Fire extinguisher placement

Can't see the label. Could be a 2 litres foam. They are readily available, complete with quick-release frame. Yours seems to have a metal nozzle and so may well be able to be serviced. A reliable firm will advise. 

Cymro

Cymro wrote:Can't see the label. Could be a 2 litres foam. They are readily available, complete with quick-release frame. Yours seems to have a metal nozzle and so may well be able to be serviced. A reliable firm will advise. 

Cymro

Good advice, don't want any unused screw holes .
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Richard

Does anyone else carry a fire blanket as well? Just me maybe. Better for some situations and a lot less messy.

Yes I carry fire blanket as well, hope never to have to use it, or the extinguisher

Good point about fire blanket. I was told (on my annual visit in February to my local Fire & Safety firm) that blankets alone are now recommended for kitchens. Whatever you get, avoid dry powder and gas (such as CO2).

Cymro

PS, if you buy a blanket, get them to show you how to wrap around your hands and thence lower onto fire. Can practise - without the fire!! - using a tea towel or similar.

v8oholic wrote:Does anyone else carry a fire blanket as well? Just me maybe. Better for some situations and a lot less messy.

, now where did I put it
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Richard

rgermain wrote:

v8oholic wrote:Does anyone else carry a fire blanket as well? Just me maybe. Better for some situations and a lot less messy.

, now where did I put it
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Richard

Perhaps you mounted it on a wall for quick deployment like you’re supposed to I keep mine with the first aid kit though. We all have one of those, right

v8oholic wrote: I keep mine with the first aid kit though. We all have one of those, right

My wife's father was a pharmacist. It's in the blood (metaphorically). Our bathroom cupboard is kitted out like an A&E department! Hard pressed to find room for my electric razor. I reckon that a tube of Germolene, some plasters, and my Swiss Army knife are all we need, but of course I'm over-ruled "just in case". At least we don't carry a stretcher..... yet.

Cymro

Cymro wrote:Whatever you get, avoid dry powder and gas (such as CO2).

What options does that leave?  

Our Fire Blanket is in the cupboard just inside the sliding door

RogerThat wrote:

Cymro wrote:Whatever you get, avoid dry powder and gas (such as CO2).

What options does that leave?  

Foam and / or blanket.

Foam!  D'oh!  Of course!

Sorry, that didn't even cross my mind for some reason!

Thanks Cymro 

roli wrote:Our Fire Blanket is in the cupboard just inside the sliding door

Good idea, thanks, nice and handy .
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Richard

Cymro wrote:Whatever you get, avoid dry powder and gas (such as CO2).

Cymro

PS, if you buy a blanket, get them to show you how to wrap around your hands and thence lower onto fire. Can practise - without the fire!! - using a tea towel or similar.

Why do you say to avoid dry powder and/or gas. 

Thanks
Sally

Sally, I was merely repeating what I'd been told. I've just typed a long reply here - but have deleted it because I thought I'd take the precaution of looking up on the web information about which extinguisher for which fire. I'm not qualified to advise.  I found that it's inevitably complicated, so I deleted my ill-informed draft reply, and have typed this instead.

You might care to look at this by way of example:
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Water mist seems suitable, but very expensive. 2 litre foam will do me as a compromise in the van - though not to be used on electrical or oil etc.

Be that as it may, it's simplified things at home: one large water extinguisher, and 3 foam (of which 1 in van) and a fire blanket.  

It also means that I have additional extinguishers in the garage and in the shed, which are no longer serviceable (eg, one is CO2; another has a plastic nozzle; and one is water.) None of which may actually work, so I can't rely on them but seems such a waste! Those locations are less critical.

The irony is that in 1942 the roof of our house was set on fire by a German incendiary bomb, and the house remained a shell until 1948.  Don't suppose any extinguisher would have contained that!

Cymro

I always felt at work that in the heat of a fire (literally and metaphorically) it’s unlikely anyone would ever check if the extinguisher is suitable. I can’t help feeling it’s the same in the van (or other vehicle).

It’s not an easy decision and I’m not sure I’m much further on. Although I do wonder just what the actual (as opposed to imagined) risk is.

Thank you for that information, it’s very useful. 
Sally

On one our dog agility group trip one of the caravans developed a fire which I think started behind the fridge.

Five van sized fire extinguishers were deployed very quickly but the van was totally destroyed. A sixth (the van owners one) did not work and the label indicated it had expired some years before.

When we had a fire officer as a member the rule was made absolutely clear, fire appliances MUST BE IN NOTHING. i.e always visible. It may make it harder to access and in a panic possibly forgotten that it is available. Being bright red means they are seldom pretty but could reduce the damage and potentially save a life.

Filled appliances should be near an exit if possible as the 1st action should be to get out. Once you are out and can logically review the options THEN you can get the appliance and try to do something if it is safe to do so.

Final rule is HAVE GOOD INSURANCE. This at least reduces the absolute desire do do something that could be rash.