Fire Extinguisher Advice for Homes & Shops

When buying a fire extinguisher, or portable extinguisher, the first question is often how many kilograms to choose. A larger unit may seem safer, while a smaller one may seem easier to use. Capacity, weight, discharge time and placement all affect whether it will be useful in a real fire. Prepared by Fire Station, Hong Kong fire extinguisher specialists, this guide uses the actual heights of our supplied models, FSD and Consumer Council advice, and common Hong Kong scenarios to help you select a suitable and practical capacity and equipment combination.

Contents

1. Why is the capacity important? Not the bigger the better.
2. Basic concepts: kg, litres, jet time, weight
3. Fire Station Contrast of Capacity Models
4. 1kg fire extinguisher: detailed standby, high mobility
5. 2kg Fire extinguishers: standard choice for home size
6. 5kg fire extinguisher and 9L model: commercial, parking, workshop configuration
7. Overcapacity: all types
8. Home scene mix: 400 to 700 feet, open kitchen, househouse, village house, home office
9. Business scene mix: retail, Cafe, clinic, hairdresser, office, workshop, parking lot
10. Placer: The capacity has been selected and the wrong position is useless.
11. Actual purchase of a sticker: not just price.
12. In Fire Station, how do you choose to return to your capacity?
13. Common problems FAQ

I. Why is the capacity important? Not the bigger the better.

The fire extinguisher capacity is expressed as "kg" (dry powder, carbon dioxide) or "litres" (water, bubbles).

• Weight and volume increase: the elderly, the more powerful, may not be able to afford it, may not be in control.
• The placement selection is reduced: the unit or swirl does not have a small magnifying drum and is forced to enter the corner or behind the small cabinet and cannot be found when the incident occurs.
• Operations are becoming more difficult: large drums have a strong back seat, and untrained people are easily sprayed.

For home-based users, a fire extinguisher that is affordable, secure and well-placed is much more practical than being hung up to a capacity that is barely affordable. For businesses, parking spaces, and co-workshops, it is necessary to balance floor space, legal requirements, and the number of employees with actual fire risks.

Basic concepts: kg, litres, jet time, weight

• The marked kg/litre is the net weight or capacity of the fire extinguish er, which is not the total weight of the whole fire extinguisher. The drums, valves and propellant gases increase the actual weight by several kilograms.
• In seconds, the consumer committee means a model of 2 kg or less, with an effective jet time of approximately 8 to 10 seconds. The greater the capacity, the greater it is, the less it is possible to "try slowly " , so it is necessary to aim at the bottom of the source of the fire first.
• Coverage: The larger the capacity, the greater the fire, but the hand-held fire extinguisher is always only used to handle the initial fire.
• The type is more critical than the capacity: the electrical fire is using the wrong water agent and many litres are not used. See section VII for more details.

III. FREE STATION COMPETITION OF CAPACITY TYPES

The following are the models that we actually supply, the height of which is about the height, so that you can imagine what it feels like to be in your own place:

Model	About height.	Relative jet time	Fit to User	Common scenes
1kg dry powder	About 29 cm	Shortest	Any adult, single-handed.	Units, wards, bedrooms, private cars, second supplement
2kg dry powder	About 36 cm	Longer than 1kg	Most adults have steady hands.	Homes, homes, offices, clinics.
5kg dry powder	About 50 cm	Longer	It takes a lot of strength. It's better for trained staff.	Workshop, garage, warehouse, mall, building utility
2kg CO2	About 50 cm	Shorter	Adults, hold the handle.	Computer area, server room, home office
5kg CO2	About 64 cm	Longer	Heavy, trained staff	Electric room, machine room, control cabinet
9L Water agent	About 56 cm	Longer	Focus, most fixed installations	Public corridors, schools, board seats.
9L bubble agent	About 62 cm	Longer	Focus, most fixed installations	Dining room, workshop where fuel solvents are stored

Full specifications and application of fire Fire Extinguishers & Fire Safety Products.

IV. 1kg Fire extinguisher: light standby, high mobility

1kg dry powder extinguisher approximately 29 cm tall, small, lightweight, with the greatest advantage being "feasible, easy to place".

The right scene.

• Houses, suites, small open units.
• A second supplement to the bedroom or the end of the corridor.
• Private car trunks are available (fixed with a support frame and not allowed to roll).
• A small, independent office, storage room.

Advantages versus limitations

Anyone can easily pick up the same operation, and a good initial fire can move quickly. But the shortest spray time, the size of the fire, or the tightness of the fire, may be enough to get out. So, for most Hong Kong families, 1 kg is a better complement, not the only one.

V. 2kg Fire extinguishers: standard choice for home size

2kg dry powder extinguisher approximately 36 cm, which is the most commonly chosen model for the same household. Fire Services Department refers to a general home that is more suitable for dry powder extinguishers, as it applies to most fire alarms, including electric fires and burning of flammable liquids; The board selects 2 kg or less for the recommendation because it is harder to use it. 2kg is exactly the balance point of "a sufficient capacity, affordable for most people, easy-to-place arrangements".

