Fire Extinguisher Checks

zzvyb6 · Mar 14, 2009

I did a walk around my barn and shop today and noticed that just about all my fire extinguisher's nozzles were all plugged up by insects. Not sure what they are, but they have always jambed up the ground hole in my electrical sockets or even air line tool fiittings. They build a mud nest in this sized hole, inject a larvae and seal it up completely with mud. Bad idea for a fire extinguisher. I unscrewed the nozzles and used a small drill to ream out the mud etc. I hope you never need one, but in case you have them hanging around outside or in sheds or buildings, check the nozzles. I think I've seen plastic or rubber plugs to solve this problem at TSC or Lowes/Menards/Home Depot, etc/

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 14, 2009

Another good thing to do is shake them extinguishers every so often. If they are the powder kind it can all cake up on the bottom after a few years. I take and rotate my extinguishers every few months from hanging normally to laying on their side. And I shake the goober out of them. Having the nozzle plugged would certainly affect them. I haven't found any with bugs or anything else. Maybe use the foam ear plugs?

medicshawn · Mar 15, 2009

It's nice to hear someone actually checks their extinguishers one in awhile. Now if you at least checked (and change at least once a year) your smoke detector batteries when you changed your clocks you get a Gold star.

Bird · Mar 15, 2009

When you shake that fire extinguisher, do you feel anything moving around in there. This thread made me go check the one I have. Nothing in the nozzle, but it's 5 years old and I guess hasn't been moved or checked in 3 years.

Anyway, I couldn't tell anything moved inside it when I shook it. And I know I checked the smoke alarms once in the past 3 years; guess I better do that again today.

dieselfuelonly · Mar 15, 2009

Not trying to derail this thread, but I imagine it would be a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on my Bobcat somewhere. I remember reading about a guy who had some hydraulic leak cause oil to spill on his exhaust system, and it caught fire and totally burned up his mini excavator. What is the appropriate type of extinguisher to keep on a machine like a Bobcat?

medicshawn · Mar 15, 2009

One of those powdered ABC Types will work. Also called dry chemical.

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 16, 2009

Bird I thought that someone else would have piped in on the extinguishers. I don't feel much moving around in my extinguishers at all when I shake them. I believe that is normal. I even came into work today and shook the ones here in my Lab that I work in. I couldn't really feel the powder moving around in them as well.

Bird · Mar 16, 2009

Thanks, Jim. I think Kidd's website says to check the extinguisher weekly to see if the needle in the gauge is still in the green and to discard the extinguisher when it's 12 years old. Mine is a B C dry chemical extinguisher, but if we had a fire, I'm not even sure I'd remember to use it.

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 16, 2009

Gee how many extinguishers older than 12 years old are out hanging on walls and vehicles? I am sure a few of mine at home are older than that. Yes if the needle is in the green that raises the confidence level a little. I do know how to use them from a 3 year stint as a Volunteer fireman. For little grease and junk fires the Dry chems are great. Having one around could save a lot of damage in the long run. As long as the person isn't at risk of smoke inhalation or getting trapped.
I think keeping up the preventative maintenance is good practice and keeping the bugs out of the nozzles

is a good idea. Also as Medicshawn said them smoke alarms and batteries....

Bird · Mar 16, 2009

I have, in the past homes in which we lived, checked the smoke alarms pretty regularly, but I've gotten lax in my old age. We've been in this house for 3 years. It was built in 1991 and I think had a major renovation in 1999. When I still smoked, I tested the smoke alarms by blowing smoke into them, and yesterday, I checked them by pushing the test button, and they worked. However, I haven't figured out how to open them. I'd sure they are hardwired into the 120 volt system; don't know whether they might have any battery backup, and I hate to destroy one tearing it off the wall to find out.