Home Fire Extinguishers

There is no legal requirement to have a fire extinguisher in your home, but having one significantly improves your ability to tackle small fires before they spread. A water mist extinguisher is the most practical all-round option for domestic use, as it is safe to use indoors and leaves no damaging residue.

A 1kg extinguisher is ideal for vehicles, caravans and boats. A 2kg or 3kg model suits most rooms in the home. For a garage or large outbuilding, a 6kg extinguisher offers greater capacity, though these are heavier and best wall-mounted at a convenient height.

The best home fire extinguisher is one that carries a BSI Kitemark to BS EN 3, confirming it has been independently tested and certified. For most domestic settings, a water mist extinguisher meeting this standard is the safest indoor choice, handling common household fire types including burning materials, cooking oils and electrical equipment.

We usually recommend a water mist extinguisher for use at home as it can be used on all common fire types including small cooking fires, furniture, wood or paper fires and any fires involving electrical equipment. Another benefit of water mist extinguishers for the home is that they do not contain any nasty chemicals and so are not harmful to people, pets or the environment. They also leave very little residue to clean up as they only discharge tiny water droplets.

For properties with a deep fat fryer wet chemical fire extinguishers are also recommended.

Water mist fire extinguishers provide the best broad-spectrum solution for landlords. Water mist can tackle most common fire risks in the home and is 5kV di-electrical tested for use on live electrical equipment up to 1000V at a distance of 1m. For the kitchen, we recommend a 2ltr water mist extinguisher and a fire blanket. If a property has a deep fat fryer, we would recommend installing a wet chemical fire extinguisher in addition to the fire blanket.

Water mist fire extinguishers contain only de-ionised water, making them non-toxic and safe to use around children and animals. They leave no messy residue to clean up after discharge.

Previously, powder extinguishers were recommended as ‘all purpose’ units which could be used for a wide range of applications. More current guidelines advise against using them indoors. Once a powder extinguisher is discharged, a dense cloud of fine powder is produced which can result in blocking vision and cause breathing difficulties, this is intensified within a confined space. Powder is also known to slowly erode environments if not cleared properly, which would be challenging due to the many crevasses found in many households.

Water mist extinguishers are recommended as versatile, multi-purpose fire extinguishers, suitable for use on most types of fires. They are environmentally friendly, containing no harmful chemicals, and leave no residue when discharged. Filled with de-ionized water, these extinguishers have undergone dielectric testing, making them safe for use on live electrical equipment, as well as being effective for cooking oil and fat fires.

Please Note: Whilst this extinguisher has been certified for Class F fires (like others on the market), following our own independent research we do not recommend using water mist on anything above a 5F rated fire (this is equivalent to an average domestic deep fat fryer). For fires above a 5F rating we recommend a wet chemical extinguisher.

Fire Blankets

Fire blankets, made from heat-resistant materials like fiberglass, are an effective and simple emergency tool that should be replaced after use. They are essential for tackling small fires, particularly in the kitchen and on clothing. Ideal for cooking fires, such as grease fires (Class F), they smother flames without causing splashes. Additionally, they can be wrapped around a person to extinguish clothing fires safely.

We have a help guide with further information on fire extinguishers for domestic use. Within this guide you can find advise on individual areas within households.

Yes, but only if you're confident and the fire is small. Fire extinguishers use the PASS technique: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep from side to side. However, if you're unsure about whether it's safe to use a fire extinguisher, alert others, leave the building and call 999.

It is not recommended to teach children to use fire extinguishers; instead, they should focus on getting to safety. Fire extinguishers are heavy, making the situation potentially dangerous for young people to handle and it may delay them evacuating to safety in time.

Since fire extinguishers are pressurised, dropping one may damage the functionality. Check the pressure gauge afterwards - if it's not in the green zone, it may be time to replace it.

Never attempt to fight large fires, fires that are spreading rapidly, or any fire if you don't have a clear escape route. Only use a fire extinguisher when the fire is small and contained, everyone else is out of the building, and you're physically able to operate it.

If the pressure indicator is in either red zone, the fire extinguisher needs servicing or replacing immediately and shouldn't be used. The green zone indicates proper pressure for effective operation.