Things to keep in mind to choose the right fire extinguisher

Fire extinguishers may all look alike, but different types of fire extinguishers are specifically designed to put out various types of fires. To protect life and properties, finding the right sort of fire extinguisher for your needs is important and can help you be prepared if a fire breaks out.

In picking the best fire extinguisher for your needs, here are 3 essential factors to bear in mind.

1. What sort of threats do you live with?

In your home or business, the types of fire hazards can help decide what sort of fire is most likely to break out. Fire risks are ordinary petroleum products, flammable substances such as oil or gas, or electrical equipment and devices in most cases.

Based on the particular form of fire they are able to put out, fire extinguishers are classified. Older fire extinguishers have geometrically formed coloured stickers reflecting their classification, whereas younger extinguishers are labelled with illustrations displaying the sorts of dangers that can be used to extinguish them.

1. What is the ranking for UL?

The UL rating is also found on the fire extinguisher mark. Both Fire Extinguishers are tested for protection and accuracy by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL). These numerical ratings help you to compare different fire extinguishers' relative extinguishing performance. In other words, the figures indicate the extinguisher how much of the fire will be put out.

The UL ranking is broken down into ratings for Class A and Class B:C. The number next to letter A varies between 1 and 40. This is the water equivalence, where 1 equals 11⁄4 gallons, for this extinguisher. 4A indicates, for instance, that the fire extinguisher is as powerful as 5 gallons of water.

The numbers before B and C are an indicator of the sum of square feet that can be put out by the fire extinguisher. A 20:BC fire extinguisher, for example, will extinguish a fire above 20 square feet. C means that the extinguisher is ideal for use on machinery that is electrically energised.

1. What's the size that you need?

Fire extinguishers need to be large enough to put out an early-stage fire quickly, but not so large and bulky that it is impossible for the ordinary citizen to use them.

It is also necessary to bear in mind the size of the space when determining the correct size extinguisher, and how easily the fire could spread considering the hazards in the immediate environment.