Some 40 million fire extinguishers sold between 1973 and 2017 were recently recalled, prompting me to check not only mine but those in homes where I am helping people live independently. In almost every case, the fire extinguisher was affected by the recall. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that these plastic-handle extinguishers become clogged and\/or require a very good grip to activate. Hundreds of fire extinguishers failed when necessary, causing many injuries and property damage, and one death has been reported.<\/p>\n
Now is a good time to check yours. It\u2019s easy and could save your life.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how. First, check to see if you have the Kidde brand. I snapped a photo with my phone so I could enlarge the tiny print. Then I looked at the label to see if mine was on the list of recalls<\/a>.<\/p>\n If your model is listed, you can call Kidde at 855-271-0773 from 8:30 am to 5 pm ET Monday through Friday and 9 am to 3 pm ET Saturday and Sunday. Or you can go online at the Kidde website<\/a> and click on \u201cProduct Safety Recall\u201d for more information.<\/p>\n I chose to make my claim online. I clicked on the \u201cplastic handle\u201d option, but if you have a \u201cpush button\u201d extinguisher, choose that. I entered my contact information and, on the next page, entered the model number, which is located under the UL logo. You can use the drop-down menu or put your model number into the search bar. Then you\u2019ll enter the serial number to the left of the model number next to the NO.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it, you\u2019re done. Kidde will send a replacement in two to three weeks, along with instructions on how to dispose of your old extinguisher, although replacements are running behind schedule.<\/p>\n As I completed this exercise I realized that I was most unfamiliar with the device itself. I hadn\u2019t held my fire extinguisher since I wrote a home safety blog<\/a> a few years ago. I\u2019m embarrassed to admit that I had a very hard time extricating the extinguisher from its wall mount, and I imagined it wouldn\u2019t be any easier if flames were coming from my oven and the smoke alarm was blaring. It doesn\u2019t make sense to have a fire extinguisher if I don\u2019t know how to use it, or if it\u2019s bolted too tightly to grab in an emergency. I\u2019ll consider this my personal fire drill, and I failed. I have promised myself to take the new one for a test drive when it comes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some 40 million fire extinguishers sold between 1973 and 2017 were recently recalled, prompting me to check not only mine but those in homes where I am helping people live independently. In almost every case, the fire extinguisher was affected…<\/span><\/p>\n