Handy Tips When Introducing a Fire Extinguisher to Your Home

Investing in a fire extinguisher is one of the easiest safety precautions that you could take for your home. Nonetheless, buying a fire extinguisher is not merely about purchasing the first one you come across and taking it home. There are some things to bear in mind to ensure that your fire extinguisher would be beneficial to you in the event of a fire. Below is a couple of handy tips that you could use when introducing a fire extinguisher to your residence:

Tip 1: Know what fire extinguisher you need

Contrary to popular belief, fire extinguishers are not all built the same. They come in varying class ratings, which means they are individually designed to combat different types of fires. As such, it is recommended to have a couple of the various types of fire extinguishers located around your home so that they would be suitable for specific fires.

For example, fire extinguishers with a Class A rating are designed to put out fires that have engulfed organic materials such as timber, paper, fabric and more. These extinguishers will typically be green in colour. On the other hand, there are the more familiar red fire extinguishers that have a Class B rating. Red fire extinguishers are specialised for fires caused by oil, paint, grease, gasoline and a host of other flammable liquids. Thus, you could have a Class B extinguisher in your kitchen and a Class A fire extinguisher in your living spaces.

Tip 2: Educate your household on how to use the extinguisher

It would be redundant to have a fire extinguisher on your premises only to have your loved ones unaware of how to use it. However, some homeowners tend to decree that the fire extinguisher should not be played with to prevent tampering, and as a result, their kids may not know how to make use of it in the event of a fire. Luckily, learning how to use an extinguisher is quite straightforward. A simple trick would be to teach your loved ones the acronym PASS. This acronym means:

• P: Pull out the safety pin

• A: Aim the extinguisher toward the bottom of the fire

• S: Squeeze the extinguisher's trigger

• S: Move the extinguisher in sweeping motions from left to right

In addition to teaching your loved ones the acronym, it is also crucial to let them be familiar with the instructions on the fire extinguisher's label as this could save precious time if they have to put out a fire.