Home: Corridor + Kitchen

In Hong Kong, for example, between 400 and 700 feet, a 2kg fire extinguisher is located near the gate or main corridor, along with a fire blanket at the kitchen entranceFire Blankets & Kitchen Fire Safetyand can already cope with most of the day-to-day risks:

• Fire extinguish ers: Walls near the exit, escape routes, and do not be covered by shoe cabinets or miscellaneous items.
• Fire blanket: Kitchen entrance, hand out, not above the stove.

You can go to the home selection if you want to look at the home Home Fire Safety Essentialsonce.

Fine: retail shop, Cafe, clinic, hairdresser

Small size, limited staff size, and 2kg are usually sufficient to deal with initial fire alarms. When there is an open fire, a large number of appliances, or licence requirements, you have to increase the billing or other types. Details are Fire Extinguisher Planning for Shops & Offices.

VI. 5Kg Fire extinguishers Same 9L Model: Commerce, Garage, workshop configuration

5kg Dry powder extinguisher: greater coverage

5kg Dry powder fire extinguish ers About 50 cm high and fire extinguishers high, suitable for an environment that requires greater coverage or higher fire risk: near the workshop production line, side of the parking lot near the throat, entrance to the warehouse, common parts of the mall and building. Because of its heavy weight, it is generally recommended that it be used by simply trained staff and that placement be ensured that it is easily available.

There is also a special requirement in the parking lot: the Fire Services Department Code provides for an additional dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguisher to be provided at each larynx Fire Extinguishers for Car Parks & Industrial Buildings.

9L Water agent/foam agent fire extinguisher: compatible with overall fire-fighting design

9L water ( about 56cm) and 9 L bubbles (about 62cm) are mostly used in public corridors, smoke-resistant stairs, schools, cardboard seats and warehouses. It is usually part of the overall fire-fighting design and is configured according to the fire-fighting chart or the fire department. For example, fire safety regulations for fire services indicate the number of 9 litres of water-filled fire extinguishers. This type is mostly installed by the contractor as required, with a clear difference from home purchases.

VII. Overcapacity: all types

You can't use the wrong type, you can't get any more.

Type	Application	Don't use it.	Volume Selection
Dry powder.	Most fire alarms, including electric fires and flammable liquids.	Firing of large amounts of oil (better blankets)	1kg / 2kg / 5kg
Carbon dioxide	Electricity fires, flammable liquids, electronics, no residues after use	Deep-seated solid fire, like paper wood cloth (refrigerated)	2kg / 5kg
Water	Paper, cloth, wood.	Electrical fires, oil fires	9L
Bubbles	Solid fires and flammable liquids	Electrical equipment	9L
Fire blankets.	Tiny cooking oil pans and clothes on fire.	Expanded Fire	—

The Fire Services Department's Home Safety Code reminds you not to use water or water-based fire extinguishers in case of electrical A Complete Guide to Fire Extinguishers in Hong Kong.

VIII. Home-based scenarios

Family type	Recommended capacity and combination	Position	Keep an eye out.
General units (400 to 700 feet)	2kg dry powder x 1 + fire blanket x 1	Fire extinguishers near the gate or corridor; blanket kitchen entrance	The whole family knows where it is.
Open Kitchen Unit	2kg dry powder x 1 + fire blanket x 1	Fire extinguishers close to the forklock or kitchen area entrance, no headposts; fire blanket kitchen area entrances	The smoke will fill the house quickly, pre-empt the escape route.
Rooms, suites, small open rooms.	1kg dry powder x 1 + fire blanket x 1	Fire extinguisher doorside; fire extinguisher blankets are far away from the stove but within reach	Space detail, 1kg is enough for the initial fire. The focus is on moving fast.
Big unit, double, multi-room	2kg dry powder x 2 + fire blanket x 1	One per layer or each major area	From any room to the nearest one.
Village houses (multilayers)	2kg dry powder per layer x 1 + fire blanket x 1	The stairs, the kitchen entrance.	Gas tanks stand up and ventilate and regularly examine the air throats.
Home office, computers.	2kg dry powder + fire blanket + 2kg carbon dioxide	CO2 Put the computer on the doorway or workspace.	CO2 doesn't have any powder. It's less influence on computers.
Families with elders	2kg or 1kg dry powder + fire blanket	Hang it down. The elders can get it.	Choose the capacity that the elderly can afford. It's more realistic than the size.
Private car.	1kg dry powder x 1	The frame is attached to the trunk or seat.	Avoid the heat and the sun and watch the pressure table regularly.

Since 2024, households have been exempted from the statutory annual check-up of their home-based voluntary fire-fighting equipment, but are still advised to look at their own pressure gauges on a monthly Common Causes of Home Fires & Prevention.

