You know your home needs at least one fire extinguisher, but did you know there are different kinds? I didn\u2019t until two nights ago, but it\u2019s not the kind of thing you want to learn in the moment when you actually need one. Different fire extinguishers actually have different purposes and are designed to fight specific types of fires, so it’s important to prepare accordingly.<\/p>\n
Generally, you\u2019re going to find fire extinguishers in one of five classifications: A, B, C, D, or K. Each of these puts out a certain kind of fire. Here\u2019s the breakdown:<\/p>\n
Class A puts out ordinary combustible fires, like those on paper, cloth wood, plastic, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Class B puts out flammable liquid fires, like oil, paint, petroleum, gas, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Class C is for electrical fires<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Class D puts out combustible metal fires (think titanium, aluminum, sodium, magnesium, etc.)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Class K puts out cooking fires from flammable grease or oil<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Class K is easy to remember, as it\u2019s like K for \u201ckitchen,\u201d but the rest you\u2019ll just have to commit to memory. There are <\/em>ABC fire extinguishers that are designed to put out regular combustible, flammable liquid, and electrical fires, and that would be a great one to have in your home.\u00a0<\/p>\n If the fire you\u2019re dealing with involves flammable gas, don\u2019t try to extinguish it with your Class B unless you know you can shut off the gas. If the only fuel burning is <\/em>the leaking gas, your best option is just to shut off the fuel supply. If you extinguish a flammable gas fire without shutting off the fuel source, unburned gas can escape and an explosion can happen if it\u2019s exposed to an ignition source.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you have a lot of combustible metals around\u2014the kind you need Class D for\u2014contact your fire department or another expert about exactly what kind of extinguisher you need and how much you need. Some extinguishing agents can react with a combustible metal fire, making it worse, so you want to make sure your fire is covered with a dry powder. Sand works, but within a Class D extinguisher is a blend of powdered graphite, granular sodium chloride, and some copper, which work well.\u00a0<\/p>\n Which fire extinguishers you get depends on what kind of flammable materials you deal with at home, but here are good options for any:<\/p>\n A First Alert HOME1 ABC rechargeable fire extinguisher<\/u><\/a> ($24.99) tackles fires of A, B, and C origins, plus you can recharge it (which you should do annually)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A Kidde kitchen fire extinguisher<\/u><\/a> ($25.94) designed to put out fires without damaging your stove<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Grab a six-pack of Kidde ABC extinguishers<\/u><\/a> for every room of your house ($140, also comes in two- and four-packs)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A BC fire extinguisher<\/u><\/a> for your car or boat, like the First Alert Car and Marine Fire Extinguisher ($24.28)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Check the labels on your packaging, but expect to replace all your fire extinguishers once every 10 years. Some sources say 12 years is fine, but it\u2019s better to be safe than sorry on this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You know your home needs at least one fire extinguisher, but did you know there are different kinds? I didn\u2019t until two nights ago, but it\u2019s not the kind of thing you want to learn in the moment when you … Continue reading Fire extinguisher tips<\/h2>\n
Fire extinguishers for you<\/h2>\n
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\nSource: LifeHacker – Get the Right Fire Extinguisher by Knowing Its Class<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"