@elilevesque yes they expire. These are a disposable type and cannot be serviced. Pan fire is best to put lid on or a wet towel removed from ignition source.
@elilevesque 5 years from production is the recommended replacement interval – so these should be replaced in 2028. Other sources state 10-12 years of life, but I think that’s for typical extinguishers and not these small boys
@craigcush I recoiled when I read “Maybe they managed to get the pan quickly under a running faucet” That (impulse?) is maybe the worst thing one can do for a kitchen fire involving a pan since a fire in a pan is likely the result of ignited oil/grease and adding water to flaming oil is only a good idea if you want to send the flaming oil to many more parts of the kitchen (and your body).
@IndifferentDude I dump my opened boxes of baking soda from the holidays into a “cleaning” (and fire suppression) tupperware and get fresh unopened boxes for baking.
Old and expired baking soda can still be effective for extinguishing small grease fires, but it may not be as effective as fresh baking soda. Baking soda works by releasing carbon dioxide when heated, which helps smother the flames and reduce oxygen. If the baking soda has been stored properly, it might still have some effectiveness, but it’s best to use fresh baking soda for fire safety.
For larger or more dangerous fires, it’s important to use proper fire extinguishing methods or to call emergency services. Baking soda should not be relied upon for major fires, as it may not be sufficient to put them out.
What is the rating on these individual extinguishers? Such as. 3a:5BC?
Oh, I wouldn’t use in a car due to the 120° manufactures temperature limit, that in itself, may preclude them having any rating at all.
@IndifferentDude That is a classification not a rating. Letters are a code for wood, electrical, liquid fuel, etc. A number in front of the letter rates how much of that type of fuel it can extinguish. Such as the number and letter code I stated above. Junk
@username I, for one, would have loved if it had generated a picture of a workplace, with desks and/or cubicles, little Dilbert cartoons on the walls, &c.
Just about two weeks ago my wife was cooking when something tripped the breaker box. No biggie, I went outside where the breaker box is (old house), but to my surprise it was on fire. Ran back inside and grabbed a very similar kitchen extinguisher we had, and used that to put the fire out.
Had we not had that extinguisher that had been sitting there, unused, for who knows how long, it’s very possible the nearby bushes could have caught on fire, and who knows how badly things could have gotten.
Be prepared, folks. We replaced that kitchen extinguisher the very next day.
Don’t buy this. If you want a fire extinguisher, buy a real one that will last long enough to actually put out a fire. Smothering a small home cooking fire with a sheet pan or a wet towel will be faster, less messy and more effective. Anything larger and this spray can will run out before it does anything useful.
I have one of those fiberglass fire blankets hanging from the side of my fridge, I also have a couple of similar disposable extinguishers which are probably well past their expiration date in the kitchen.
Though I haven’t needed to use either, the blanket is what I’m likely to grab first if there’s a kitchen fire. I doubt it would expire, but just like this product, it’s one-time use only. It’s both in a convenient fixed location and out of the way, vs. trying to grab an extinguisher on the backsplash behind the stove which is blazing, or having to hunt for it because someone moved it out of their way.
@ciabelle Interesting product - and, according to the Amazon page, they are reusable and never expire.
I agree with your comments on extinguisher location, especially with the idea of putting it behind the fire. In last three houses that I’ve lived in, I’ve kept a disposable on the left hand side of the window sill. Out of the way but always noticeable.
And now being replaced:
/giphy bulbous-taboo-biscuit
@ciabelle@rpstrong Love the blankets. My firefighter buddy loves them because everyone knows how to use a blanket. People use extinguishers backwards, sideways, and sometimes can’t even break the ring to even get them to work, especially in a panic. Also, you can put them everywhere.
I’m also thinking about getting a couple of those temperature sensitive balloons for my workshop, put them above the battery station. Just need to do some more research on whether they are a total waste or not.
