays between 10 and 20 seconds and the 10 pound extinguisher sprays between 15 and 25 seconds. Please don’t hold me to these times since every manufacturer makes their extinguishers a bit differently.

If you decide to have just one extinguisher in your home, place it near the kitchen since that’s where most house and apartment fires originate.

What Kind Of Fire Extinguisher For Office Use?

Most offices have 5 pound ABC extinguishers in common areas and 10 or even 20 pound extinguishers in storerooms or warehouse areas. The 10 pound extinguisher actually weighs around 18 pounds and the 20 pound extinguisher weighs over 30 pounds, so keep this in mind. Restaurants should carry both an ABC and K Class extinguisher in the kitchen area. If you have any switch gear or computer rooms, you can use a clean agent such as CO2, Halotron or CleanGuard.

What Brand Of Fire Extinguisher Should Be Used

As far as the brand, I’ll leave that up to you. Like everything, you get what you pay for. If you routinely check the pressure on your fire extinguisher like I described in another blog, you can go with the more economical brands like Kidde or First Alert. If you know you’re not going to check it (I know some of you won’t), go with something like Ansul, Amerex, Badger or Buckeye . These are high-end commercial grade extinguishers that tend to hold their pressure for many years. With these, a routine pressure check is still recommended.

Like I explained in another blog, these fire extinguishers should only be used on small, contained fires. Position the extinguishers so that are easily accessible and so that you are no more than around 50-70 feet from one no matter where you are standing. Time is so critical in extinguishing a fire. If you have to dig one out from under a pile of extension cords, it’s probably going to be too late.

Be safe out there and learn how to use the fire extinguisher BEFORE you need it. Focus Fire Pro even offers fire safety training classes for those who are interested.

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What Kind Of Fire Extinguisher Do You Need?