Choosing The Best Fire Extinguisher with Reviews for Car
Fire extinguishers have been in use for the longest time. Installation of fire extinguishers has become a safety measure that is required by law in most countries if not in all. A fire extinguisher is basically a handheld device made up of a high-pressure can and a hose. It is used to extinguish small manageable fires before they escalate into something bigger, and that would lead to massive losses or fatalities.
A fire extinguisher belongs to the Active Fire Protection family. The items and systems found in this family need a certain degree of response for them to work. This is a handle aspect of fire protection.
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** Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews by click in "Our Reviews" column, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.com.
Types of Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers can be categorized into two namely; stored pressure fire extinguishers, and cartridge-operated fire extinguishers.
Stored Pressure Units
In these extinguishers, the expellant, as well as the extinguishing agent, are stored in the same chamber. Different propellants are used with different extinguishing agents. For instance, water and foam extinguishers use air as the propellant.
This type of extinguishers are the most widely used and are the most common in the market.
Cartridge Operated Units
Cartridge operated units have the expellant stored in a separate cartridge, which has to be punctured before discharging it. This is supposed to expose the propellant to the extinguishing agent.
This type of extinguishers is not as popular but in industrial facilities.
They can be further classified into a handheld and cart-mounted fire extinguishers. Cart-mounted extinguishers are normally found in places like a construction site. Handheld extinguishers are basically portable due to their reduced weight. They are therefore mounted in small rooms, and vehicles.
Fire extinguishers are also designed to fight specific kind of fires, while some apply to all of them. Well, classifying these fires into three, we have Class A, Class B, and Class C fires.
- Class A fires – these are fires caused by combustibles that are really common such as wood and paper.
- Class B fires – these are fires that are caused by flammable liquids such as oil, gasoline, and paints.
- Class C fires – this are fires that mainly involve electrical equipment that is energized such as motors, wiring, and electrical appliances.
Benefits of Fire Extinguishers
- It lasts long. Fire extinguishers do not require to be replaced on a weekly, or monthly basis. It is an amazingly long lasting product that requires minimal maintenance. With some having a shelf life that spans twelve years, your only worry should be the accessibility of the extinguisher when the need arises.
- Fire extinguishers occupy a very small space. Be it in the house or in your vehicle, the fire extinguisher takes up really small storage space you may even forget it is in your presence.
- Fire extinguishers are easy to use. The steps required to follow when using a fire extinguisher are; pulling the pin out from the top of the extinguisher, aim at the source of the fire to be extinguished, squeeze on the lever to release the extinguishing agent, and making a sweeping motion keep on squeezing on the lever.
- It does not require a strict maintenance schedule. The maintenance of fire extinguishers depends on the instructions of the manufacturer. Some may require shaking the container at least once a month, while others need to be checked twice in a year.
The increasing number of reports relating to car fires has tremendously increased. This has necessitated the designing of fire extinguishers that would be perfect for cars. These fire extinguishers offer a variety of feature that makes them stand out, and best fit for handling fires related to motor vehicles. I’m talking about a fire extinguisher that is capable of handling fires that are oil, grease, gasoline or electrically based efficiently. These extinguishers are as well very portable with some providing a mounting bracket to be used when installing the unit in your vehicle.
Reviews Top 5 The Best Fire Extinguisher for Car
FIAFESA5 - Fire Extinguisher For Gasoline/Oil/Grease/Electrical Fires
This extinguisher is a brand worth noting. The extinguisher offers a range of great features that makes it compete very well against its counterparts in the market. The extinguisher comes with a mounting bracket that can be used during installation. This bracket enables the placing of the extinguisher at a position that is easily accessible by your vehicle.
The extinguisher also has a large Pressure gauge that can easily be read by the vehicle owner. Suppose the extinguisher is about to go empty, the car owner is in a position to identify this, and make necessary arrangement to acquire a new extinguisher for his/her vehicle. The fire extinguisher is as well very effective against flammable liquid fires like gasoline fires as well as those caused by electrical equipment fires. Also, the extinguisher has an added stability feature which ensures it does not damage your car, together with a five-year limited warranty.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- The extinguisher is reliable.
- Does not contain corrosive powder.
- Has an amazing size.
- Easy to use: Just pull the pin, aim, and squeeze.
Cons
- May explode if the maximum storage temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit is exceeded.
- The plastic ring gets brittle over time making it snap off when the pin is pulled off.
