YSK There are many different types of fire extinguishers

yaphy@lemmy.world to You Should Know@lemmy.world – 32 points –

Why YSK:

If you're planning to get an extinguisher for your home you need to know that not all extinguishers can put out all types of fire. There are many intricate details if you're interested but for the most part, a dry powder extinguisher can put out many types of fires at the cost of being incredibly messy. On the other hand, a carbon dioxide extinguisher is perfect for electronic fires and doesn't require much clean up. Make sure to get an extinguisher for your needs. Maybe consider getting multiple extinguishers.

As an addendum: If you use a fire extinguisher even just a little you need to either discard it or refill it depending on type. Never put the extinguisher back as is.

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This is a life-saving YSK.

  1. Have an extinguisher, and have a type fitting your needs.
  2. Know where you store it / have it accessible, even in a panic & fire
  3. Know how to use it. You don't want to read up on it while something is burning.
  4. Keep it checked up. Extinguishers need to be maintained every few years.

The real YSK is of course in the comment. =) Thank you for expanding on this. It's always important to make sure you are prepared. You don't have time to google these things when the disaster is at hand. If you're not prepared when a fire breaks out you might panic and make dumb decisions. This goes for all stressful situations of course. Make sure you have some plan for common emergencies. That goes for medical emergencies as well as fires.

Perhaps to expand on that: also have a fire blanket in your kitchen. They are dirt cheap, no maintenance and if something catches on fire during cooking you can throw them over and stop it before a chaotic situation develops.

Especially since a grease fire is very hard to put out unless you smother it. Using an extinguisher on a grease fire is not a good idea.

how to properly use an extinguisher is also a life saving YSK.

P - pull pin A - aim at the BASE of the fire S - SQEEZE (DO NOT pull) trigger S - sweep base of the fire

Rather than being on a niche discussion thread online, it would be great if classrooms across the globe taught this tip as a practical skill to have instead. I bet it would go a long way if everyone had the chance to use a fire extinguisher in action before a fire broke out.