Fire alarms will alert you to a fire, but they won’t help you put it out.  Within the first second after a fire lights, you might have a chance to control it using a fire extinguisher—if you act fast enough.  To make sure your home is as fire-safe as possible, it’s advisable to keep a fire extinguisher on each floor of your house—particularly in areas where fires are more likely to happen, such as the kitchen, garage, and any workroom areas. Here are a few things to remember when buying a fire extinguisher.

Buy the right kind. Fire extinguishers come in three “classes”: A, B, and C. A Class A fire extinguishers are designed to handle wood and paper fires, as well as burning rubber, cloth and most plastics. Class B fire extinguishers are formulated for gasoline, oil and grease fires, while Class C is for electrical fires. 

Most fire prevention experts advocate buying an all-purpose fire extinguisher that can handle all types of fires—this is especially important in the kitchen, where all three types of fires are at special risk of occurring.

Know your numbers. The numbers associated with classification of fire extinguishes generally identify the size of fire the extinguisher is designed for. The bigger the number, the bigger the fire that can be extinguished. The first number in a set represents the number of litres of chemicals found in the canister, while the second number details the amount of square space that can be covered by the contents. For example, a 3A 50B-C canister has the extinguishing power of approximately 3 gallons of water, and can extinguish approximately 50 feet of Class B fire.

Size is key. The size of the fire extinguisher usually predicts the size and intensity of the fire it can handle—and the type of extinguisher you buy is important. In the kitchen, it’s often most practical to use a small, portable fire extinguisher that can take care of grease, wood, and electrical fires. However, it’s also a good idea to have a larger fire extinguisher in the house to handle larger and more intense fires, as well as fires you may not discover right away.

Dispose of it or recharge it?  You can buy fire extinguishers in disposable or rechargeable versions. Disposable fire extinguishers are cheaper, but they usually need to be replaced after approximately 10 to 12 years, since they lose pressure over time.  They can only be used once before replacement. Rechargeable fire extinguishers can be refilled after use or after they lose pressure, but should generally be serviced once a year or so.

Choose a UL-rated fire extinguisher. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent firm that assures safety and functionality worldwide for a variety of products, including fire extinguishers. When buying a fire extinguisher, check to see if it’s been UL-rated.

When buying a fire extinguisher, it’s important to get it right the first time—as you won’t test it out until you need to use it. A UL-rated, all-purpose fire extinguisher should be adequate to handle most residential fires. Be sure to read the fire extinguisher instructions and buy a canister for each floor in your house, and your home will be safer for it.