Not so Fun fact: the reason what to do if you catch fire was so prevalent is because there were some kids costume pajamas made of polyester and rayon without flame redardant that killed a couple dozen kids. Safety standards are written in blood, and that one outfit led to both safety standards for kids products and the whole stop drop and roll thing. Which, ironically, wouldn’t have helped those kids because they wouldn’t have had time to react.
@Aspirant_Fool@Kyeh Fwiw, although I know those options exist [for other people], my keyboard settings have that disabled.
However, it’s still dead simple to get the common accents with a Mac…
I suppose the two-stroke nature might be considered unusual, but isn’t hard to learn:
opt-e + {vowel} (e.g. á, é) acute accent
opt-` + {vowel} (e.g. à, è) grave accent
opt-i + {vowel} (e.g. ê, î) circumflex
opt-u + {vowel} (e.g. ï, ö) umlaut/dieresis
opt-n + {vowel or N} (e.g. ã, ñ) tilde
(and if those aren’t enough, you can also launch the Character Viewer and get access to all of Unicode, searchable by name or similar character)
@Aspirant_Fool@Kyeh
You peaked my curiosity… On my keyboard (English QWERTY) I have 6 options on the e, and the first choice isn’t even an E… | è é ê ē ë
And for those of us who are either a little extra and sometimes just can’t stop themselves, or maybe just plain OCD here is what I got for the rest of the alphabet… the U and I have 6 options, the O and A have 9, the S, C, and N have 2, and the comma/, has a whopping SIXTEEN!
Now I think THAT takes the cake for useless information for the day!¯\_(⊙_ʖ⊙)_/¯
@Aspirant_Fool@Lynnerizer I think that’s really interesting and now I’m going to have to try it!
Hmm, I have 10 options on the e, but none on the comma - what do you get for the comma, can you show examples, please? (I’m on my iPhone.)
@Aspirant_Fool it’s also really easy to type accents on a Chromebook, so easy that I discovered it by accident, then learned most of the shortcuts on my own w/o needing to look it up b/c they were straightforward.
I think that there are Windows keyboard layouts where the right Alt key is Alt Gr & lets you type accents easier, but no matter how much I’ve told Windows to make the right Alt an Alt-Gr, Windows just straight up ignores me and I’ve never successfully gotten it to work in freedom-land
@Noddy93 I honestly can’t tell whether or not this is a joke, well done either way!
@Strannahans Yup, the regular US English layout doesn’t do anything with the Alt Gr key even if it’s present, the default US International layout also doesn’t use an Alt Gr key and is a pain to use. In order to have Alt Gr work you’d also have to change to a layout that includes it, which means it’s also going to mess other stuff you don’t want changed (unless you want to learn to type using AZERTY or whatever).
@806D2701 Mac and Windows are essentially equivalent in that case; Both have (application dependent) shortcut keys and/or menu options to format text as sub- or superscript, or the option to use Font Book (Mac) or Character Map (Windows) to select and copy the pre-superscripted characters for use.
Some might suggest Windows has a slight edge in this case, but I still think it’s more or less a wash; Out of the box, Windows will let you use Alt codes to type superscript numbers. You can do that on a Mac, but you have to change some input settings first. If you have to look them up every time, that still sucks. If you use them often enough that it’s worthwhile for you to remember them, you’d still probably be better served on Mac by defining your own shortcuts and/or text replacements to access those characters.
@Aspirant_Fool@Kyeh
Sure!
Looks like upper & lower case are the same.
Behind the comma is my settings gear icon. Behind the period I have 16 and they are special characters, mathematical symbols, and punctuation marks. With my horrible eyesight I sometimes get them confused, and I swear the period & comma switch locations!
Period = 16… . , ? ! # ) ( / ; @ ’ : - " + % &
E = 6… È, |, É, Ë, Ê, Ē, è, |, é, ë, ê, ē
U = 6… Ú, <, Û, Ù, Ü, Ū, ú, <, û, ù, ü, ū
I = 6… Í, >, Î, Ī, Ï, Ì, í, >, î, ī, ï, ì
O = 9… Ó, Ô, Ö, Ò, {, Œ, Ø, Ō, Õ
o = 9… ó, ô, ö, ò, {, œ, ø, ō, õ
Let me know if you want more…
@Aspirant_Fool@Kyeh
A has 9 and like the others uppercase are the same.
a = 9… @, à, á, â, ä, æ, ã, å, ā
Are yours the same as mine? Oh yeah they can’t be, you have more choices for the a.
