Save Money and the Environment

Posted on: 28 April 2017

You may not know when a fire will break out in your home. Cooking and faulty electrical appliances are just a few of the many ways a fire may start in your home. For this reason, fire extinguishers are indispensable safety appliances to have in your home. However, not knowing how to use these appliances effectively to put out a fire defeats the purpose of you having it in your home. Therefore, understanding what fire extinguishers are all about is important and here are 3 key things to fill you in.

Start with the Right Type of Fire Extinguisher

Fires are caused by different things. For instance, fires may start from flammable liquids, metals, or gases, electrical appliances, combustibles such as paper products, wood, and cloth, or from grease and oils. This means there is range of fire extinguisher designed for these different kinds of fire. Every type of fire extinguisher uses an extinguishing agent that is designed for those specific kinds of fire. Using a fire extinguisher that uses water as its extinguishing agent to put out an electrical fire, for example, may not be a good idea because of the possibility of electrocution if you come into contact with the water. Fire extinguishers are categorised for different classes of fire so when buying one, make sure you know the class of fire the extinguisher can put out. For versatility, some extinguishers are designed to put out more than one class of fire. That is, they can extinguish electrical fires, flammable liquid fires, and fire from ordinary combustibles. You should consider having one or two of these in your home.

Inspect Your Fire Extinguisher Periodically

Many homeowners tend to overlook maintenance of their fire extinguishers once installed on the walls or any other suitable places. It is important to inspect your fire extinguisher regularly, especially for corrosion. This is important because corrosion may result in leaks, which is one major way your fire extinguisher will lose pressure. Your fire extinguisher needs enough pressure to put out a fire effectively.

Know When an Extinguisher Will Work Best

It is important to know when using your fire extinguisher will yield the best results. This in reference to the stage of the fire. Fire extinguishers are ideal for cases where a fire just broke out like when you are in the kitchen and there's too much fire from your cooking. As a rule of the thumb, if the flames are taller than you, it may be time to call the relevant emergency services. This is because fire extinguishers usually have an extremely low discharge time. Seconds in fact. This means if the fire has already become huge, putting it out within this time will be futile and you will be putting yourself in danger.