Hey everyone, welcome back to My Weird Prompts. I am Corn, and I am joined as always by my brother.
Herman Poppleberry, here and ready to dive into the details. I have to say, Corn, today’s prompt hits a little closer to home than usual, mostly because it literally came from our hallway.
Right, our housemate Daniel was poking around the utility closet the other day and realized that the fire extinguisher we have had since he first moved in is... well, it is basically a historical artifact at this point.
It is definitely past its prime. And you know, it is funny how that works. You buy these things for peace of mind, you tuck them away in a corner, and then ten years go by and you realize you are essentially relying on a very heavy, very red paperweight.
I know, right? And Daniel has been thinking about this more lately because of his new baby, Ezra. When you have a little one in the house, your perspective on safety shifts from theoretically concerned to hyper-vigilant. So he sent us this prompt with some very specific questions about replacing it, sizing it, and even practicing with the old one.
I love that he wants to practice. Most people just buy a new one and put it back in the closet, never actually feeling what it is like to pull that pin. But we should probably talk about whether his idea of practicing in the shower is actually a good one. Spoilers... it might not be.
We will definitely get to the shower logistics in a bit. But let us start with the basics of the replacement. Daniel was asking if a three kilogram extinguisher is the right size for a one bedroom apartment. He also has a fire blanket, which he brought over from the United States. Is that combination enough?
It is a great start, but size and type are two different conversations. When we talk about three kilograms, we are talking about the weight of the agent inside. For a one bedroom apartment, three kilograms is actually a very solid, robust choice. Most standard home extinguishers you see in big box stores are often around one or two kilograms. Stepping up to three kilograms gives you about fifteen to eighteen seconds of discharge time. That sounds short, but in a fire, those extra five seconds are an eternity.
That is an interesting point. I think people assume a fire extinguisher lasts for minutes, like a garden hose. But you are saying we only have maybe eighteen seconds?
That is the key thing. A typical two kilogram dry powder extinguisher might give you ten to twelve seconds. A three kilogram unit bumps that up significantly. It gives you more room for error. If you miss the base of the fire on your first sweep, you still have enough agent left to correct your aim. However, Daniel should keep in mind that a three kilogram unit actually weighs about five and a half kilograms total when you factor in the steel cylinder. He needs to make sure anyone in the house can lift and maneuver that weight comfortably.
Okay, so three kilograms is good for the apartment. But what about the type? Daniel mentioned it is a dry powder one. I know there are different classes for different types of fires. Should he be looking for something specific?
Definitely. For a home, you almost always want what is called an A B C rated extinguisher. The letters refer to the types of fuel the extinguisher can handle. Class A is for ordinary combustibles like wood, paper, and cloth. Class B is for flammable liquids like gasoline or oil. And Class C is for electrical fires. In a one bedroom apartment, you have all of those. You have furniture and clothes for Class A, cooking oils in the kitchen for Class B, and a whole mess of electronics and chargers for Class C.
Right, and especially with all the lithium ion batteries we have lying around these days... laptops, phones, electric scooters. That seems like a major consideration for a new dad like Daniel.
It really is. Though, honestly, standard A B C dry powder extinguishers are not actually designed for lithium ion battery fires. If a scooter battery goes into thermal runaway, a powder extinguisher might knock down the surface flames, but it won't stop the internal chemical reaction. Since it is February twenty twenty six, we are seeing more specialized extinguishers on the market, like those using Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion, or A V D. If Daniel is really worried about his e-bike or a pile of laptops, he might want to look into a dedicated lithium battery extinguisher as a secondary unit.
Now, Daniel also mentioned he has a fire blanket. I have seen those used in professional kitchens, but how do they fit into a home safety plan? Are they redundant if you have the extinguisher?
Not at all. In fact, I would argue a fire blanket is actually better for certain situations, especially in a small apartment. If you have a small pan fire on the stove, using a dry powder extinguisher is going to create a massive, corrosive mess. That powder gets everywhere. It gets into the vents of your toaster, your microwave, your lungs. It is a nightmare to clean up. If you can just calmly lay a fire blanket over the pan, you suffocate the fire without ruining your entire kitchen.
That makes sense. It is about using the right tool for the scale of the emergency. But here is something I have wondered... if you use a fire blanket, do you run the risk of the fire flaring back up when you pull the blanket off?
That is a huge risk. You have to leave the blanket there until the heat has completely dissipated. If the oil is still above its auto ignition temperature and you introduce oxygen by lifting the blanket too soon, it will absolutely reignite. It is the same principle as a backdraft, just on a smaller scale. So, blanket on, heat off, and wait at least thirty minutes.
