But all fire extinguishers are not created equal. “Homeowners should find any normal 10ABC fire extinguisher sufficient for any likely fire-related hazards that could be present in their homes,” says Alvin Sims, Deputy Fire Marshal of the City of Orlando’s fire department. “Always be aware of the types of fire hazards you are likely to encounter,” he added, “and have the appropriate type of extinguisher readily available.” Our top pick is the Amerex B500 Fire Extinguisher, an affordable option that is effective against a variety of fire types and has a small footprint, for easy, at-hand-hand storage. Here are the best fire extinguishers to put out small, easily manageable fires in your home. The Amerex B500 is a small fire extinguisher that is easy to store out of site and easy to use. You also get an easy-to-place wall mount, so the extinguisher is always within reach. This chemical fire extinguisher, with valves of long-lasting metal, is designed to work on fires caused by trash, plastic, wood, electrical wiring, and flammable liquids. Weighing less than 10 pounds, with 5 of those being for powder, the product features a 2A, 10B-C fire rating. That means it is capable of fighting small fires caused by most trash, as well as medium fires ignited by liquids and electrical equipment. The manufacturer claims that a 15-second discharge can put out a modest blaze. The trigger is also metal and adds to the sturdiness and longevity of this piece. Amerex includes a six-year warranty on all fire extinguishers it sells, offering additional peace of mind. Price at time of publish: $66 We also like that instructions for this fire extinguisher’s use are included on the unit itself; you simply pull a tab to access them. Price at time of publish: $66 The UL-rated First Alert extinguisher is designed for your car and incredibly lightweight at 2.5 pounds. Registered for B and C classes, it works on a variety of flammable liquid fires, including oil, grease, and gasoline. You can easily place it out of the way, in the trunk or under a seat, or mount it securely with the included brackets. There is no hose, but pointing the extinguisher in the right direction is a breeze, thanks to its small size. Price at time of publish: $39 Class K fire extinguishers are filled with chemical agents that are especially designed to fight oil and grease fires in three ways: preventing the fire from starting again; cooling the temperature of the oil and grease below the point where it can ignite; and reducing the likelihood of spraying the grease around. The First Alert kitchen 5 fire extinguisher is rated for kitchen use and safe to use on grease fires. It features a small size and comes with a small bracket for easy mounting, making it ideal for a kitchen of any size. We like that this product includes several features that make it easy and nimble to use in the kitchen, where grease fires can erupt quickly. It’s small and light (under 3 pounds); it easily detaches from its optional mounting bracket; and it is easy to activate by pulling the safety pull pin. You can periodically test its pressure without needing to expel any foam. Price at time of publish: $28 It seems lighter than its 10-pound weight, thanks to the aluminum bottle. The nozzle is easy to aim and use when an emergency strikes. It is suitable for A, B, and C class fires. We noted that, depending on the seller, some packaging was shoddy. Price at time of publish: $87 The manufacturer, which claims that it invented the Class K fire extinguisher, has filled this UL-tested model with a specially blended wet potassium acetate agent to smother grease and oil fires. The polished stainless steel product is available in a 6-liter or a 2.5-gallon size and gets away from the usual red coloration with a sleek, silver design. Easy to use, the hose snaps into place against the extinguisher, making it easy to store. This model also features an easy-to-read gauge. Price at time of publish: $265 Thanks to its compact size, you could easily use it with one hand—it’s easy to spray as insect repellent: Just point and spray! With a three-year shelf life, it is extremely economical. However, the downside of its small size is that it needs to be replaced after use—it is not refillable or rechargeable, unlike many other models. Price at time of publish: $30
This extinguisher has additional safety checks in place, including a safety seal to prevent accidental discharge or tampering. This model also is made to last, with all-metal construction that is corrosion-resistant. The easy-to-read pressure valves feature a color-coding system to let you know that the extinguisher is functional. The product comes with plastic and metal mounting brackets, and we appreciate that mounting the fire extinguisher is easy for most folks. We do note that it can cost more to recharge a fire extinguisher than it might to purchase a new product. Price at time of publish: $25
What to Look For in a Fire Extinguisher
Fire Type
Different types of fires require fire extinguishers capable of quenching blazes based on their combustible materials, whether those are paper, liquid, fat and grease, or other substances. Fortunately, manufacturers are producing fire extinguishers that are capable of fighting numerous types of fires. “Homeowners should find any normal 10ABC fire extinguisher sufficient for any likely fire-related hazards that could be present in their homes,” says Alvin Sims, Deputy Fire Marshal of the City of Orlando’s fire department.
Class
All fires require fuel and oxygen to get going, and fire extinguishers act by suffocating flames. The chemical agents used in fire extinguishers are designed to combat specific types of fires, such as those igniting from paper or cooking oil, One type of agent might not squelch a blaze it is not designed for. Fire extinguishers are required to list on their labels the classes of fire they control. There are four classes that could occur in the home. Class A fires are caused by combustible materials, such as paper, wood, textiles, rubber, and plastics. Extinguishers labeled non-chemical A use water or monoammonium phosphate foam or powder to reduce the flame. If you live in a cold-weather climate, and you want to purchase a fire extinguisher rated only Class A, check the ingredients to see whether the manufacturer has added antifreeze to its agent to keep the chemical from freezing. Class B fires are caused by flammable chemicals and liquids, such as motor oil, tar, lacquer, alcohol, and gasoline. These chemicals commonly are present in garages, workshops, and furnace rooms. Smothering these types of fires is not feasible, because they tend to spread. Type B extinguishers rely on sodium bicarbonate foam to put out fires. Class C fires have electrical devices at their heart. Computers, televisions, transformers, motors, and anything with electrical wiring can lead to flames. Because water conducts electricity, spraying water can result in electrocution, since the electricity can travel up the stream to the user. So it is important never to use a water-based fire extinguisher to fight an electrical fire and instead use an extinguisher labeled for class C fires. Those products use carbon dioxide gas to cool down the hot burning fire, giving you time to cut off power to the device. Class K fires are kitchen fires, caused especially by cooking grease and oil in pans or skillets. These fires can get out of hand quickly and, like electrical fires, water often makes them worse. That is because the water can sink to the bottom of the pan and immediately become super-heated and flare up beyond control. If you fry food often, a class K fire extinguisher is a must! These fire extinguishers use wet chemical agents to blanket the burning material and choke off the oxygen required to burn.
Capacity
The weight of the fire extinguisher tells you a lot about how much it can do. Generally, this figure refers not to the product weight but the amount of suppressant it contains. The larger the fire extinguisher’s capacity, the larger the fire it can put out. For most residences, a 5-pound extinguisher should be adequate. If you are looking to store a fire extinguisher in your garage or workshop, having a 10-pound model might come in handy to fight larger blazes caused by combustibles such as oil and gasoline. Since larger models can be heavy, it might be worthwhile to purchase several smaller fire extinguishers. The downside to gaining more maneuverability is that you may have to go through several full extinguishers to put out a large flame.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Amanda Rose Newton, a freelance writer for The Spruce. A scientist, she is an avid supporter of public safety. To make this list, Amanda Rose tested each product for ease of use, storage potential, and durability. She also had the pleasure of speaking with Alvin Sims, Deputy Fire Marshal for the City of Orlando, Florida, for his take on what consumers need to know to protect their families from household fires.
Pull the pin. With the nozzle pointing away from you, release the locking mechanism.Aim low, and point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
