Picking a Fire Extinguisher

7/29/2019 (Permalink)

The crews at SERVPRO of Mobile County are always here to help you if you should ever experience a fire in your home.  We take pride in being able to quickly help restore your home and contents to preloss conditions, however we hope you never have to go through this experience. We know first-hand the devastating consequences of fire and we have set a goal to help increase awareness of ways to protect yourself against this formidable foe.  We often talk about the importance of having working smoke alarms but the importance of having a working fire extinguisher is often neglected.  Many people may think they are just for commercial buildings, but everyone should have on in their home as well.  Do you know that they are different types of fire extinguishers?  Household extinguishers are classified as either A, B, or C - or a combination of the three - based on what types of fires they fight.  The category tells you if the extinguisher is good for ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids or electrical fires. Many of those sold at home improvement stores are a combination of all three so that they are effective for any type of fire that may occur in your home. The main difference in these extinguishers are size.  You may think that the biggest is always the best option, however if it is too big for you to hold and maneuver with comfortably, you may want to go with a smaller option.   There are also rechargeable extinguishers with a metal valve and disposable (one-time use) versions with a plastic valve.  The rechargeable option is more expensive initially but having it refilled is cheaper than purchasing a new disposable one should you have to use it.  The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you have an extinguisher for each room in your home.  They also recommend that you have an emergency fire plan in place, and you go over it regularly with your family.  For more tips on how you can protect and prepare for a fire, visit their website by clicking here.