FAQs About Owning And Maintaining A Fire Extinguisher In The Home
Posted on: 25 August 2017
Part of fire safety is ensuring that your home is equipped with the tools needed to quickly extinguish a fire if one occurs. Fire extinguishers are one of the best tools you have at your disposal. However, having the wrong fire extinguisher could complicate a situation in which fire has started. To make sure your home is adequately prepared for a fire, here is what you need to know about choosing an extinguisher and maintaining it.
What Type of Fire Extinguisher Do You Need?
One of the biggest misconceptions about fire extinguishers is that there is only one type and it can handle any fire. The truth is that fires are not the same and there are different types of extinguishers to handle fires from various sources. Having the right fire extinguisher available is important. Without it, a fire could quickly spread before help arrives.
Before you can choose your fire extinguisher, you need to understand the differences in fire. For instance, a class A fire are fires that involve ordinary combustibles, such as cloth and wood. By contrast, a class B fire involves flammable liquids. Both fire types burn differently and you need an extinguisher that can handle those differences.
A class A fire responds best to a water and foam fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher works by removing the oxygen from the fire, which results in it being extinguished. A class B fire responds best to a carbon dioxide or dry chemical fire extinguisher. Both extinguishers work by stopping the chemical reaction that occurs when a flammable liquid catches fire.
There are many other types of fire and extinguishers. Work with a fire safety expert to identify the hazards in your home and to find the extinguishers that are right for you.
What About Maintaining the Extinguishers?
Another misconception about fire extinguishers is that you can place it in a location in your home and forget about it until you need it. Extinguishers require regular maintenance. Without the proper care, your extinguisher could fail when it is needed the most.
Part of maintaining your fire extinguisher is keeping up with the expiration date. The date should be noted on the extinguisher. When it expires, it is time for a new one.
You also need to check the pressure of the extinguisher. Refer to your owner's manual to determine the right pressure. The gauge on the extinguisher should be used to assess the pressure. You can also click here to continue reading more about this topic.
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