Fire Extinguishers

[M_Six]

How many folks here have one or more fire extinguishers in their homes? We have a small one under the kitchen sink, but I'm thinking about upgrading and getting a couple of larger ones with metal handle/trigger parts. I've been reading horrors stories about people trying to use the cheaper, plastic parts versions only to have them fail miserably. One guy wrote that his gauge read full but only a small spurt came out when he tried to use it on a fire. That would suck.

Wifey has two friends who have recently suffered total or near total losses of their homes due to fires. Neither had any way to fight the fire, although one wouldn't have been able to anyway. But that has me thinking about buying some for our house. It's not like they're terribly expensive.

[bimmette]

I do. Thanks for reminding to check that it's full. I even used to train people on how to use them:
(P)ull the pin
(A)im at the base of the fire
(S)queeze handle
(S)weep side to side

[PINeely]

I've got two, one of the big ones in the kitchen and then a small one outside in the workshop.

I've heard that even if the pressure is OK they need to be replaced every few years. I don't know, when I moved I replaced mine and tested the old ones, everything seemed to be fine.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by PINeely

I've got two, one of the big ones in the kitchen and then a small one outside in the workshop.

I've heard that even if the pressure is OK they need to be replaced every few years. I don't know, when I moved I replaced mine and tested the old ones, everything seemed to be fine.

Define "big ones." How tall or heavy it is? I was checking out the ones we have mounted in the hallways at work today. All metal triggers and about 15" tall. Maybe 4" diameter. Not too big, but substantial looking enough for home use, I would think.

Does your kitchen extinguisher fit in a cabinet?

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by bimmette

I do. Thanks for reminding to check that it's full. I even used to train people on how to use them:
(P)ull the pin
(A)im at the base of the fire
(S)queeze handle
(S)weep side to side

I've only ever used one to cool down a case of beer (CO2 version).

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Define "big ones." How tall or heavy it is? I was checking out the ones we have mounted in the hallways at work today. All metal triggers and about 15" tall. Maybe 4" diameter. Not too big, but substantial looking enough for home use, I would think.

Does your kitchen extinguisher fit in a cabinet?

Just checked, it's 5 pounds probably 20 inches tall. The one outside says 3 pounds 4 ounces on the label. That one is one of the white marine grade ones with a plastic handle, reason being the atmosphere around here is like a public restroom with everything being humid/sticky and the plastic resists corrosion. The 5-pounder fits under the sink no problem.

[M_Six]

Cool. Thanks. Sounds like a good size for my needs. I can move the plastic one to the garage.

[bosstones]

In all serious, though, I keep one in the kitchen. I should check it, though...I've been bad about that.

[Billup]

You know what's funny, but kind of scary....,


I keep a small extinguisher in the BMW, but I don't have one at home.

[gtron]

i have one in my car. i have an entire assault pack filled with emergency gear.

i'm not sure if i put it together to survive or because i really just wanted a black assault pack full of awesome shit. the process of putting it together was fun.

good point about the kitchen thing though. i remember when i was younger an entire family burned a few units down from the building i was in. i guess it's one of those things you think will never happen to you.

is it still class K?

amazon in 3... 2.. 1

Originally Posted by bimmette

I do. Thanks for reminding to check that it's full. I even used to train people on how to use them:
(P)ull the pin
(A)im at the base of the fire
(S)queeze handle
(S)weep side to side

i know that system and always wondered if they skipped the part about giving it a test shot/spray before "A" was because it's really not necessary or it would ruin spelling out PASS. haha

[Samurai of 2day]

I definitely keep one in the kitchen as well. I belive its about 10 lbs, and 15 inches tall.

I look at it about once/twice a month, and the needle is still centered in the small green pie slice on the gage, but I had the same one for about 4 years now so I'm not sure if the gage is accurate after reading some you the posts in this thread...?

[KingOfJericho]

I have two. One in the garage and another near the kitchen (just inside the basement door).

[Maestro]

If you have a fire extinguishers in your home you have to remember they are only good for a period of time. They should be checked or replace every so many years, otherwise, you run the risk of them not working.