@Aspirant_Fool@Lynnerizer Mine has only one alternative for the period, and that’s the ellipse …
For a: æ ã å ā ă ą à á â ä ǎ and a.
For A: Æ ã Å Ā Ă Ą À Á Â Ä Ǎ and A.
Sometimes I really hate forums and message boards. So many times people use them as a practice placement for jokes. Then there are times where really great info and past experience of a product can be found.
@Enigma I went to the Amazon reviews but they weren’t a lot of them so I don’t think many people have used these. People do say the spray leaves a lot of powder, but because it’s a dry spray it’s useful for storing in the car, since it won’t be affected by temperature changes. Lots of complaints about it not having a mount or hanger. Very few comments from people who’ve actually used them.
@Kyeh Thank you. I just checked over there and saw the same comments. I did see someone mentioned the cans come with no expiration date. I already have a different brand for our kitchen. I think I’ll take a chance and get a pair to store in our vehicles. Thanks so much for your help and reply.
@Enigma@Kyeh In case you didn’t read all of the specs, they specifically say do NOT leave these in vehicles, which ties in very nicely to the next line of: Do not store in location hotter than 120°F. If not for those two lines, I’d like one for my car, since my last pickup burned up.
@CatFriend@Kyeh Holy Cow! I missed that as well. Ditto, on that being a good catch. So much for me thinking they’d be nice to keep in our cars. @CatFriend - Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
@CatFriend@Enigma@Kyeh
I’m right here with you guys who missed the no car memo! I’ve got another brand in the kitchen, my sister used fire safety as her theme for Christmas gifts this past year. (Which BTW, Her firefighter son-in-law was thrilled! ) I was thinking about one in each car (before reading THIS comment anyway) because I almost lost my beloved 69 Camaro to fire and ever since then I’ve always carried a fire extinguisher in my vehicle. I’ve been lucky enough not to have had another car fire but I have pulled over to assist many people with theirs! I think it should be law that everyone carries at least one form of extinguisher in their vehicle!
@CatFriend@Enigma@Kyeh@Lynnerizer I just checked the Amazon listing & couldn’t find that info anywhere. The question section right before the reviews specifically states:
“Yes, the Dry Stop Fire Spray can be stored in a car. It has a temperature range of -20C to 55C [-4F to 131F] and won’t freeze.”
Note: i added the temp conversion for convenience. I don’t see how this would be a problem, as long as your keep it where it can’t get jostled too much, like in a box so it can’t roll around or get stuck under the seat where you can slide back & forth. And there’s always the trunk, because let’s face it, if you’re stuck inside due to an accident & the fire starts coming into the passenger compartment, it’ll be too big by then to be put out by an extinguisher anyway. Most of the time, you would use it on your own engine or to help another person if you come upon a crash.
@CatFriend@Enigma@Kyeh@Lynnerizer Oh, one more thing, the Amazon listing also mentioned they recommend replacing these 5 years from the manufacturing date, although it’s not like they instantly become non-functional at that moment. Unfortunately, the date of manufacture isn’t listed, but you’d probably get at least a few good years.
@CatFriend@Enigma@Lynnerizer @ircon96 - wow, you dove deep into the specs, thanks! I’ve decided not to get these, although I do need to get some sort of fire extinguisher. I wish Meh would sell the fire blankets that this company is better known for, though.
@CatFriend@Enigma@ircon96@Kyeh
Yeah it was the heat/temperature in the truck for me, that’s what I decided AFTER reading the comments. But honestly I have no clue how hot my trunk gets on our hottest day. Actually, these days I don’t even have a trunk because I’ve got a SUV.
So maybe I should just shut my mouth and rethink the entire thing!
Okay, so I’ll ask the dumb question… are these single use only?
Also, I don’t know about you guys, but having some rando wearing a fireman outfit tooooooootally gives it authenticity and bona fides, even though they never mention any credentials. Or even any expert recommendations.
@haydesigner All fire extinguishers are single use only, from what I understand. Because you never quite know how much of the fire extinguishing material you’d need to use to put out this fire, or the next fire. There isn’t even one of those pressure measuring systems to show how much spray is left. But it says (in the video) that there’s 3 minutes of spray so you might be able to use that to measure how many uses you can squeeze out.