@catthegreat@ciabelle there are a quite a few brands out there of fire blankets… but they’re all the same thing. a sheet of fiberglass. ones i’ve bought on temu are of same quality as from amazon.
I’ve quite the soft spot for the blankets as the’ve worked well for me on more than one occasion and keep them in multiple places. kitchen, car, utility room, work shed, garage, bbq grill, and in each bedroom (from what i’m told, they’re good to have to wrap around yourself if you need travel a room or two to get out of a burning house)
@catthegreat@ciabelle@Noddy93 My fire blanket is inside the door of the kitchen sink cabinet. Easy to get to, and if the sink bursts into flames, I’ve probably got problems too big for a blanket.
A few years ago, I watched some clickbaity video about fire extinguishers in the house and the dude in the video said that many of us have an extinguisher in the kitchen. Great. However, at 2am, when the smoke alarm goes off, you may not be able to make it to the kitchen to grab the extinguisher to put out the fire (whether it’s in the kitchen or elsewhere), so make sure there’s a fire extinguisher next to the bed so it can be grabbed in the middle of the night. On my next Costco run, I bought a couple of real extinguishers for our bedrooms.
@andymand This. I have three 5-pounders in the house: one in the kitchen, one in the basement, and one near the bedroom that I can grab quickly should the smoke alarms go off in the middle of the night.
As an ER nurse and ex volunteer firefighter I can attest to the value of fire extinguishers. Over my 30 years in the ER I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people who came in because they set fire to a pan of grease and got burned trying to move it outside or put it out with something like water. As previously stated by others above you need to starve the fire of oxygen so always use a fire extinguisher (or baking soda etc, or smother it with a fire blanket, cookie sheet, wet towel etc.) If you use the latter methods resist the urge to check to be sure the fire is out for at least 5 minutes.
Alabama (being in the deep South) has a LOT of stovetop/grease fires annually due to our affinity for fried foods.
Stay safe y’all!
When I was younger, my dad purchased a conversion van because it was good for camping road trips and for his work it had a little kitchen inside with a fridge and an electric stove and even a sink. Along with the kitchen was a fire extinguisher required to be installed. The van was old and used when we got it and the kitchen never really worked at least not the stove. One day we were driving in the rain and witnessed a car crash. We saw a smoke coming out of the bottom of one of the car engine base and then flames and the car was close to a gas station. My dad thought quickly pulled the fire extinguisher out and helped put out the engine fire in that car.
We gave my mother-in-law a halon fire extinguisher as she was starting to have more and more kitchen fires. Then we realized maybe she wasn’t so concerned about setting fire to her kitchen. We replaced the halon with a super messy dry chemical extinguisher. She had to clean that mess up and never set her kitchen on fire again.
As someone who worked in the fire extinguisher supply/service industry for many years, I’m a huge proponent of people having extinguishers readily available in multiple locations in their households. Not sure about these small ones, but something is certainly better than nothing! As part of my job, I was the instructor in classes so people could learn about extinguishers–I taught classes to all walks of life, and without fail, people would come up to me afterwards saying how much they learned & that they wouldn’t be afraid to use an extinguisher if ever the need arose. Should anyone have any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer!
Bought some other small extinguishers for the kitchen and the heavily extension-corded computer work area a couple of years ago, they’re past their due date, so I’m in for 2 now.
@1DisabledWarVet@simtel20 The label on my 2.5 pound traditional extinguisher states 8 to 10 seconds total discharge time, which seems about right to me given the size. I’m wondering what the 3 minute time for these actually refer to? I’m on the fence as the compact size makes it handy to have in the car, but the 120F rating is a bit limiting as well as not stating the expected discharge time, but I doubt it is anywhere close to 3 minutes.
I like these & was gonna buy’em, but i checked the dimensions, which were 8" H, etc. Well, that’s way too small for me, especially since i live out in the country. We gotta stay safe out here in d jungle!
