Home Fire Extinguishers by Area

Home fire extinguisher sizing

In a typical single-family home a sensible setup is one 4–6 kg ABC dry-chemical extinguisher per floor, since the kitchen and laundry are where most fires start, plus a 2 kg CO₂ unit wherever you keep electronics, panels or a home office. To size it by area, the heuristic N = ceil(area / 150) + floors keeps every spot in the house within about 20 m of an extinguisher.

In Brazil, ABNT NBR 12693 sets the rules for which portable extinguishers to use and where to put them; NFPA 10 does the same job in the U.S. ABC powder handles class A (solids), B (flammable liquids) and C (energized electrical). A full charge empties fast, in just 5–15 s, so you want to aim at the base of the flames with the PASS technique (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep). Check the manometer once a month, and recharge or replace the unit somewhere between every year and every five, depending on the agent.

Applications

Fire marshals (CBMERJ, CBMSP, FDNY), insurers and home-safety auditors all back the idea. Most Brazilian states don't legally require extinguishers in single-family homes, yet CBM-SP and CBM-RJ still say outright that every home should have at least one ABC unit. For clinics and home-based health services, ANVISA RDC 78/2007 lays out tighter rules.

FAQ

ABC powder or CO₂ for the kitchen? Go with ABC powder as your general-purpose unit. Grease and oil fires (class K) are best handled by a wet-chemical extinguisher, though in practice closing the pan lid and throwing on a fire blanket is usually quicker and far less messy.

How high should I mount it? Keep the handle between 1.0 and 1.6 m off the floor (NBR 12693), somewhere visible near the exit. Don't put it inside the room where a fire is most likely to break out.

Does the extinguisher expire? The cylinder gets a hydrostatic test every 5 years. Powder units are recharged yearly and CO₂ units every 5 years. Whatever you have, the pressure gauge should always sit in the green band.