@haydesigner@relm256 These are definitely single use only. A good indicator is that rechargeable fire extinguishers have a gauge. Beware of cheap rechargeable fire extinguishers though, it will cost more to recharge it than it does to replace it.
I think that the fire ratings listed in the specs above are incorrect. It should be A, B, C and K, but NOT include D. Class D fires are flammable metals (e.g. magnesium), and this is not for use on those fires. You’ll know a class D extinguisher when you see it, they’re usually yellow, and MUCH, MUCH more expensive. Class C on the other hand, that’s electrified class A or B, which this DOES state it’s good for.
@Nerdelectric The class D caught me off guard too. The Amazon description just says “ABC fire” with no mention of K, but says it’ll put out a grease fire in multiple places?
Can tell no firefighters commented yet so here goes. These are 21 oz, not enough for a car fire, a 5 pounder will slow down a car fire, I carry a 10# in my car and 4 20 pounders throughout my home. Really like a couple Co2 around as no powder mess and cold gas slows down aggressive rattlesnakes. Highway patrol carries 15 pound to buy time until the engine company arrives. These won’t stop lithium. The temperature restriction is the cans are not much stronger than a soda can, boom. Someone asked, if refillable, no. If you seriously want protection, your local fire department would be happy to make suggestions for your needs and usually yearly, they give demonstrations and instruction. These might put out your hamburgers that are on fire on the barbecue, but who wants powdered burgers? G’night all
@Commonwealth109 A few years ago, I saw some guy talk about how the kitchen is where lots of people put a fire extinguisher and that’s great, but if I wake up in the middle of the night to a fire, I’m likely going to be in bed, not in the kitchen and trying to make my way to the kitchen might take time I don’t have.
So each time Costco had a 5# one on sale, I’d buy one or two and put it/them in each bedroom. And when we have guests, I point it out to them.
And the discussion here makes me think that I should upgrade from the 5# ones to 10# or more (thank you to those who suggested that).
@craigcush Put out a car that’s caught on fire after an accident, no. Put out just-started wiring-harness flames from where you got a little too zealous with the butane torch while soldering a wiring repair in the engine bay, probably—or at least buy you time to go get the ten-pounder off the wall. I keep First Alert EZ Fire Spray, a similar product, on my tool cart in the garage for just this reason…
They’re good for oopsies where you’re right there, the stuff is right at hand, and quick action will stop it while it’s small.
@andymand@Commonwealth109 if you are awakened by a fire in the middle of the night it is already too late to do anything about it, at least with these pint sized extinguishers. These are only good if you catch the fire within the first 30-60 seconds or so.
@IAMIS@ircon96 what they don’t mention is how many years ago these were manufactured. They’re obviously not recently manufactured being on a site that specializes in unsold.inventory from other stores.
@IAMIS@OnionSoup Yeah, considering the late-dated food products regularly on offer here, i figured people would make that assumption, like i did. Five years doesn’t give a lot of leeway when it comes to a product that’s meant to sit around for extended periods.
@jdutica Haven’t seen a cent sign in a long time. I think from the start of banking computers (50s-60s) it’s always been decimal fractions of dollars.
Also for anyone that still uses paper checks (I do, rarely) the reason those numbers on the bottom look funny is that there was/is a system to automatically read them based on a weighted system of how big the dark parts were. I think it was also magnetic ink. So we see the numbers but the scanners, dating back to the 60s if not before, could quickly read the bank numbers to process the checks. Damn, those IBM people were smart back then. (They may still be smart,…)
@jdutica@pmarin You are correct about the numbers on the bottom of checks. It’s known as the MICR line - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. Come to Meh for all the best trivia…
@Shagbert I actually remember quite well a lesson on fire safety in Home Economics (both boys and girls required to take) and various ways of putting out a small fire in the kitchen.
These things probably have little to no shelf life left, buyer beware. If you get the can and it feels like a solid brick, don’t trust it. Check the date on the can. Replace it after it’s suggested use by date. I had one of these sitting in my kitchen that was a year over it’s expiration date, I picked it up to relocate it and it felt like it was super dense. That’s when I looked and saw it had expired a year before.
I did just pick up a couple new ones at Aldi for… $12 each, with 6 years on their counter.
@eblade I can understand the dry powder settling over time, but wouldn’t some vigorous shaking bring back usability as long as there is still pressure? I wonder if the expiration date has more to do with the potential for pressure loss over time or possibly critical plastic parts aging out?