Okay, so the apartment is covered. Three kilogram A B C extinguisher plus a fire blanket. Now, what about the car? Daniel saw that they sell car specific extinguishers and wondered if it is necessary. He was worried about it rolling around in the trunk or getting dislodged.
This is a bit of a debated topic. If you look at the statistics, vehicle fires move incredibly fast. The question is whether a small, one kilogram extinguisher... which is what usually fits in a car... is actually enough to do anything.
I remember seeing a car fire on the side of the road once. By the time the person got out and realized what was happening, the whole engine bay was an inferno. It did not look like something a hand held canister could handle.
You are right. If the fire is inside the engine compartment and the hood is closed, you generally do not want to open the hood. Opening the hood provides a massive gulp of oxygen to the fire. If you have an extinguisher, you are supposed to just crack the hood slightly and spray through the gap. But honestly, for most people, the advice is to get out and get away.
So is there any reason to have one then? Is it just for very small, early stage fires?
It is for two things. One, catching a very small electrical fire in the cabin before it spreads. And two, helping someone else. But there is a major downside to car extinguishers that Daniel touched on... the storage and the climate. We live in Jerusalem. In the summer, it gets incredibly hot.
Right. I can only imagine how hot it gets inside a car parked in the sun for eight hours.
It can easily reach seventy degrees Celsius inside a car. Fire extinguishers are pressurized vessels. Most of them are rated for storage up to about sixty degrees Celsius. If you exceed that regularly, you risk the seals degrading or the pressure relief valve failing. Plus, as Daniel mentioned, if it is not secured in a proper bracket, it becomes a five pound metal projectile in a collision.
That sounds like a bigger risk than the fire itself. If you are in an accident and a metal cylinder hits you at sixty kilometers per hour, the fire is the least of your problems.
That is the concern. If Daniel wants a car option, I would suggest looking into a potassium nitrate aerosol extinguisher. They are often called fire sticks. They are not pressurized, so they won't explode in the Jerusalem heat, they are small enough to fit in a glove box, and they don't require maintenance. They are much better suited for a casual driver.
That is a great alternative. Now, let us get to the part of Daniel's prompt that I found the most interesting... the disposal and the practice. He has this old, expired extinguisher. He knows he cannot just toss it in the trash. What is the proper way to handle an old pressure vessel?
You definitely cannot just throw it in the regular garbage. It is considered hazardous waste. Monoammonium phosphate... which is the main ingredient in A B C powder... is not super toxic, but it is very corrosive to metals and can be an irritant.
So where does it go? Do you take it to a fire station?
Most fire stations actually do not want your old extinguishers. They are not a disposal site. In Jerusalem, you should look for the municipal hazardous waste collection days or contact a specialized fire safety company like Kidde or a local equivalent. Some companies will actually take old units, hydro-test the shells, and refill them. It is much more sustainable.
Okay, but before he disposes of it, Daniel wants to use it. He wants to know what it feels like to pull the trigger. He suggested doing it in the shower. Herman, please tell me why this is a terrible idea.
Oh man, it is a disaster waiting to happen. First of all, the mess. A dry powder extinguisher creates a massive, billowing cloud of very fine dust. If you do that in a bathroom, that dust is going to coat every single surface. It will get into your toothbrush, your towels, the grout in your tiles. And here is the kicker... when that powder gets wet, it turns into a corrosive, acidic paste.
So if he does it in the shower and then turns on the water to wash it away, he is actually making it worse?
Much worse. He would essentially be creating a sludge that could damage his plumbing and stain his tub permanently. Plus, the cloud is so thick you would not be able to see the door. Doing that in an enclosed space is a recipe for a coughing fit and a very expensive cleaning bill.
I can just imagine him standing there in the middle of a white cloud, unable to find the door. So, practicing is a good idea, but the shower is the wrong place. Is there a safe way to do it?
The best way to practice is to find an open outdoor space, away from cars and neighbors. A big empty parking lot on a day with no wind is ideal. But you have to be careful about the surface. You do not want to spray it on grass because the high salt content in the powder will kill the vegetation. Asphalt is better, but you still have to sweep up the powder afterward and put it in a bag for disposal.
How do you even clean up that much powder outdoors?
You sweep it. It is a pain. Honestly, a better way for Daniel to get that experience without the mess is to look for a fire safety training course. Sometimes local community centers or workplaces offer them. They use digital trainers or specialized water-based extinguishers that mimic the weight and feel without the chemical cloud.
That seems much more practical. But if he is set on using this specific old one, maybe he should just do it in a big cardboard box in the backyard?
Even then, the cloud is going to escape. The pressure is intense. People really underestimate the kickback and the volume of material that comes out. It is not a gentle puff. It is a high-pressure blast.
