Fire Extinguisher!!

[Gabe]

I hope all of you have at lease one in your home.
Just wondering, safety first!! :wow:

 

[PJPellet]

I have 2 or 3 little ones, then a bigger one for the kitchen. I want to get a couple bigger ones still.

 

[DexterDay]

A few of them. Along with Several Smoke/Fire alarms, CO detectors, and a Smoke/Fire and temp sensor through ADT (tells us if there is even a 10-15 degree rise or fall within an hr/also warns once tue temp gets to 45*/freezing conditions and calls cell phone to notify)

I am a super paranoid freak. Rather be safe than sorry. So I carry more of everything.

 

[soupy1957]

A fire extinguisher was one of the first items I bought when the wood stove was installed. I suppose one could argue that every home should have at least ONE fire extinguisher in it, whether you have a wood stove or not (or Pellet stove).

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors are required by law I believe, is that not so? (Of course I have these as well).

Here in CT, during our most recent fiasco with the October snowstorm, because of which many are STILL without power as I write this one week later, there have been a good number of deaths in fires due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning (mostly due to kerosene heaters and generators improperly vented; I have YET to hear of one wood stove or pellet stove fatality here).



-Soupy1957

 

[velvetfoot]

I got a refillable (by me) pressurized water fire extinguisher. It looks a little like an old time model, made of stainless, pressurized by 100 psi air. It shoots a fair amount of water a good distance. There are other chemical ones around the house too, but I'm not sure if the pressure gauge is enough to guarentee thatt it'll work. I've heard they have to be shaken slowly to mix the stuff up inside, periodically, which, I don't really do.

 

[heat seeker]

velvetfoot, I'm looking for a water extinguisher. They are the best kind for wood/paper fires, although with electricity involved, they can be dicey. Where did you get yours? I found some on Amazon, and they are rather pricey! Thanks!

 

[velvetfoot]

https://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/water-fire-extinguishers.html
$105

 

[heat seeker]

Thanks! I have some ABC's, but would feel better with one of these.

 

[hossthehermit]

Keepin mind this is a CLASS A extinguisher, for CLASS A fires only. Your pellet stove runs electric current, making any fire involving the stove a CLASS C fire. Keep your ABC handy.

 

[chrisf]

Just remember once it unplugged it is now a class A fire. We usally run about two to three pellet stove issue calls a year. not that many and all have of them have been owner issues. Not cleaning the stoves the flue pipe or proper maint. In my 16 years of being a firefighter I have been to one house fire cause by a pellet stove and it was due to a electrical issue where the plug went into the stove and the pellets were not even touched by fire the inside of the stove was fine. Smoke detectors should be in each bedroom at the top of each stairwell and every room that has a stove of fireplace. They now make a class K extingusher for your kitchen and is only ment for cooking fires. A abc extingushers a good to have but they should be replaced probally in the range of five to ten years because the agent is corrsive and will start to break down the shell of the extingusher. And those water cans are great we use them quite a bit you would be surpised how much fire they can put out. And the biggest thing is if the fire is bigger than a trash can get out thats about all your home extingushers are good for and call 911. Leave the big fires to the Fire Dept. Fire grows exponetonly. any fire in your home you should call.

 

[Eatonpcat]

Just remember once it unplugged it is now a class A fire. We usally run about two to three pellet stove issue calls a year. not that many and all have of them have been owner issues. Not cleaning the stoves the flue pipe or proper maint. In my 16 years of being a firefighter I have been to one house fire cause by a pellet stove and it was due to a electrical issue where the plug went into the stove and the pellets were not even touched by fire the inside of the stove was fine. Smoke detectors should be in each bedroom at the top of each stairwell and every room that has a stove of fireplace. They now make a class K extingusher for your kitchen and is only ment for cooking fires. A abc extingushers a good to have but they should be replaced probally in the range of five to ten years because the agent is corrsive and will start to break down the shell of the extingusher. And those water cans are great we use them quite a bit you would be surpised how much fire they can put out. And the biggest thing is if the fire is bigger than a trash can get out thats about all your home extingushers are good for and call 911. Leave the big fires to the Fire Dept. Fire grows exponetonly. any fire in your home you should call.

Geat advice...Thanks!!

 

[PJPellet]

Just remember once it unplugged it is now a class A fire. We usally run about two to three pellet stove issue calls a year. not that many and all have of them have been owner issues. Not cleaning the stoves the flue pipe or proper maint. In my 16 years of being a firefighter I have been to one house fire cause by a pellet stove and it was due to a electrical issue where the plug went into the stove and the pellets were not even touched by fire the inside of the stove was fine. Smoke detectors should be in each bedroom at the top of each stairwell and every room that has a stove of fireplace. They now make a class K extingusher for your kitchen and is only ment for cooking fires. A abc extingushers a good to have but they should be replaced probally in the range of five to ten years because the agent is corrsive and will start to break down the shell of the extingusher. And those water cans are great we use them quite a bit you would be surpised how much fire they can put out. And the biggest thing is if the fire is bigger than a trash can get out thats about all your home extingushers are good for and call 911. Leave the big fires to the Fire Dept. Fire grows exponetonly. any fire in your home you should call.