@kuoh the one i tossed a few weeks ago is the only one i’ve had (until i saw them at Aldi), but i was afraid to try it’s button when the can felt like it was under extreme pressure. only explanation i can come up with is that the contents expand? maybe? i don’t know.
@eblade I’m not an expert, but I don’t believe most US consumer grade sealed pressurized products are designed with the possibility of developing more pressure over time, barring exposure to severe overheating. It is also not likely that they would choose a dry powder mix for a fire extinguisher that could unexpectedly expand in the sealed environment to the point that the container would become a timebomb. Leakage and product settling or compaction from being undisturbed over a long period, which can happen with other products too, would be the thing that comes to my mind.
The pressures in typical small extinguishers are not really very high and if you’ve never discharged one before, I would recommend you at least test one so you know what to expect and how long it will remain effective if you had to use one. I have some doubts about the 3 minute claim of the one in this sale.
I’m not really too concerned about a typical extinguisher casing actually failing even in a hot car, just the control valve reaching a designed pressure relief limit or failing unexpectedly and the mess it would create.
@kuoh compaction might be a good word for what i felt in that old one. i know when i used the can briefly a few years prior, it did not feel like it was just a solid brick, but when i picked it up to move it, it certainly did. I don’t know specifically why, and I immediately aimed to replace it.
@txusa03 If it’s a small bear, and it just caught on fire within a minute or less time, then, YES, it will work on bears.
Note: generally one should avoid the eyes, but if you started the bear on fire, or if it looks very annoyed at being on fire, perhaps some powder in the eyes might give you enough of a headstart to run away.
@txusa03 Here’s something to consider: bear spray usually has lower capsaicin content than personal defense spray. It also usually sprays in a wider area than PDS, so it won’t hit the target as precisely. So, if you want to defend yourself, just buy the usual pepper spray. Don’t buy bear spray.
Specs
Product: 2-Pack: Prepared Hero Dry Stop Fire Spray
Model: dsfs-us-02
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
Was $50 at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jun 16 - Friday, Jun 20
These make terrible margaritas but really help with some margarita mistakes.
Is that Dennis Quaid? It must be good.
@hchavers I definitely see some Bryan Cranston in there.
@hchavers @zhicks1987 I’m getting more of a Bob Odenkirk vibe
@hchavers @hugacrv @zhicks1987 After watching the video, I’m thinking more Randy Quaid.
This is useful for married men when he is the one with the headache. Just aim and spray. Drys it right up…
Q: Is it available in Georgia Red?
A: Hey, there’s some red on the can and some iridescent red on the webpage. Isn’t that enough?
@ItalianScallion listen here, pal…
Not so Fun fact: the reason what to do if you catch fire was so prevalent is because there were some kids costume pajamas made of polyester and rayon without flame redardant that killed a couple dozen kids. Safety standards are written in blood, and that one outfit led to both safety standards for kids products and the whole stop drop and roll thing. Which, ironically, wouldn’t have helped those kids because they wouldn’t have had time to react.
@Jamileigh17 stop, drop, and depress the hell out of everybody
@Jamileigh17 @jouest
Yeah right… for us visual thinkers try unseeing THAT one!
@Jamileigh17 @jouest @Lynnerizer that’s what rampant alcoholism is for
I don’t usually nitpick the copy, but man, it is so much easier to put the little accent hat on the é on a Mac than it is on PC:
Press and hold the e key on the keyboard
Click on the é or press 2
@Aspirant_Fool But the little hat is this: ê (Also easy)
@Aspirant_Fool so much easier… cuz typing alt+0233 is super difficult. é
@Aspirant_Fool @Kyeh Fwiw, although I know those options exist [for other people], my keyboard settings have that disabled.
