What Type of Fire Extinguisher Should I Have in My Home?

Any plan for home fire safety in Lawrenceville, GA should include having a fire extinguisher available for use in emergency situations. However, what kind of fire extinguisher is best for you to place in your home, and what else do you need to know about purchasing fire extinguishers for residential use?

You’re going to want a fire extinguisher with a rating of 2A 10BC. This type of extinguisher is often referred to as an A-B-C extinguisher, or a “universal” extinguisher. The vast majority of fire safety advocates and programs across the country recommend that these extinguishers be located in the kitchen and garage. Read on for some information about the A-B-C extinguisher that you should be aware of.

Using the A-B-C extinguisher

There’s no need to have a more sophisticated fire extinguisher for your home than the A-B-C extinguisher. This will allow you to fight off most types of fires quickly and easily, even if you lose your cool. You don’t want to have multiple kinds of fire extinguishers in your home, because there’s a chance you will grab the wrong one during an emergency situation. Using the wrong type of extinguisher on a grease fire, for example, could potentially make the situation worse.

The labels you see on fire extinguishers indicate the type of fire they should be used for. For example:

• A extinguishers: Used for wood, paper, cloth and other material fires.
• B extinguishers: Used for oils, paints and gasoline fires.
• C extinguishers: Used for electrical fires caused by appliances, circuit breakers, wiring and small electrical objects.

An A-B-C extinguisher combines the benefits of each of these types of extinguishers into a single unit that is versatile for a variety of potential home fire situations.

In addition to knowing the kind of extinguisher you should purchase for your home, it’s also a good idea to take the time to learn how to actually use the extinguisher, should you find yourself in an emergency situation. You can take courses in fire safety, which we highly recommend, but if you do your own self-training, the acronym you need to remember is PASS:

• Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher.
• Aim the nozzle at the bottom section of the fire, not at the top of the flames.
• Squeeze the handle of the extinguisher to shoot out the foam.
• Sweep the nozzle in a side-to-side motion, making sure you continue to point at the base of the fire instead of the rising flames.

This is the proper method of using a fire extinguisher, and a failure to use this method could result in either failing to extinguish the fire or actually making the fire worse. There are some circumstances in which aiming at the middle or top of the fire will actually cause them to ignite even further. We recommend watching YouTube videos that instruct homeowners in how to safely and properly use fire extinguishers.

For more information about choosing the right fire extinguisher for your home and to get some other important fire extinguisher facts in Lawrenceville, GA, contact AAA Fire Protection Resources, Inc. today.

Categorised in: Fire Extinguisher Service

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