At the risk of being a brand elitist: if I’m buying a fire extinguisher, it’s going to be First Alert or Kidde. Those have been the brands recommended to me by firefighter friends, and they’re almost always what I see in commercial settings.
Between them being from a brand I’ve never heard of and their small capacity, this is an easy pass for me. Plus, I just checked the First Alert 2.5lb ABCs I have in my kitchen, upstairs hall closet, and vehicle, and they’re all solidly in the green. So I’m set for a while.
@Kabn Take the time & turn the extinguisher upside down & bang 'em with a rubber mallet on occasion (at least once per year). That makes sure the powder gets loosened up to make the unit 100% functional to it’s capacity. Especially those that ride in a vehicle!
@tohar1 Thanks! I’ll start doing that. The one in my vehicle is “free” in the cargo area (on its side among other emergency stuff, moved often because of cargo), so it ironically probably has the best distribution of the three right now.
@blaineg Weird, a fire extinguisher that you have to light. Seems like it might work by temporarily starving the fire of oxygen? I wonder how effective that will be on high temperature fires that can spontaneously reignite? However at $90 per stick, that’s a very hard sell for the average consumer.
So what’s the difference between these and regular kidde? Besides disposable. I have 2 kidde in the house a kitchen and one by the gas fireplace. But thinking of this for the garage and bedrooms,? Any input from you experts?
Specs
Product: 2-Pack: Prepared Hero Dry Stop Fire Spray
Model: dsfs-us-02
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$69.98 (for 2) at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 10 - Thursday, Mar 13
This is a HOT deal! You can pick these up for FIRESALE prices!! I mean, this is SMOKING!!!
My mom always has these when she cooks.
@yakkoTDI I guess it’s cheaper than olive oil, but are you sure it’s healthy?
@yakkoTDI I would always have one when I know my mom is cooking!
woot said: " . . . fire HYDRANT nearby?"
perhaps, fire EXTINGUISHER??
good product. in for 2.
@docflash I’ve got a hydrant across the street, and the fire station is at the end of the block. Am I covered?
This is a good reminder to check your fire extinguishers. They typically are only good for ten years from the date of manufacture.
Do they expire?
@elilevesque yes they expire. These are a disposable type and cannot be serviced. Pan fire is best to put lid on or a wet towel removed from ignition source.
@elilevesque 5 years from production is the recommended replacement interval – so these should be replaced in 2028. Other sources state 10-12 years of life, but I think that’s for typical extinguishers and not these small boys
@craigcush oh ok! Thanks! I’m not sure that I’ll have a fire that soon…
@craigcush I recoiled when I read “Maybe they managed to get the pan quickly under a running faucet”
That (impulse?) is maybe the worst thing one can do for a kitchen fire involving a pan since a fire in a pan is likely the result of ignited oil/grease and adding water to flaming oil is only a good idea if you want to send the flaming oil to many more parts of the kitchen (and your body). 
Thank you @elilevesque , that literally made me laugh out loud
@elilevesque @troy- yep, they Are small, AAMOF, they are smaller than a can of Raid! 🫣
@andymand
Came here to say that…
Also:
Do’s and don’ts of putting out a small grease fire
Do turn off the burner immediately [or as soon as possible.]
Do put on flame-resistant oven mitts when dealing with a grease fire to help protect your hands.
I particularly recommend the hybrid ones sold here rather often- we bought 3 pair- 2 to keep and 1 to gift.
Do slide a metal lid or cookie sheet over the fire.
A tight-fitting lid will reduce the influx of oxygen the fire needs to survive.
Do leave the lid or cookie sheet on the fire until the metal is cool and the fire is out.
Pro-tip: Only use a metal lid since a glass lid may shatter.
Do smother the grease fire with another pan that nests inside the pan on the stovetop.
Like the lid method, this reduces the influx of oxygen and keeps the fire from spreading.
Do sprinkle or spread baking soda [or salt in a pinch if no baking soda is nearby] over the fire.
This method works best for smaller fires, since it needs quite a bit of salt to smother a fire completely.