However, it’s still dead simple to get the common accents with a Mac…
I suppose the two-stroke nature might be considered unusual, but isn’t hard to learn:
opt-e + {vowel}(e.g. á, é) acute accentopt-` + {vowel}(e.g. à, è) grave accentopt-i + {vowel}(e.g. ê, î) circumflexopt-u + {vowel}(e.g. ï, ö) umlaut/dieresisopt-n + {vowel or N}(e.g. ã, ñ) tilde(and if those aren’t enough, you can also launch the Character Viewer and get access to all of Unicode, searchable by name or similar character)
(perhaps most important is that they’re vaguely mnemonic, so you don’t have to memorize a list of arbitrary numbers)
@Aspirant_Fool @Kyeh
¯\_(⊙_ʖ⊙)_/¯
You peaked my curiosity… On my keyboard (English QWERTY) I have 6 options on the e, and the first choice isn’t even an E… | è é ê ē ë
And for those of us who are either a little extra and sometimes just can’t stop themselves, or maybe just plain OCD here is what I got for the rest of the alphabet… the U and I have 6 options, the O and A have 9, the S, C, and N have 2, and the comma/, has a whopping SIXTEEN!
Now I think THAT takes the cake for useless information for the day!
@Aspirant_Fool @Lynnerizer I think that’s really interesting and now I’m going to have to try it!
Hmm, I have 10 options on the e, but none on the comma - what do you get for the comma, can you show examples, please? (I’m on my iPhone.)
@Aspirant_Fool @Lynnerizer Also my “a” has 12 options.
@Aspirant_Fool it’s also really easy to type accents on a Chromebook, so easy that I discovered it by accident, then learned most of the shortcuts on my own w/o needing to look it up b/c they were straightforward.
I think that there are Windows keyboard layouts where the right Alt key is Alt Gr & lets you type accents easier, but no matter how much I’ve told Windows to make the right Alt an Alt-Gr, Windows just straight up ignores me and I’ve never successfully gotten it to work in freedom-land
@Noddy93 I honestly can’t tell whether or not this is a joke, well done either way!
@Strannahans Yup, the regular US English layout doesn’t do anything with the Alt Gr key even if it’s present, the default US International layout also doesn’t use an Alt Gr key and is a pain to use. In order to have Alt Gr work you’d also have to change to a layout that includes it, which means it’s also going to mess other stuff you don’t want changed (unless you want to learn to type using AZERTY or whatever).
@Aspirant_Fool How about exponents? For example, what if I want to write “A squared plus B squared equals C squared” on Mac vs PC?
@806D2701 Mac and Windows are essentially equivalent in that case; Both have (application dependent) shortcut keys and/or menu options to format text as sub- or superscript, or the option to use Font Book (Mac) or Character Map (Windows) to select and copy the pre-superscripted characters for use.
Some might suggest Windows has a slight edge in this case, but I still think it’s more or less a wash; Out of the box, Windows will let you use Alt codes to type superscript numbers. You can do that on a Mac, but you have to change some input settings first. If you have to look them up every time, that still sucks. If you use them often enough that it’s worthwhile for you to remember them, you’d still probably be better served on Mac by defining your own shortcuts and/or text replacements to access those characters.
@Aspirant_Fool @Kyeh
Behind the period I have 16 and they are special characters, mathematical symbols, and punctuation marks. With my horrible eyesight I sometimes get them confused, and I swear the period & comma switch locations! 
Sure!
Looks like upper & lower case are the same.
Behind the comma is my settings gear icon.
Period = 16… . , ? ! # ) ( / ; @ ’ : - " + % &
E = 6… È, |, É, Ë, Ê, Ē, è, |, é, ë, ê, ē
U = 6… Ú, <, Û, Ù, Ü, Ū, ú, <, û, ù, ü, ū
I = 6… Í, >, Î, Ī, Ï, Ì, í, >, î, ī, ï, ì
O = 9… Ó, Ô, Ö, Ò, {, Œ, Ø, Ō, Õ
o = 9… ó, ô, ö, ò, {, œ, ø, ō, õ
Let me know if you want more…
@Aspirant_Fool @Kyeh
A has 9 and like the others uppercase are the same.
a = 9… @, à, á, â, ä, æ, ã, å, ā
Are yours the same as mine? Oh yeah they can’t be, you have more choices for the a.
@Aspirant_Fool @Lynnerizer Mine has only one alternative for the period, and that’s the ellipse …
For a: æ ã å ā ă ą à á â ä ǎ and a.
For A: Æ ã Å Ā Ă Ą À Á Â Ä Ǎ and A.
Sometimes I really hate forums and message boards. So many times people use them as a practice placement for jokes. Then there are times where really great info and past experience of a product can be found.
Then here I am posting neither
.
Oh well.
