Friday, January 8, 2010

The Need Of Keeping Fire Extinguishers In Your House

By Manuel Vintagoli

Where there is smoke there is fire and where there is fire there should be fire extinguishers. Businesses are required to have a fire extinguisher on their premises. Homes should be just as cautious and have at least one fire extinguisher per level in their home. You cannot be too careful about the risk of fire in your home.

But how do you know what type of fire extinguisher to get. Are they all the same? In actuality no they are not. There are different types of fire extinguishers for different types of fires and they are classified by what type of fire they put out. They are labeled is class types from A to D. They also have different corresponding shapes as well to describe what type of fires they extinguish.

Class A: Is an extinguisher that will put out fires that are from wood and paper. They are good to have on hand and will be an asset to most house fires, with exception to the kitchen. The rating on the extinguisher label will tell you the degree of fire that is will put out and how much water it holds.

Class B: Can extinguish chemicals that are derived from grease, gas and other combustibles. You can have one in the kitchen for grease fires. A good place to keep one is under the kitchen sink. You want one that can be grabbed easily but you do not have to display it as they are not visually design appealing.

Class C: This type of extinguisher is good for fires the come from electrical situations. Most times this type of extinguisher is not needed in the home unless you have a special hobby or you have an older home whose wiring may not be as good as it should be.

There are also multi class extinguishers that you can purchase as well. These are the best types to buy for the home as they can be used on many different types of fires. You can find A-B, B-C or A-B-C class combinations. In the home you should have at least an A-B Class of extinguisher to put out not only regular fires but grease fires in the kitchen as well.

It is easy to learn how to use a fire extinguisher. If you never have had to use an extinguisher you don't have to worry because you just need to remember the word P. A. S. S. It means that you 'P' pull the pin that is the safety on the extinguisher, then 'A' aim it at the fire. Then you 'S' squeeze the handle of the device and 'S' sweep the nozzle back and forth extinguishing the fire. Remember 'PASS' and you will be good in an emergency situation.

You are not going to break the bank to buy fire extinguishers for your home. They are reasonably price and worth every penny for your safety should you ever need them. You can find them in most general stores and online as well. Watch and read labels to ensure you purchase the correct type that you want now that you know about classes and ratings.

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