Hi, you mention replacing the ABC extinguishers every 5 to 10 years, what is the best way to dispose of the old extinguishers? Also, before disposing of them I have found taking the extinguisher outside and showing my wife how it works, etc. is a good refresher for me and her on extinguisher use. Just not sure the best and safest way to dispose of the extinguisher afterward. Thank You.

 

[kcellwood]

Two fire extinguishers, 3 smoke detectors and 1 CO2 monitor.

 

[heat seeker]

https://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/water-fire-extinguishers.html
$105

Can you pressurize this one yourself, or does it require a special adapter. I have read that some of these types have oddball air fittings that require adapters.

 

[velvetfoot]

There is a Shraeder valve on it-do it yourself. It really flings out the h2o.

 

[heat seeker]

Thanks, I'm ordering one today.

 

[chrisf]

Well if you can have a small outdoor fire, I would not waste it and try practicing it you should be able to get a couple of hits out of it. once it is used up and is empty drill a hole in it and dump in the trash. We use the water cans quite a bit They dont do as much damage as a hose or the dry chems. Just remember class A fires only. Class A is ash, B is boiling, C is current, D is metal, K is kitchen stove top fires and deep fryers. As much as people think us firefighters like destroying people stuff we dont, we try to do as much property conservation as possible and it good PR . And something else I should add Co detectors and smoke detectors should be replaced every five years too.

Here is a link that most people dont know about and you should rellay have both of these in your home. Itis a great video and I forgot about it until this post.

http://www.barrecityfire.org/smoke.html

Chris

 

[Countryboymo]

I have three medium sized units with metal valve assemblies as the plastic topped ones do not tend to hold pressure as well and tend to not function correctly after a few years of sitting. The local fire departments around here service and refill if needed the metal topped units. I had a garage/auto fire and pulled the burning vehicle out with another and used two extinguishers to put the contents in the garage out and then went out and put the vehicle out. I have an all electric except for the pellet stove in the basement and have 3 extinguishers. I have one in the kitchen the garage and basement. I saved our home with them.

One of the fire departments around here also puts dry chemical in small paper bags wrapped up with masking tape so they don't spill and in case of a chimney fire a person throw it in the fireplace against the back and when it rips open the air current will pull the chemical up the chimney and usually put it out. I heard it works much better than trying to blow a fire extinguisher in and all the ashes and contents and embers end up on the floor.

Some fire departments will sell them at a discount to the public and also are great for information on what size to get.

A few seconds can make the difference between something that a fire extinguisher can handle and something that is out of control. That is the biggest reason to have one on at least every level in a home. The time it would take to run up the stairs and grab one in the kitchen and run back down and start to go to battle will give the fire the opportunity to grow tremendously.

Mine are Ansul 5lb ABC units which will put out a decent amount of fire for their size. I would go with 5's as a minimum after my experience. I luckily go through yearly fire extinguisher training at work which helped me get the most potential out of each extinguisher and I emptied them both.

I put my fire out and had mine refilled and they are back in service. The fire department refilled them and didn't charge me so I don't know what the fee is to refill. They said they would rather fill extinguishers for free than fight a full blown house fire any day.

 

[velvetfoot]

That's awesome your fire dept. does that.

 

[referee38]

Have 4 of them 3 small and one large one.

 

[rideboard147]

1 medium size by stove, co2 dector by stove, and Icam on my phone to watch the stove if I want while I am gone. Overboard on the cam maybe, fun to show people at work of course!

 

[chrisf]

The problem with the fd refilling them is they are supposed to do a inspection and at five year mark do a hydro test on them. If not they open themselves to the liability if it does not work. " well I took it to the fire house and they recharged it well did they do it correctly and is there documentation" when insurance company asks you told them you tried to use the extinguisher during the incipient stage of the fire. take it to a fire extinguish service dealer they are all over that's what all business's use to do there inspections and hydros to cover there tails.

 

[Countryboymo]

The fire dept that did mine is certified and the only people who do the refills/inspections are trained. Both of mine have stamped rings of the inspection date and are tagged. I agree not to get them filled by any place that isn't certified.

 

[save$]

I check my extinguisher frequently to make sure they still have a charge. I only keep ABC type. Once the meter starts to go down, or the tank shows damage (rust) I replace them. Hope I never have to use one.