@Enigma I went to the Amazon reviews but they weren’t a lot of them so I don’t think many people have used these. People do say the spray leaves a lot of powder, but because it’s a dry spray it’s useful for storing in the car, since it won’t be affected by temperature changes. Lots of complaints about it not having a mount or hanger. Very few comments from people who’ve actually used them.
@Kyeh Thank you. I just checked over there and saw the same comments. I did see someone mentioned the cans come with no expiration date. I already have a different brand for our kitchen. I think I’ll take a chance and get a pair to store in our vehicles. Thanks so much for your help and reply.
@Enigma @Kyeh In case you didn’t read all of the specs, they specifically say do NOT leave these in vehicles, which ties in very nicely to the next line of: Do not store in location hotter than 120°F. If not for those two lines, I’d like one for my car, since my last pickup burned up.
@CatFriend @Enigma Oh! Good catch - thanks for that.
Hah - right up there on this very page and I missed it.
@CatFriend @Kyeh Holy Cow! I missed that as well. Ditto, on that being a good catch. So much for me thinking they’d be nice to keep in our cars. @CatFriend - Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
@Enigma hello kindred brethren. (Looks at username and knows who got it first now)
@CatFriend @Enigma @Kyeh
I’ve got another brand in the kitchen, my sister used fire safety as her theme for Christmas gifts this past year. (Which BTW, Her firefighter son-in-law was thrilled! 
) I was thinking about one in each car (before reading THIS comment anyway) because I almost lost my beloved 69 Camaro to fire and ever since then I’ve always carried a fire extinguisher in my vehicle. I’ve been lucky enough not to have had another car fire but I have pulled over to assist many people with theirs! I think it should be law that everyone carries at least one form of extinguisher in their vehicle! 
I’m right here with you guys who missed the no car memo!
@CatFriend @Enigma @Kyeh @Lynnerizer I just checked the Amazon listing & couldn’t find that info anywhere. The question section right before the reviews specifically states:
“Yes, the Dry Stop Fire Spray can be stored in a car. It has a temperature range of -20C to 55C [-4F to 131F] and won’t freeze.”
Note: i added the temp conversion for convenience. I don’t see how this would be a problem, as long as your keep it where it can’t get jostled too much, like in a box so it can’t roll around or get stuck under the seat where you can slide back & forth. And there’s always the trunk, because let’s face it, if you’re stuck inside due to an accident & the fire starts coming into the passenger compartment, it’ll be too big by then to be put out by an extinguisher anyway. Most of the time, you would use it on your own engine or to help another person if you come upon a crash.
@CatFriend @Enigma @Kyeh @Lynnerizer Oh, one more thing, the Amazon listing also mentioned they recommend replacing these 5 years from the manufacturing date, although it’s not like they instantly become non-functional at that moment. Unfortunately, the date of manufacture isn’t listed, but you’d probably get at least a few good years.
@CatFriend @Enigma @Lynnerizer
@ircon96 - wow, you dove deep into the specs, thanks! I’ve decided not to get these, although I do need to get some sort of fire extinguisher. I wish Meh would sell the fire blankets that this company is better known for, though.
@CatFriend @Enigma @ircon96 @Kyeh
Yeah it was the heat/temperature in the truck for me, that’s what I decided AFTER reading the comments. But honestly I have no clue how hot my trunk gets on our hottest day. Actually, these days I don’t even have a trunk because I’ve got a SUV.
@EnigmaV8 Hello fam
Okay, so I’ll ask the dumb question… are these single use only?
Also, I don’t know about you guys, but having some rando wearing a fireman outfit tooooooootally gives it authenticity and bona fides, even though they never mention any credentials. Or even any expert recommendations.
@haydesigner All fire extinguishers are single use only, from what I understand. Because you never quite know how much of the fire extinguishing material you’d need to use to put out this fire, or the next fire. There isn’t even one of those pressure measuring systems to show how much spray is left. But it says (in the video) that there’s 3 minutes of spray so you might be able to use that to measure how many uses you can squeeze out.
@haydesigner @relm256 These are definitely single use only. A good indicator is that rechargeable fire extinguishers have a gauge. Beware of cheap rechargeable fire extinguishers though, it will cost more to recharge it than it does to replace it.
/buy
@relm256 It worked! Your order number is: squealing-zesty-derby
/showme squealing zesty derby
I think that the fire ratings listed in the specs above are incorrect. It should be A, B, C and K, but NOT include D. Class D fires are flammable metals (e.g. magnesium), and this is not for use on those fires. You’ll know a class D extinguisher when you see it, they’re usually yellow, and MUCH, MUCH more expensive. Class C on the other hand, that’s electrified class A or B, which this DOES state it’s good for.
