Worth reposting.....Fire Extinguishers....

[Glenn and Lorraine]

From years of being a volunteer fire fighter I developed certain safety habits when it came to fire safety. Two things were Smoke Detectors and Fire Extinguishers. But just having them is one thing, having them work is another.

#1- Test your Smoke Detector monthly and replace the batteries yearly. This I do the first of every year.

But the next bit of maintenance I would bet few of us do at all.
In every rig that Montana builds one piece of Standard Equipment is a fire extinguisher. Usually a 2 1/2 pound Class B/C, Dry Chemical. The Class "B" rating is for extinguishing Flammable Liquid type fires such as propane, gasoline or diesel fuel.
The Class "C" rating is for Electrical fires.
The Chemical is actually a very dry powder type of substance which is basically backing soda.
AND in order for the extinguisher to work properly this powder must be kept loosely packed and not firmly packed. In a stick house the extinguisher hangs on a wall for years at a time allowing this powder to settle and become firmly packed. Than when we need it most we pull the trigger and little or nothing comes out of the nozzle.
Each year these extinguishers should be removed from the wall, inverted and struck on the bottom with the heel of your hand or a rubber mallet to loosen the powder and than shake the extinguisher for about a minute to break up any clumps.. At the same time you check the condition of the charge. Read the label it will tell you how to check for the condition. In my case there is a little green indicator button sticking out of the handle, press that green button in and if it the button does not spring back replace the extinguisher. I say replace it as it would cost more to have the extinguisher serviced than a new one would cost.
NOW in a 5er or TT or even your tow vehicle the extinguisher should be inspected more frequently. As we drag our rig down the hi-way the vibration actually causes the powder to settle and become even more tightly packed. I would therefore want to check my extinguisher before and after every trip. Add it to the "Things to do at set-up" or "Arriving home" list.

One more thing...
As I said these extinguishers that they put in our rigs are for Class B/C rated fires. They are not for Class "A" (NO not motor homes) Normal Combustible type fires such as paper, wood, trash, cloth, etc. For example, a trash can fire in your kitchen is usually a Class A.
Therefore, I would also suggest carrying at least a 5 pound ABC Extinguisher along with the 2 1/2 pound you received with the rig. The ABC rated works on all 3 type fires. In fact, a couple of ABC's would not hurt. 1 in the trailer and one in the TV.
And another thing, A Class C electrical fire is only a Class C electrical fire until the electricity is cut. If when the electricity is cut there is still flame it is now a Class A Combustible or Class B Flammable Liquid fire.

NOW when the time came to replace that 2 1/2 pounder that came with the rig I would either get a 5# BC or another 5# ABC.

AND...Just because you have a fire extinguisher in your hand does not necessarily make you a firefighter. Know your limitations as well as the limitations of your fire extinguisher, not just the different classes. Just how much fire can the extinguisher you have in hand put out. To learn a bit more on the subject stop at your local fire station and ask questions. I was a volunteer firefighter for years and we always encouraged the citizens to stop in and ask questions.

[Parrothead]

Thanks Glenn for the info and reminder. All public entities (schools, government buildings, etc.) are required in most states (or maybe all) to have fire extinguishers serviced on a regular basis. We should all do the same although I agree replacing one is cheaper than servicing unless you have many. (I just went and shook mine.)
Happy trails.........................

[Montana_4391]

Very good info Glen and thanks for reposting this.

I too am a firefighter (still active and paid for it) and when we bought our travel trailer, the first thing I did was take that cheesy, P.O.S. extinguisher out of the trailer and replace it with a real one! We have a dry chemical extinguisher next to the front door real handy. And each year I take it in to work and reservice the extinugisher so it's like a new one when we are ready to start the RV season.
I've been on a couple RV fires in my carrer and it only takes a couple minutes to completely lose an RV...fortunately for the people involved, that was all they lost.

[Bowie]

Glenn---Thank you so VERY MUCH for posting this for all of us. Your explaination was great--and you have gotten a lot of us to pay some very close attention to those red cylinders. Much appreciated. Cheers to both of you. Bill and Pat

[Lije Baley]

Thank you for the information--we have taken our fire extinguishers for granted for a long time. Fortunately we have never needed to use one, but will try to shake it every time we hook up!

Mariana

[harleyrider]

Great tip Glenn.You really never think about the fire extinguisher until you need to use it.And your advuce will make sure that it is working correct.Mmmm wheres my rubber mallet????

[Bill and Ann]

Thanks for the reminder Glenn: I carry a 5 lb. at the door and a 10 lb. in the basement in case we can't get inside. I also carry one behind the rear seat in the TV. I always figure it is best to be on the safe side. I carry 3 l0 lb'rs on the sailboat. Can't think of anything worse than a fire on the water.

[DavesDmax]

Excellent post!

I just upgraded mine in the TT about a month ago.

[melnjoy]

Glen,
Thanks for the repost and the reminder

[powerstroke73]

That is a great post Glenn but I would say replace for battery in your smoke det. twice a year. This is what we teach all of the people that I serve (been a FF for 16 yrs) We teach that when you change you clocks (for daylight savings time) also change your battery. But Im glad you brought it up cause it is about time to change mine again.

[Just148]

Thanks Glenn for the yearly info and reminder!

[bob n pam]

Thanks, Glenn for the post. I need to be reminded of these important things once in awhile.