Will Your Fire Extinguisher Freeze in the Minnesota Super Cold?

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The National Weather Service says this Minnesota cold will be here at least all weekend, maybe even longer. With air temperature well below zero, and wind chills from 20 to 40 below zero at times, will your fire extinguisher freeze?

Easy answer: Not likely.

According to AAA Fire Protection, "...a typical ABC fire extinguisher can operate in temperatures ranging from -65 to 120 degrees," but if you're worried about it, ask for
"ABC extinguishers that use dry chemicals. Most of these are made to put out electrical fires and class A fires, such as those involving paper, wood and textiles."

Even if it was stored in the garage all of this week, it should still work. However, when the temps go up and down, precipitation could lead to rust or corrosion. If that happens, your extinguisher could lose pressure, so check the pressure gauge, it should be in the green zone. If it's not, get a new one.

BONUS COLD WEATHER WARNING

A home's heating system is the #2 cause of fires in the USA. When it's super cold out, you may be heating up the house, or certain rooms, in unusual ways. Here's what you need to know to be safe from the Red Cross,

• All heaters need space. Keep children, pets and things that can burn (paper, matches, bedding, furniture, clothing, carpets, and rugs) at least three feet away from heating equipment.
• If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs, carpets or near bedding or drapes. Plug power cords directly into outlets - never into an extension cord.
• Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended, and use a glass or metal fire screen to keep fire and embers in the fireplace.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Turn off portable space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep

Some great fire safety advice here...

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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