Do- as a last resort, spray the fire with a Class B or Class K fire extinguisher
This should be a last resort because it will contaminate your kitchen with the extinguishing agent[s].
If the fire is large enough that you can’t contain it extremely quickly, you should immediately leave the residence and call the fire department.
Don’ts of putting out a grease fire:
Don’t extinguish a grease fire with water or a wet towel.
Don’t use flour, baking powder or sugar to smother the fire.
Don’t remove the pan from the burner or place it in the sink. The oil may splash around and potentially burn you.
Don’t move the pan into the sink, even if the fire is smothered.
Don’t remove the lid from the pan. Removing it may cause the fire to re-ignite.
If the fire is too big and you can’t put it out, leave your home and call 911. Keep the door closed as you exit to help contain the fire.
It’s WAY CHEAPER to just use a box (or 2) of plain ol’ Baking Soda to put out a small grease fire!!
FYI: Just a handy suggestion to consider. Use (or don’t) at your discretion.
@IndifferentDude I dump my opened boxes of baking soda from the holidays into a “cleaning” (and fire suppression) tupperware and get fresh unopened boxes for baking.
@IndifferentDude- i was wonderin, can one use outdated baking soda that was used [opened] in the fridge¿?
@1DisabledWarVet Here’s some info I found on the web:
Old and expired baking soda can still be effective for extinguishing small grease fires, but it may not be as effective as fresh baking soda. Baking soda works by releasing carbon dioxide when heated, which helps smother the flames and reduce oxygen. If the baking soda has been stored properly, it might still have some effectiveness, but it’s best to use fresh baking soda for fire safety.
For larger or more dangerous fires, it’s important to use proper fire extinguishing methods or to call emergency services. Baking soda should not be relied upon for major fires, as it may not be sufficient to put them out.
What is the rating on these individual extinguishers? Such as. 3a:5BC?
Oh, I wouldn’t use in a car due to the 120° manufactures temperature limit, that in itself, may preclude them having any rating at all.
@craigcush From the SPECS at the top of the page:
@craigcush It’s a spray can of fire suppressant so it doesn’t have a rating
@IndifferentDude That is a classification not a rating. Letters are a code for wood, electrical, liquid fuel, etc. A number in front of the letter rates how much of that type of fuel it can extinguish. Such as the number and letter code I stated above. Junk
Dry Stop? More like “AI” Slop!
@DrunkCat Chlorophyll? More like Borophyll!
@wickhameh Photosynthesis? More like lame-o-digestivensis.
/showme dumpster fire
@username I, for one, would have loved if it had generated a picture of a workplace, with desks and/or cubicles, little Dilbert cartoons on the walls, &c.
It’s says it for electrical fires, but it’s not rated for class C?
Just about two weeks ago my wife was cooking when something tripped the breaker box. No biggie, I went outside where the breaker box is (old house), but to my surprise it was on fire. Ran back inside and grabbed a very similar kitchen extinguisher we had, and used that to put the fire out.
Had we not had that extinguisher that had been sitting there, unused, for who knows how long, it’s very possible the nearby bushes could have caught on fire, and who knows how badly things could have gotten.
Be prepared, folks. We replaced that kitchen extinguisher the very next day.
@Capeto- i have 2 in the kitchen,…a KIDDE behind the stove & the other, FIRST ALERT, between the stove & sink. I believe they’re refillable.
Don’t buy this. If you want a fire extinguisher, buy a real one that will last long enough to actually put out a fire. Smothering a small home cooking fire with a sheet pan or a wet towel will be faster, less messy and more effective. Anything larger and this spray can will run out before it does anything useful.
I have one of those fiberglass fire blankets hanging from the side of my fridge, I also have a couple of similar disposable extinguishers which are probably well past their expiration date in the kitchen.
