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Keeping Your Home Safe With Fire Extinguishers

26 August 2022

Alide Oortwijn

When a fire starts in your home, effectively using a fire extinguisher can be an integral step in minimizing the amount of damage that is able to occur to the property. For this reason, it is important for homeowners to have fire extinguishers in areas that they can easily reach so that they will be capable of quickly responding to any fires that may start in their homes.

Failing To Practice With A Fire Extinguisher

It is understandable for many people to have little or no experience with using a fire extinguisher. Unfortunately, this can have the effect of leaving them poorly prepared to effectively use this device to put out flames. For example, individuals can be prone to aiming the fire extinguisher at the flames of the fire rather than at the base. Additionally, they may be surprised by the amount of force that can be generated by the nozzle of the fire extinguisher. Luckily, many fire departments will regularly hold fire safety classes where individuals can have the chance to use a fire extinguisher so that they will know what to expect when the need arises.

Not Positioning The Fire Extinguisher Where It Can Be Easily Reached

In situations where a fire has started in your home, it is imperative for you to be able to respond to the situation as rapidly as possible. These flames can rapidly grow, and if they are not put out soon after forming, they could quickly become uncontrollable. Keeping the fire extinguisher in an area where it can be easily reached is an important step for effectively using these tools to protect your home. Depending on the size of your home, it may be advisable to place multiple fire extinguishers throughout the structure and verify that each member of the household knows exactly where they are located.

Going Too Long Without Having The Fire Extinguishers Recharged And Inspected

After buying the fire extinguisher for your home, it is important to realize that they will need some annual maintenance to ensure that they are in operational condition. This work will involve recharging the pressure in the fire extinguisher. Over time, the pressure inside the fire extinguisher can gradually decrease. This may result in the fire extinguisher failing to work as intended when you need it. Fortunately, there are fire extinguisher recharging services that will be able to visit your home to complete this work and inspect these devices to make sure that they are suitable for use.

Contact a fire extinguisher recharging service for more information. 

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