Fire extinguisher recommendation

[Fred L]

I think when it comes to fire suppression, a good household extinguisher would do fine as everything else would be secondary to safety. As mentioned before, I'd go with ABC type. I'd also go for a good sized one vs the small ones. Not sure what issues pt/pd would present during a fire scenario.

[LabRat]

Oh yea, and since there is running water in the lab, couldn't you just hose it down???

Just saying...

Steve K

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, hose it down and risk getting electrocuted. Or if there's plastic pipe supplying the water, maybe it got burned through already. Or maybe there's some nasty chemicals in use that water will disperse in a hazardous manner.

[HMG]

If something has to be recalled, 90% of the time it means it was either false labeled or never genuinely inspected to begin with. Made in China pretty much says it all. So does where those kind of cheapo options are typically sold. You don't get something for nothing.

First, the reason for the recall is: "The fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge and can fail to activate during a fire emergency. In addition, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard."

I assume that UL and CSA inspection is not every unit, but rather the design and a sample at the time of inspection. It's up to the manufacture to maintain those standards; including the parts and materials provided by suppliers wherever they may be located. Clearly, Kidde did not. Was this due to the pressure of trying to meet a $10 retail price point? We don't know but it's a reasonable assumption.

I have some fire extinguishers bought in the 70s that are (I believe) commercial quality. I've wondered if it makes sense to have those re-certified and filled rather than buy new homeowner ones. Perhaps I have my answer.

[Drew Wiley]

I do know. I could write a book about these kinds of issues. Many imported products are made in the tens of thousands at a time, yet are NEVER inspected at either the point of manufacture or here. Quite a few are not even tested for functionality at the prototyping stage. They're recalled only after the fact, when a widespread problem is already evident. Quite a number of companies have multiple tiers of manufacture, depending where the specific items are intended to be sold. The big boxes generally want trash, even demand it. I won't go into details; but I was a professional buyer for over forty years and made it my job to secure legit items and hold manufacturers accountable. Most fines for false labeling are a tiny slap on the wrist compared to the staggering amounts of money made flooding the country with cheap products. Ten bucks will buy you a deluxe hamburger, but not a realistic fire extinguisher.

[Tin Can]

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER -
ANNUAL INSPECTION / MAINTENANCE
CERTIFICATION TRAINING

[MartinP]

Further reading regarding use of dry-chemical extinguishers in sensitive areas.

As well as chemical secondary effects, furnishings and carpeting will need to be replaced. Yes, that's better than burning to death or (more likely) dying from smoke and fumes but there are alternatives available which are perhaps more suitable, except possibly for price.

[Tin Can]

The link is bad

[MartinP]

The link is bad

It works here giving a "Save or Open With" dialog box. One could try right-clicking the link and choose "Save As" from the option-list.

Alternatively, it is copied below (if it works). The document is copyright Global Asset Protection Services LLC, 2015.