@Nerdelectric Username checks out.
@Nerdelectric The class D caught me off guard too. The Amazon description just says “ABC fire” with no mention of K, but says it’ll put out a grease fire in multiple places?
@Nerdelectric @xobzoo
Can tell no firefighters commented yet so here goes. These are 21 oz, not enough for a car fire, a 5 pounder will slow down a car fire, I carry a 10# in my car and 4 20 pounders throughout my home. Really like a couple Co2 around as no powder mess and cold gas slows down aggressive rattlesnakes. Highway patrol carries 15 pound to buy time until the engine company arrives. These won’t stop lithium. The temperature restriction is the cans are not much stronger than a soda can, boom. Someone asked, if refillable, no. If you seriously want protection, your local fire department would be happy to make suggestions for your needs and usually yearly, they give demonstrations and instruction. These might put out your hamburgers that are on fire on the barbecue, but who wants powdered burgers? G’night all
@craigcush I have a couple similar ones, and that’s where they are, in the kitchen.
@Commonwealth109 A few years ago, I saw some guy talk about how the kitchen is where lots of people put a fire extinguisher and that’s great, but if I wake up in the middle of the night to a fire, I’m likely going to be in bed, not in the kitchen and trying to make my way to the kitchen might take time I don’t have.
So each time Costco had a 5# one on sale, I’d buy one or two and put it/them in each bedroom. And when we have guests, I point it out to them.
And the discussion here makes me think that I should upgrade from the 5# ones to 10# or more (thank you to those who suggested that).
@craigcush Put out a car that’s caught on fire after an accident, no. Put out just-started wiring-harness flames from where you got a little too zealous with the butane torch while soldering a wiring repair in the engine bay, probably—or at least buy you time to go get the ten-pounder off the wall. I keep First Alert EZ Fire Spray, a similar product, on my tool cart in the garage for just this reason…
They’re good for oopsies where you’re right there, the stuff is right at hand, and quick action will stop it while it’s small.
@andymand @Commonwealth109 if you are awakened by a fire in the middle of the night it is already too late to do anything about it, at least with these pint sized extinguishers. These are only good if you catch the fire within the first 30-60 seconds or so.
/buy
@Jonas4321 It worked! Your order number is: queenly-substantial-rum
/showme queenly substantial rum
@mediocrebot I’d buy a bottle of that!
@mediocrebot Theodora?
Do these have such a long shelf life that they don’t need to mention it?
@IAMIS This is from the Amazon listing:
“The Dry Stop Fire Spray has a recommended replacement period of 5 years after the date of manufacture.”
@IAMIS @ircon96 what they don’t mention is how many years ago these were manufactured. They’re obviously not recently manufactured being on a site that specializes in unsold.inventory from other stores.
@IAMIS @OnionSoup Yeah, considering the late-dated food products regularly on offer here, i figured people would make that assumption, like i did. Five years doesn’t give a lot of leeway when it comes to a product that’s meant to sit around for extended periods.
And let’s not forget our soon-to-be-gone penny. Computer keyboards have never had a ¢ sign. In PC talk it’s Alt+ 0162 Farewell humble ¢ …
@jdutica Haven’t seen a cent sign in a long time. I think from the start of banking computers (50s-60s) it’s always been decimal fractions of dollars.
Also for anyone that still uses paper checks (I do, rarely) the reason those numbers on the bottom look funny is that there was/is a system to automatically read them based on a weighted system of how big the dark parts were. I think it was also magnetic ink. So we see the numbers but the scanners, dating back to the 60s if not before, could quickly read the bank numbers to process the checks. Damn, those IBM people were smart back then. (They may still be smart,…)
@jdutica Oh, that reminded me of one of the most infuriating things I’ve ever seen.
@jdutica @zhicks1987 V-CENTS!!! The first time I heard that call I was amazed how calm the customer was.
@jdutica @pmarin You are correct about the numbers on the bottom of checks. It’s known as the MICR line - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. Come to Meh for all the best trivia…
Expiration date?
@jasonjm This is from the Amazon listing:
“The Dry Stop Fire Spray has a recommended replacement period of 5 years after the date of manufacture.”