Though I haven’t needed to use either, the blanket is what I’m likely to grab first if there’s a kitchen fire. I doubt it would expire, but just like this product, it’s one-time use only. It’s both in a convenient fixed location and out of the way, vs. trying to grab an extinguisher on the backsplash behind the stove which is blazing, or having to hunt for it because someone moved it out of their way.
@ciabelle Interesting product - and, according to the Amazon page, they are reusable and never expire.
I agree with your comments on extinguisher location, especially with the idea of putting it behind the fire. In last three houses that I’ve lived in, I’ve kept a disposable on the left hand side of the window sill. Out of the way but always noticeable.
And now being replaced:
/giphy bulbous-taboo-biscuit
@ciabelle @rpstrong Love the blankets. My firefighter buddy loves them because everyone knows how to use a blanket. People use extinguishers backwards, sideways, and sometimes can’t even break the ring to even get them to work, especially in a panic. Also, you can put them everywhere.
I’m also thinking about getting a couple of those temperature sensitive balloons for my workshop, put them above the battery station. Just need to do some more research on whether they are a total waste or not.
@ciabelle is it just a “generic” fire blanket? is there a brand? this seems like a no brainer for the kitchen… tia
@catthegreat @ciabelle there are a quite a few brands out there of fire blankets… but they’re all the same thing. a sheet of fiberglass. ones i’ve bought on temu are of same quality as from amazon.
I’ve quite the soft spot for the blankets as the’ve worked well for me on more than one occasion and keep them in multiple places. kitchen, car, utility room, work shed, garage, bbq grill, and in each bedroom (from what i’m told, they’re good to have to wrap around yourself if you need travel a room or two to get out of a burning house)
@catthegreat @ciabelle @Noddy93 My fire blanket is inside the door of the kitchen sink cabinet. Easy to get to, and if the sink bursts into flames, I’ve probably got problems too big for a blanket.
A few years ago, I watched some clickbaity video about fire extinguishers in the house and the dude in the video said that many of us have an extinguisher in the kitchen. Great. However, at 2am, when the smoke alarm goes off, you may not be able to make it to the kitchen to grab the extinguisher to put out the fire (whether it’s in the kitchen or elsewhere), so make sure there’s a fire extinguisher next to the bed so it can be grabbed in the middle of the night. On my next Costco run, I bought a couple of real extinguishers for our bedrooms.
@andymand
Good point!
@andymand This. I have three 5-pounders in the house: one in the kitchen, one in the basement, and one near the bedroom that I can grab quickly should the smoke alarms go off in the middle of the night.
@andymand- oh yeah, i forgot to mention in another comment that i also have a small, 12" H, FIRST ALERT in my bedroom.
Never heard of a steam fire…
@xterraguy Steam can scald you pretty badly, though.
As an ER nurse and ex volunteer firefighter I can attest to the value of fire extinguishers. Over my 30 years in the ER I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people who came in because they set fire to a pan of grease and got burned trying to move it outside or put it out with something like water. As previously stated by others above you need to starve the fire of oxygen so always use a fire extinguisher (or baking soda etc, or smother it with a fire blanket, cookie sheet, wet towel etc.) If you use the latter methods resist the urge to check to be sure the fire is out for at least 5 minutes.
Alabama (being in the deep South) has a LOT of stovetop/grease fires annually due to our affinity for fried foods.
Stay safe y’all!
@chienfou
/youtube putting water on a grease fire
/youtube pan of burning grease under water
@PhysAssist
yes… that is NOT what to do!
The reviews on Amazon got an F from Fakespot. I was about to go for it, but I wouldn’t want to have a false sense of security.
When I was younger, my dad purchased a conversion van because it was good for camping road trips and for his work it had a little kitchen inside with a fridge and an electric stove and even a sink. Along with the kitchen was a fire extinguisher required to be installed. The van was old and used when we got it and the kitchen never really worked at least not the stove. One day we were driving in the rain and witnessed a car crash. We saw a smoke coming out of the bottom of one of the car engine base and then flames and the car was close to a gas station. My dad thought quickly pulled the fire extinguisher out and helped put out the engine fire in that car.