Usually people buy them and forgot to check them and then 10 yrs later they need it only to find out it does not work.

There is not much you can do about an electrical fire in your home unless you messed with your electrical, however, most all other sources of fire can be avoid by simple doing the right things.

You hear all the time about someone who did something stupid which caused the fire. I can not believe how many times I heard about someone cleaning out the fireplace and putting ash (hot) into plastic garbage can in the garage only to wake in the middle of night to find their garage on fire. I know 2 people who have done this.

First, there no reason to clean your fireplace right after having a fire. I will burn wood in my fireplace all winter and only clean it in the spring time. Even if I would clean it after using it I would do it days later not hours later. Also I never put ashes in plastic garbage can in the garage and never thought to do this.

[M_Six]

One of the fires that Wifey's friends suffered was a failure of their chimney. The back wall of the chimney developed a hole and the walls surrounding the chimney caught fire. First they knew of it was when the entire wall was engulfed. Not much you can do then but GTFO.

The other fire was a bizarre fluke. They had one of those magnifying mirrors in their bathroom and it was pointed towards a window. The sun hit it and reflected onto a wall with enough heat to ignite the wall. At least, that's what the FD investigators told them was the cause.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by Maestro

You hear all the time about someone who did something stupid which caused the fire. I can not believe how many time I hear about someone cleaning out the fireplace and putting ash (hot) into plastic garbage can in the garage only to wake in the middle of night to find their garage on fire. I know 2 people who have done this.

First, there no reason to clean your fireplace right after having a fire. I will burn wood in my fireplace all winter and only clean it in the spring time. Even if I would clean it after using it I would do it days later not hours later. Also I never put ashes in plastic garbage can in the garage and never thought to do this.

This blows my mind as well. Anyone who has ever gone camping knows that it takes days for a fire to completely burn out because the ash acts as an insulator. The garbage men won't even pick up a trash can that has ash in it because so many people screw this up.

Those metal trash cans are awesome for ash removal but even then I just use the can to transfer the ash to the fire pit outside.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by PINeely

Those metal trash cans are awesome for ash removal but even then I just use the can to transfer the ash to the fire pit outside.

Ditto at the cabin. I walk by the water faucet and fill the bucket before dumping it all in.

THINK about the placement of your extinguisher in your kitchen. If you have to run by the flames billowing from the stove to get to the extinguisher, you might just be dialing 911 from outside.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by Maestro

You hear all the time about someone who did something stupid which caused the fire. I can not believe how many time I hear about someone cleaning out the fireplace and putting ash (hot) into plastic garbage can in the garage only to wake in the middle of night to find their garage on fire. I know 2 people who have done this.

When I was living in Michigan, my girlfriend at the time was living with her mother and they had a wood burning oven. They kept a tin next to it for the ashes. Well one day my ex was taking out the ashes and didn't let them settle over night before putting them in the garbage can on the side of the garage, and while she was at school the side of the house caught on fire.

Lucky for her, her neighbor across the street was home and saw some smoke so he ran over there and put it out. Luckily it just damaged some of the vinyl siding, but that whole house would have gone up in the flames if he wasn't there.


Pretty crazy shit.

[KingOfJericho]

Yeah I only clean out the ash from my fireplace after a few days have passed. That Christmas Eve fire that killed a lady's parents (Madonna Badger) and three young kids was literally 100' from where I used to sit and eat lunch every day near my office and I think it scarred me for life.

[MMMCOOKIES55]

I have a big fire extinguisher in the garage, a small one both down stairs and upstairs in hall closets.

[squishy]

Ain't no fire can put me out!! NO FIRE!!

[JasonCSU]

I've got one that I keep in the kitchen. I don't recall if it has a plastic or metal handle, so now I'm curious. It's a Kidde extinguisher that I originally bought from Amazon, and shortly after buying it, I received a notification from Amazon that it was defective. Kidde sent me a new one free of charge, so hopefully it works if I ever need it.

[upstatedoc]

Got one in the kitchen and one in the garage. Grill caught on fire last year and I put it out single-handedly. Had to get a new one for kitchen.