@ircon96 @jasonjm Yeah, we’re trying to make sure this batch is not 4.5 years after manufacture. Aynone know?
@jasonjm Mine say 11/2023, so looks like they’ve still got some time. The manufacture date is on the bottom of the can
@Jimalene thanks for the update
FWIW British kids do grow up being taught how to put out kitchen grease fires (or at least we did in the 70’s) with a damp tea towel.
@Shagbert I actually remember quite well a lesson on fire safety in Home Economics (both boys and girls required to take) and various ways of putting out a small fire in the kitchen.
@OnionSoup @Shagbert Both boys and girls had to take a semester of HomEC in my State, too.
Maybe don’t buy surplus untested firefighting equipment of questionable provenance.
/buy
@irenegade It worked! Your order number is: thirsty-glamorous-beetle
/showme thirsty glamorous beetle
Something went terribly wrong. Please try again.
These things probably have little to no shelf life left, buyer beware. If you get the can and it feels like a solid brick, don’t trust it. Check the date on the can. Replace it after it’s suggested use by date. I had one of these sitting in my kitchen that was a year over it’s expiration date, I picked it up to relocate it and it felt like it was super dense. That’s when I looked and saw it had expired a year before.
I did just pick up a couple new ones at Aldi for… $12 each, with 6 years on their counter.
@eblade I can understand the dry powder settling over time, but wouldn’t some vigorous shaking bring back usability as long as there is still pressure? I wonder if the expiration date has more to do with the potential for pressure loss over time or possibly critical plastic parts aging out?
KuoH
@kuoh the one i tossed a few weeks ago is the only one i’ve had (until i saw them at Aldi), but i was afraid to try it’s button when the can felt like it was under extreme pressure. only explanation i can come up with is that the contents expand? maybe? i don’t know.
@eblade I’m not an expert, but I don’t believe most US consumer grade sealed pressurized products are designed with the possibility of developing more pressure over time, barring exposure to severe overheating. It is also not likely that they would choose a dry powder mix for a fire extinguisher that could unexpectedly expand in the sealed environment to the point that the container would become a timebomb. Leakage and product settling or compaction from being undisturbed over a long period, which can happen with other products too, would be the thing that comes to my mind.
The pressures in typical small extinguishers are not really very high and if you’ve never discharged one before, I would recommend you at least test one so you know what to expect and how long it will remain effective if you had to use one. I have some doubts about the 3 minute claim of the one in this sale.
I’m not really too concerned about a typical extinguisher casing actually failing even in a hot car, just the control valve reaching a designed pressure relief limit or failing unexpectedly and the mess it would create.
KuoH
@kuoh compaction might be a good word for what i felt in that old one. i know when i used the can briefly a few years prior, it did not feel like it was just a solid brick, but when i picked it up to move it, it certainly did. I don’t know specifically why, and I immediately aimed to replace it.
Can I used them as bear spray (looks like a bear spray can).
@txusa03 If it’s a small bear, and it just caught on fire within a minute or less time, then, YES, it will work on bears.
Note: generally one should avoid the eyes, but if you started the bear on fire, or if it looks very annoyed at being on fire, perhaps some powder in the eyes might give you enough of a headstart to run away.
@txusa03 Here’s something to consider: bear spray usually has lower capsaicin content than personal defense spray. It also usually sprays in a wider area than PDS, so it won’t hit the target as precisely. So, if you want to defend yourself, just buy the usual pepper spray. Don’t buy bear spray.
Will it put out Waymo and police cars on fire?
@donver It will not put out vehicle fires, regardless of said car’s political affiliation.
Seems pointless - you should have several fire extinguishers already. Maybe best for in a car?
You’re gonna need quite a few of these after “AI” drains out all the water.
@DrunkCat Were you busy crying all day after not winning them back again?
/buy
@haydesigner Sorry, I couldn’t place your order. Something went terribly wrong.
@haydesigner @mediocrebot I think the bot is saying “You snooze, you lose!”
@haydesigner @mediocrebot @yakkoTDI They’re still for sale, though.
@haydesigner @Kyeh Interesting. Backup explanation is that @mediocrebot has been drinking again.
@haydesigner @mediocrebot @yakkoTDI
So what would a bot choose to drink? A Screwdriver? Gimlet? Rusty Nail?
@Kyeh From my experience, they generally go with a Löbrau Beer.
@CatFriend That makes sense.