What chemicals get left behind after this puts out a fire? Is the residue nontoxic?
@hamjudo
"The Hero Fire Spray isn’t toxic, so don’t worry about harming your family. "
from:
https://preparedhero.com/blogs/articles/how-to-clean-up-after-using-the-hero-fire-spray
If you believe the manufacturer…
We gave my mother-in-law a halon fire extinguisher as she was starting to have more and more kitchen fires. Then we realized maybe she wasn’t so concerned about setting fire to her kitchen. We replaced the halon with a super messy dry chemical extinguisher. She had to clean that mess up and never set her kitchen on fire again.
@mdiaz I still have two marine and two ‘disposable’ ones around the house.
As someone who worked in the fire extinguisher supply/service industry for many years, I’m a huge proponent of people having extinguishers readily available in multiple locations in their households. Not sure about these small ones, but something is certainly better than nothing! As part of my job, I was the instructor in classes so people could learn about extinguishers–I taught classes to all walks of life, and without fail, people would come up to me afterwards saying how much they learned & that they wouldn’t be afraid to use an extinguisher if ever the need arose. Should anyone have any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer!
@tohar1
Still get the P-A-S-S mnemonic drilled in every year with our annual safety review!
@chienfou Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep!! NICE!!
@tohar1
…we have a winner!
Bought some other small extinguishers for the kitchen and the heavily extension-corded computer work area a couple of years ago, they’re past their due date, so I’m in for 2 now.
/giphy creative-egotistical-lemming
@simtel20 - Be Careful, they’re only 8"H & only last 3 minutes!! JSYK!!
@1DisabledWarVet @simtel20 The label on my 2.5 pound traditional extinguisher states 8 to 10 seconds total discharge time, which seems about right to me given the size. I’m wondering what the 3 minute time for these actually refer to? I’m on the fence as the compact size makes it handy to have in the car, but the 120F rating is a bit limiting as well as not stating the expected discharge time, but I doubt it is anywhere close to 3 minutes.
KuoH
I like these & was gonna buy’em, but i checked the dimensions, which were 8" H, etc. Well, that’s way too small for me, especially since i live out in the country. We gotta stay safe out here in d jungle!
At the risk of being a brand elitist: if I’m buying a fire extinguisher, it’s going to be First Alert or Kidde. Those have been the brands recommended to me by firefighter friends, and they’re almost always what I see in commercial settings.
Between them being from a brand I’ve never heard of and their small capacity, this is an easy pass for me. Plus, I just checked the First Alert 2.5lb ABCs I have in my kitchen, upstairs hall closet, and vehicle, and they’re all solidly in the green. So I’m set for a while.
@Kabn Take the time & turn the extinguisher upside down & bang 'em with a rubber mallet on occasion (at least once per year). That makes sure the powder gets loosened up to make the unit 100% functional to it’s capacity. Especially those that ride in a vehicle!
@tohar1 Thanks! I’ll start doing that. The one in my vehicle is “free” in the cargo area (on its side among other emergency stuff, moved often because of cargo), so it ironically probably has the best distribution of the three right now.
Whats the expiration?
@luseruser No specified expiration - it is recommended to replace every 5 years. Production date is 11/2023, so you should replace by 11/2028.
And now for something completely different.
https://elementfire.com/
@blaineg
@blaineg Weird, a fire extinguisher that you have to light. Seems like it might work by temporarily starving the fire of oxygen? I wonder how effective that will be on high temperature fires that can spontaneously reignite? However at $90 per stick, that’s a very hard sell for the average consumer.
KuoH
So what’s the difference between these and regular kidde? Besides disposable. I have 2 kidde in the house a kitchen and one by the gas fireplace. But thinking of this for the garage and bedrooms,? Any input from you experts?
If nothing else, this is cheap peace of mind for the kitchen. omniscient-ulterior-shaman