The Benefits of Having a Fire Extinguisher in Your Home

Home Fire Extinguishers Can Provide Protection Every year, property fires claim lives and cause billions in property damages–including homes. Having an extinguisher on hand in your home could save lives and prevent expensive damages to property from fires that break out.

But fire can be put out quickly if caught early, which is why homeowners should keep a portable 10lb bc fire extinguisher on hand at all times.

Save Lives

Fire extinguishers are essential in protecting lives in your home, as well as helping contain fire until emergency personnel arrive.

Statistics reveal that each year in the US nearly 400,000 home fires occur and cause thousands of deaths and millions in damage.

Many households do not possess fire extinguishers in their home; however, investing in one could help avoid unnecessary tragedies from happening.

For smaller fires that are contained, a dry chemical foam or powder extinguisher can help put out the flames quickly and safely. These extinguishers work by covering up the fire using an insulating material such as baking soda or potassium bicarbonate to smother it out and put an end to it quickly and safely.

To use a dry chemical extinguisher, simply pull the pin, crouch down and aim the nozzle at the base of the fire. Squeeze the handle then sweep from side-to-side at its base until all fire appears to have been extinguished.

Prevent Further Damage

An important reason for having a fire extinguisher in your home is its ability to prevent further damage in an emergency situation, including stopping smoke, damp, heat or cold from spreading further throughout your space.

Fire extinguishers can also be used to quickly put out small fires caused by appliances in your home. Water extinguishers are ideal for keeping in your arsenal as they’re easy to use on most types of flames and require minimum upkeep.

Fire extinguishers come in various forms, from all-in-one units to hand-held devices that can be carried around on people or stored away in designated areas (e.g. glove box). A well-maintained extinguisher can save both time and effort in case of fire outbreak.

Save Money

An effective fire extinguisher isn’t only essential to safeguarding your home against disaster, it could actually save money in the long run. Not only does having one reduce risks related to property damage and injuries; many homeowners insurance providers also offer reduced premiums if your fire extinguisher is fully-serviced and in place.

When buying fire extinguishers for your home, there are three primary types to keep in mind – dry chemical foam, powder and wet chemical extinguishers.

Dry Powder has an elliptical nozzle designed to spread its powder evenly across an expansive area, before reacting with water and air to create foam that effectively extinguishes fires.

Wet Chemical extinguishers utilize a spray nozzle with an adjustable spray pattern that releases an intense jet of water designed to penetrate more deeply into burning material and rapidly extract heat.

Keep Your Family Safe

Installing a 5lb CO2 fire extinguisher in your home is an effective and affordable way to protect you and your family against fire hazards, saving up to 10% on homeowners insurance premiums.

Make sure that every area of your home, such as the kitchen and garage, are protected with smoke alarms; these tend to be areas where fires tend to start most frequently.

If there’s a fire, call 911 immediately and stay low to the ground with your face covered in order to avoid inhaling harmful smoke.

As well as keeping fire extinguishers in each room, it is also vitally important to devise an exit strategy in case of fire – this includes selecting two exits per room as well as an outdoor meeting place outside of your home.

Once you have an evacuation plan in place, practice it regularly with your family to make sure everyone can evacuate safely in an emergency situation. A fire drill can help relieve anxiety and make evacuation more straightforward should a fire break out in your home.