Fire safety is a very important topic and you have most likely heard people talk about different ways that you can keep yourself and your family safe too many times to count. Since you believe that you know everything there is to know about fire safety, you don’t leave candles burning unattended, you know what to do if there is a grease fire in the kitchen, you have working smoke detectors, and you have a fire extinguisher. However, did you know that there are different types of fire extinguishers and each one is for a different type of fire?
Here are the ABC’s of fire extinguishers that you should know about:
- Class A fire extinguishers will put out a fire that consists of paper, wood, cardboard, and almost all plastics. The symbol on these fire extinguishers is a green triangle and the numerical rating will tell you how large of a fire it can put out.
- Class B extinguishers need to be used to put out fires involving flammable and combustible liquids. A few examples include gasoline, grease, oil, and kerosene. Class B extinguishers have a red square and the numerical rating will tell you how many square feet of fire it can put out.
- Electrical fires involving appliances, outlets, circuit breakers, and wiring can only be put out with class C fire extinguishers. These extinguishers do not have a numerical rating, because they use a non-conductive to put the fire out. You should never even try to use water on these types of fires, so if you happen to find yourself in a situation with this type of fire, you will want to grab the extinguisher with a blue circle on it.
- Class D fire extinguishers can only be used on combustible metal fires and this is why they are normally found in chemical laboratories. The extinguisher has a yellow decagon to make identification easy.
- Class K are used by most restaurants, cafeterias, and kitchens, because that is the one that will put out fires that involve cooking oils, trans-fats, and other types of fat or grease in appliances. The black hexagon is what this type of extinguisher is labeled with.
To keep yourself and your family safe in your home, you will want to make sure that you have the proper fire extinguishers. It can be helpful to keep one in the kitchen, laundry room, and near a fireplace. Of course, you should always call the fire department when there is a fire, even if you have a fire extinguisher in the house. Fires can spread quickly and it is better to call when the fire is small instead of waiting until you have tried to put it out and have it continue burning and spreading.
Give us a call at 610-626-2439 if Lou Curley’s Chimney Service can assist you with your chimney needs this year. Make sure to schedule your post-winter chimney inspection and cleaning by spring so we can get you on the schedule. Don’t wait until the end of summer, because that’s when our rush starts. Plan early and get it over with early.