Questions you were afraid to ask...write them down

[Cinder & Smoke]

Does a home fire extinguisher ever lose its effectiveness?

... there's still a fire extinguisher in my closet that's not getting any newer.

They do need to be "inspected".

Consider a typical home or vehicle 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 pound Dry Chemical extinguisher
that carries an "ABC" or "Flammable Liquids" label and has a small GAUGE >>>
These need to be "inspected" frequently to be sure the gauge indicates "FULL" and
that there's nothing blocking the discharge nozzle.
Then pick the extinguisher UP and *SHAKE* it - to unpack the dry chemical and
insure that it will flow out the nozzle when needed.

You can do these "inspections" yourself ... for 12 YEARS.

After the 12th Year of the extinguisher's "life" - it gets a lil "dicey"!
The US Dept of Transportation rules state that all stored pressure Dry Chemical
extinguishers MUST be "Hydrostatically Tested" by a certified tester Every 12 Years.
ALL Extinguishers are "dated" with the month/year they were assembled.
THAT date starts the 12 year clock - not when you purchased it.

For small home sized extinguishers, it's a LOT cheaper to go to WalMart, Sears, or your
favorite Hardware store and buy a barnd NEW one than pay a fire extinguisher service center
to empty, hydro test, dry, and refill your old one!

What to DO with the OLD one?
Call your local Fire Station and ask if you can come by some day for a quick class ...
Tell 'em "I'll bring my old extinguisher to use, just need you guys to build a fire and
show me how to use it." (We LIKE building fires! )
After you use it - toss it in the dumpster.

Be Safe!
/s/ Phred

[DrKym]

Never thought of that! thank you Phred! I will be calling in the morning, ours have traveled 3 states with us, and now I will learn to use it effectively and buy new ones!!

May I never need it but if I do, I will be thanking you for the advice of how to use one properly!

[cassiesmom]

They do need to be "inspected".

Consider a typical home or vehicle 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 pound Dry Chemical extinguisher
that carries an "ABC" or "Flammable Liquids" label and has a small GAUGE >>>
These need to be "inspected" frequently to be sure the gauge indicates "FULL" and
that there's nothing blocking the discharge nozzle.
Then pick the extinguisher UP and *SHAKE* it - to unpack the dry chemical and
insure that it will flow out the nozzle when needed.

You can do these "inspections" yourself ... for 12 YEARS.

After the 12th Year of the extinguisher's "life" - it gets a lil "dicey"!
The US Dept of Transportation rules state that all stored pressure Dry Chemical extinguishers MUST be "Hydrostatically Tested" by a certified tester Every 12 Years.
ALL Extinguishers are "dated" with the month/year they were assembled.
THAT date starts the 12 year clock - not when you purchased it.

For small home sized extinguishers, it's a LOT cheaper to go to WalMart, Sears, or your favorite Hardware store and buy a barnd NEW one than pay a fire extinguisher service center to empty, hydro test, dry, and refill your old one!

What to DO with the OLD one?
Call your local Fire Station and ask if you can come by some day for a quick class ...
Tell 'em "I'll bring my old extinguisher to use, just need you guys to build a fire and show me how to use it." (We LIKE building fires! )
After you use it - toss it in the dumpster.

Be Safe!
/s/ Phred

Thank you, Phred. You're awesome. When I was a nursing assistant, the fire department came with fire extinguishers and we got to actually put out a fire they started in the parking lot. When I was a hospital nurse, we had mandatory fire safety training regularly, so I felt more comfortable dealing with a fire extinguisher. Now - I work in an office, so I don't worry quite as much since I wouldn't have to move people in wheelchairs in an emergency.

[Cinder & Smoke]

... so I felt more comfortable dealing with a fire extinguisher.

Now - I work in an office, so I don't worry quite as much ...

Don't let your guard down ...
a "modern" office, with it's typical content of paper and plastic,
can turn into a raging inferno in a matter of minutes!

It still pays to keep your fire extinguisher skills *sharp*.
And don't forget - an early 9-1-1 call gets the Fire Guys and their BRTs there
in time to save some stuff!