KID21006287 - Kidde FX511 Automobile Fire Extinguisher
This fire extinguisher comes in a great small size that the car owner is bound to love. With such proportions, the extinguisher becomes very portable due to its lightweight characteristics. The Kidde FX511 has also proven its worth when put to the test by various vehicle owners. The extinguisher may be small, but it has a blast that ensures any small fires are handled within no time before they escalate into the ugly.
This extinguisher also comes with mounting brackets that would ensure it is well secured in your car, at your place of convenience. It is advisable to put fire extinguishers in spots where they can easily be accessed and spotted.
In addition to these features, this extinguisher performs quite well during summertime. While stored in a locked up vehicle during a hot summer day, the fire extinguisher does not explode or leak inside the car, despite the fact that the unit’s maximum storage temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit is exceeded.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- The fire extinguisher is reliable
- It comes in a great size
- It is easy to mount it in your car
- Handles extreme weather nicely without any leaks or explosion
Cons
- Needs maintenance at least once a month.
Kidde FA110 Multi Purpose Fire Extinguisher 1A10BC, 1 Pack
This Multipurpose fire extinguisher has been designed to fight small fires. The extinguisher is in a position to handle Class A, Class B as well as Class C fires. This means that any fires involving fabrics, plastics, wood, flammable liquids, and electrical equipment can well be handled by this fire extinguisher. This explains why it has earned the multipurpose tag on its name. The extinguisher is easily portable since it comes in a great size. You can mount the extinguisher at your place of convenience since it comes with nice mounting brackets for this purpose.
The extinguisher comes with an easy to read pressure gauge, making it easy to know whether it is charged and ready to be put in use. The handle of the fire extinguisher is made of rust and impact resistant nylon. This extinguisher is also recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for supplementary fire protection. It also comes with a six-year warranty.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Comes in a great small size.
- Comes with nice brackets to mount it at your place of convenience.
Cons
- The plastic parts/ handles may break compromising your extinguisher.
- Fails to work sometimes.
First Alert Auto Fire Extinguisher UL rated 5-B:C (Red)
This fire extinguisher is also well suited to be used in a car. This is evident from its amazingly small size that makes it take up really minimal storage space within your vehicle. The fire extinguisher also comes with a great mounting bracket for your vehicle that is guaranteed to keep the extinguisher secure at one point. Extra stability is added to the product so as to prevent any damages that may be caused by the extinguisher to your car.
Unlike some extinguishers which cannot be tested, this extinguisher has a push button that is used to check the pressure of the extinguisher. When the button is pushed, and it pops right back up, then the extinguisher is full and in a position to be used. This unit not only guarantees safety to the users if need be, but it also comes with a ten-year limited warranty.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Comes in an amazingly small size.
- The fire extinguisher is reliable when the need arises.
Cons
- Mounting it requires drilling which may not augur well with the car owner.
H3R Performance MX100C Fire Extinguisher
The H3R Performance was designed to perform. This fire extinguisher is very portable due to it lightweight features. It is very small in size with a nice chrome finish that makes it stand out from the famous red cylinders popular with most fire extinguishers. The fire extinguisher easily handles fires from Class B, and Class C which is generally flammable liquids, and electrical fires. These are the most common fires that one would find in an automotive emergency. The extinguisher performs well when tested in the field by car owners.
It also comes with the provision for mounting which ensures that the unit is safely secured wherever it has been installed in the vehicle. The car owner is free to mount the extinguisher at any point of the car where he/she deems fit as long as it is easily accessible if the need arises, and the extinguisher has to be used.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Comes in an amazingly small size.
- The fire extinguisher is reliable when the need arises.
Cons
- May explode if the maximum storage temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit is exceeded.
Verdict
All the reviewed extinguishers perform exceptionally well when the need arises. However, their reliability varies and is not as guaranteed for all the extinguisher. We have reviewed fire extinguishers that should not be left inside a vehicle during a hot summer day, manufacturers’ orders. This beats the logic of buying the extinguisher in the first place if it cannot withstand the conditions present within the vehicle it is supposed to offer safety to. The plastic parts on some extinguishers did not quite please some reviewers, citing that the plastic parts (in this case the handle) create a compromise to the product if in any case it breaks or is snapped by accident.
The KID21006287 - Kidde FX511 Automobile Fire Extinguisher stands out of all the reviewed extinguishers. This extinguisher is reliable, small in size, and most of all handle extreme weather inside the vehicle quite nicely. This makes it the best fire extinguisher for cars.