Frances Janisch
Inspect them regularly. If the gauge doesn’t read full (100 percent), have the extinguisher serviced if it’s rechargeable and buy a new one if it’s not.
If you’ve inherited extinguishers with a house purchase, replace them. “The dry chemicals in them degrade and become less effective over time,” Chris Reynolds, a fire chief and a professor of
public-sector and critical-infrastructure studies at the American Military University, in Tampa, says.
Know how to use them. Once you’ve squeezed the lever, sweep the nozzle from side to side at
the base of the flames until the fire appears to be out.
