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There are numerous fire hazards in the residential environment. Therefore, it is essential to protect your home from potential incidents. In general, fires in a house can arise from dangers such as bad electrical connections, poorly stored petroleum products and negligence in the kitchen. To prevent disastrous occurrences, you must take precautions to minimise the fire hazards. Unfortunately, you cannot guarantee that your home will be safe from accidents even if you ensure best practices. So, you must invest in fire extinguishers to control and suppress small fires in the house before escalation. Here are some guidelines to help you get optimal benefits from your extinguisher.

Choose the Right Extinguishers

There are different types of extinguishers in the market which are suitable for residential installation and use. Therefore, choosing the most appropriate product for your home is essential. In general, the ability of an extinguisher to suppress a specific fire will depend on the content of the container. If the suppression material is incompatible with the flames, the results could be disastrous. For example, a water extinguisher will handle fires with general combustible materials such as papers, plastic and wood. However, this unit cannot be used on petroleum or electrical fires without causing the spread of flames or increasing the risk of electrocution respectively. Therefore, consider the possible dangers in your home and choose an extinguisher which matches your requirements.

Ensure Proper Placement

You should ensure that your fire extinguisher is placed in an appropriate position which will allow quick access. Often, homeowners conceal the extinguisher because it interferes with the design and décor of the home. Unfortunately, this practice limits the speed at which one can react and suppress the danger when a fire occurs. Moreover, if a person who is unfamiliar with the house is close to the fire, they cannot respond appropriately. You should take actions to prevent such disastrous situations. Ideally, the extinguisher should be conspicuous and placed close to the potential fire hazard. Also, if your home is large, you should consider having multiple extinguishers at intervals. 

Perform Regular Maintenance

Finally, you should perform regular maintenance on your fire extinguisher. These devices are rarely used, if ever. It might take years before a situation arises in which the appliance will be required. If you neglect the extinguisher, it will be useless during a crisis. Therefore, you should have an expert fire extinguisher service person come into your home periodically to check the unit and ensure its longevity and optimal performance. 

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