Small powdered fire extinguisher for block of flats

[Keitai]

Put a small £5 powdered fire extinguisher in the downstairs place where all electrics and plumbing have their isolation taps etc in block of flats . So less likely to be stolen.

So cheap I put one in my kitchen cupboard too. Think you just pull cord and point. All five flats are electric only. Put googles with them so some moron doesn't shoot himself in the eye. If they do I'll just deny putting it there. Just tell everyone orally so I cant be sued. Seems madness to not have extinguisher in block

 

[Munroast]

I do like the warning "FOR SMALL FIRES ONLY" stops anyone being disappointed if they arrived at burning fuel tanker and discovering the aerosol canister wasn't up to the job

 

[Nozzle]

There is an art to putting out a fire with dry powder. It's easy to do when the extinguisher has a hose - the objective is to whip the hose about to spread the poweder (it's just baking powder) as wide as possible at the flames. The powder breaks down into CO2 (and something else) and the fire is suffocated. Unlike a water extinguisher, it doesn't take heat away, so could re-ignite. An extinguisher without a hose still needs to be whipped about to create that cloud of poweder around the flame.

Why am I saying the above? "Think you just pull cord and point." Is way off the mark, perhaps look it up.

Nozzle

 

[foxhole]

Put a small £5 powdered fire extinguisher in the downstairs place where all electrics and plumbing have their isolation taps etc in block of flats . So less likely to be stolen.

View attachment 256464 View attachment 256465 View attachment 256466 View attachment 256467 So cheap I put one in my kitchen cupboard too. Think you just pull cord and point. All five flats are electric only. Put googles with them so some moron doesn't shoot himself in the eye. If they do I'll just deny putting it there. Just tell everyone orally so I cant be sued. Seems madness to not have extinguisher in block

You can’t deny putting them there, you just told the entire world.

 

[just pumps]

You really are doing this block of flats up on the cheap aren`t you
Wait for your first fire inspection or insurance or whatever.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

There is an art to putting out a fire with dry powder. It's easy to do when the extinguisher has a hose - the objective is to whip the hose about to spread the poweder (it's just baking powder) as wide as possible at the flames. The powder breaks down into CO2 (and something else) and the fire is suffocated

Maybe the OP would be better off putting up a big can of baking powder...

In public buildings you'd normally expect to have something like one or more 12kg extinguisher, but if you put this sort of thing up doesn't it have to have appropriate signage, be regularly inspected and maintained (by a fire safety company), and records kept, etc? Also, what have the insurers said?

 

[Keitai]

There is an art to putting out a fire with dry powder. It's easy to do when the extinguisher has a hose - the objective is to whip the hose about to spread the poweder (it's just baking powder) as wide as possible at the flames. The powder breaks down into CO2 (and something else) and the fire is suffocated. Unlike a water extinguisher, it doesn't take heat away, so could re-ignite. An extinguisher without a hose still needs to be whipped about to create that cloud of poweder around the flame.

Why am I saying the above? "Think you just pull cord and point." Is way off the mark, perhaps look it up.

Nozzle

So get one with hose?

 

[Keitai]

Maybe the OP would be better off putting up a big can of baking powder...

In public buildings you'd normally expect to have something like one or more 12kg extinguisher, but if you put this sort of thing up doesn't it have to have appropriate signage, be regularly inspected and maintained (by a fire safety company), and records kept, etc? Also, what have the insurers said?

That's never gonna happen. Costs too much I would imagine. Surely something is better than nothing?

 

[bernardgreen]

Surely something is better than nothing?

Not if someone uses an ineffectual extinguisher and this futile action delays them leaving the building in time to safely escape the fire.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have to agree with what Bernard says. TBH this is a bit of a minefield

 

[just pumps]

That's never gonna happen. Surely something is better than nothing?

In that case leave glasses of water scattered around on every floor!

 

[Tigercubrider]

You'd do better with a pair of running shoes behind glass.
"Incase of emergency break glass, slip on and run like the clappers"

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

So cheap I put one in my kitchen cupboard too. Think you just pull cord and point. All five flats are electric only. Put googles with them so some moron doesn't shoot himself in the eye. If they do I'll just deny putting it there. Just tell everyone orally so I cant be sued. Seems madness to not have extinguisher in block

Well, I will not tell anyone

 

[flameport]

Fire extinguishers in a block of flats are pointless.

By the time a fire is large enough to be noticed and someone has found the extinguisher, it's already too late - even assuming someone knows where the extinguisher is and is able and willing to use it properly.

If a fire is detected (which should be with smoke alarms or a fire alarm system) the only valid actions are:
1 - call the fire brigade,
2 - either people stay in each flat with the doors closed, or evacuate the whole building immediately.

Which 2 is selected depends on factors such as the building construction, layout, size, number of occupants and so on.

In a limited number of circumstances an extinguisher could be used to aid escape from the building if the only exit route was partially blocked by fire, but the idea of putting out a fire with one is totally unrealistic.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Another pointless/wind up thread.

How on earth do you find the time and imagination for these threads?

Andy