You know, we should probably talk about the actual technique. If he does find a safe place to practice, or if God forbid he actually has to use the new one, what is the right way to do it? I know there is an acronym for it.
Right, the acronym is P A S S. Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
Let us break that down. Pull is the pin, right?
Right. There is a plastic tamper seal and a metal pin. You have to pull the pin to unlock the handle. It sounds simple, but in a panic, people often squeeze the handle while trying to pull the pin, which actually jams the pin in place. You have to keep your hands off the trigger while you pull that pin.
That is a great tip. Okay, so Pull the pin. Then Aim.
Aim low. You want to point the nozzle at the base of the fire, not at the flames. If you spray the flames, the powder just flies through them. You have to hit the fuel source to cut off the oxygen.
And then Squeeze and Sweep?
Squeeze the lever to discharge the agent. And Sweep from side to side. You want to cover the entire base of the fire. Imagine you are trying to paint a line across the bottom of the flames. You keep going until the fire is out, and then you stay there to make sure it does not reignite.
It is interesting that you say stay there. I think the instinct is to drop the extinguisher and run once the flames are gone.
That is how fires start back up. You have to watch it. And remember, once you have used an extinguisher, even just a little bit, it is essentially empty. The pressure will leak out of the valve because the powder gets stuck in the seal. You cannot just put it back on the shelf for later.
That is a crucial point. It is a one-time use tool. Which brings us back to Daniel's original situation. His extinguisher is expired. Why do they actually expire? If the powder is just sitting there in a sealed metal tube, why does it go bad?
Two reasons. First, pressure. Over time, the rubber seals degrade. Tiny leaks allow the nitrogen propellant to escape. If the needle on the gauge is not in the green, the extinguisher won't have the force to push the powder out.
And the second reason?
Caking. Dry powder is very fine. Over years of sitting in one position, the powder can settle and pack down into a solid block at the bottom. That is why you will sometimes see people take their extinguishers down once a month and give them a good shake or tap the bottom with a rubber mallet. It keeps the powder loose. But after ten or twelve years, the chemical itself can absorb moisture and lose its effectiveness.
So Daniel is definitely doing the right thing by replacing it now. It is one of those things where you hope you never need it, but if you do, it has to work perfectly. There is no middle ground with fire safety.
No, there is not. And for someone like Daniel, who is a new parent, it might be worth getting two. Keep one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. If a fire starts in the kitchen at night and cuts off your path, you want to have a tool within reach where you are sleeping.
That is a sobering thought, but a very practical one. Especially in Jerusalem, where many of these older stone buildings have layouts that can become real chimneys if a fire gets going.
You are right. Having an extinguisher in the bedroom gives you a tool to create a path to the exit.
I think that is a big takeaway. Don't just buy the safety gear... interact with it. Know how heavy it is. Know where the pin is. Know exactly where it is mounted so you can find it in the dark.
And check that gauge. Make it part of your routine. When you change the batteries in your smoke detector... which you should be doing twice a year... check the pressure on your extinguisher. If it is not in the green, it is a decoration, not a tool.
This has been a really enlightening look at something we usually take for granted. It is funny how a simple question about a three kilogram canister can lead into chemistry, physics, and urban survival.
That is the beauty of these prompts. There is always a deeper layer. And I think Daniel is setting a great example here. Taking responsibility for the safety of your home and your family is not about being paranoid, it is about being prepared.
Well said. I think we have covered the bases for him. Replace the apartment unit, consider a fire stick for the car, definitely do not use the old one in the shower, and find a professional hazardous waste site for disposal.
And maybe keep that fire blanket in a drawer right next to the stove. It is the unsung hero of the kitchen.
That is a great point. Well, I think that wraps up our deep dive into the world of fire extinguishers. It is definitely making me want to go check the one in our hallway as soon as we finish recording.
I already checked it this morning, Corn. It is in the green.
Of course you did. I should have known.
Guilty as charged. I cannot help it. Once you know the failure points, you start seeing them everywhere.
Well, I appreciate the peace of mind, Herman Poppleberry. And to our listeners, if you have found this useful or if you have your own weird prompts about home safety or anything else, we would love to hear from you.
Definitely. You can find us at my weird prompts dot com. There is a contact form there, and you can also find our full archive of over five hundred episodes.
And if you are enjoying the show, we would really appreciate it if you could leave us a review on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. It really does help other people find the show.
It makes a huge difference. We love seeing the community grow and hearing your thoughts on these topics.
Thanks again to Daniel for the prompt. It was a great excuse to finally look into that utility closet.
And a great reminder to all of us to stay safe out there.
This has been My Weird Prompts. I am Corn.
And I am Herman. Thanks for listening.
We will see you next time. Goodbye!
Bye!