IX. BALANCE OF BUSINESS PLACE

Places	Recommended capacity and combination	Position	Code Tips
Small retail stores (approximately 200 feet)	2kg dry powder x 1	Inside the door or in the cashier's office.	Don't cover up the cargo.
Medium retail (200 to 600 feet)	2kg dry powder x 2, or forelock 2kg + back silo 5kg	Front entrance, back entrance.	—
Large retail, supermarket, mall	5kg dry powder distribution by area	By region	Chapter 502 provides for a minimum of one per 100 m2 for commercial premises (except for those with larynx)
Cafe, light food store.	2kg dry powder or 2kg CO2 + fire-fighting blanket	The barbers, the kitchen entrance.	If you've got a license, you'll have to tell the fire department.
Dining room, teahouse, winehouse.	By Fire Services Department: 9L water agent, CO2, heavy fire blanket	Seat room, kitchen entrance	It's usually a UL-300 automatic fire suppression system.
Clinics, beauty salons	2kg dry powder; instrumentation room plus 2kg CO2	Outside the reception, the instrument room.	Alcohol-free from the heat.
Hairhouse.	2kg dry powder x 1	Entry, product storage	Flammable spray concentrated in storage
Small offices (less than 10 persons)	2kg dry powder or 2kg CO2 x 1	Near the entrance.	No towboards, no towboards.
The whole floor of the building.	2kg dry powder partition + server room 2kg CO2	Reception, printing area, tea room, server room outside	Annual inspection, FS251
Sites, warehouses	5kg dry powder by region; fuel solvent area 9L foam; machine room CO2	The corridor, the entrance, the process.	Old-fashioned work is regulated by Chapter 636
Garage	5kg dry powder, powerhouse CO2, sand drums	Pillars, throats, exits.	An extra one for each larynx on the electric charger floor.

The number of offices subject to the regulations is determined by the fire department, which gives us whatsApp to Fire Extinguisher Inspection & Replacement.

X. PUTS: Quantities are lost and the wrong places are useless.

• On the escape route: the gate, the corridor, near the exit, the user can turn back to the exit.
• When the eye, hand and hand are within reach: do not hide behind the bottom of the cabinet, behind the door or behind the container; the height of the wall is easily accessible to ordinary adults.
• Corresponding risk level: Kitchen entrance with fire blankets, electrical slots with CO2 and general area with dry powder.
• Do not hold the source of risk: do not hang the fire blanket directly above the head of the furnace, do not put the fire extinguisher next to the furnace.
• Avoiding bad conditions: high temperatures, dampness, direct sunlight, position to be hit.
• Large capacity is much higher: 5 kg drums are about 50 cm tall, and the small is likely to have only one place left, before buying it.
• Mark: Commercial ized fire extinguisher stick er, visible to employees and customers.

xi. Actual purchase of stickers: not just price.

1. Ask "Who's going to use?" and then build up.

The main user is an elder or a less powerful family, which is not actually safe.

2. Buy first

Take a measure of where you want to put it on paper and confirm that you can drop it and not block it against the height table above (1kg about 29 cm, 2kg about 36 cm, 5kg about 50 cm).

3. The fire department must approve it.

Under section 3 of Chapter 95B, all hand-held fire extinguishers and blankets are authorized by the Fire Services Department to be supplied or sold in Hong Kong. The body must be marked with an approval, date of production and manufacturer, and can be identified by the mobile fire department application's handheld `sweeping' function. Unidentified flats may not be inspected by commercial premises on a yearly basis.

4. Read production dates and labels

For products with near-dates, the label should clearly indicate the type, capacity, application of fire alarm and method of use.

5. Selection of suppliers with entity gates

More details on the selection are How to Choose a Fire Extinguisher in Hong KongKong.

6. Don't use the old box to hold it.

Used, expired, rusty fire extinguishers cannot be used as valid equipment and should Fire Extinguisher Recycling Serviceby suppliers or contractors and replaced with new cylinders.

XII. How do you choose to return to your capacity in Fire Station?

Fire Station is a fire extinguisher shop in Tsuen Wan and a fire-fighting equipment supplier that supplies 1kg, 2kg, 5kg dry powder. 2kg, 5kg carbon dioxide, 9L water and 9L bubble fire extinguishers, as well as blankets and sand drums, all approved by the Fire Services Department , Special offer, packaged for basic delivery , delivered by the Hong Kong New Territories.

• Home users: Without wanting to take time to study, you can start directly with Home Fire Safety Essentialscombination.
• Business and offices: we recommend the same number of places free of charge for low area, use or lack of license requirements; detailed guidance can be found Fire Extinguisher Planning for Shops & Officesers.
• Sites, parking lot, property management: an on-site assessment can be arranged to refer Customer Fire Safety Case Studies.
• Short-term activities: Not buyingFire Extinguisher Rental in Hong Kongcompany FS251.

Queries, pleaseWhatsApp 96309976Call.3464 3987Or go.Contact Fire Station。

Frequent issues FAQ

How many kilograms should be selected for domestic fire extinguishers?

The Department of Fire Protection suggests that the general home is more suitable for dry powder extinguishers, and the Consumers Committee recommends that a model of 2 kg or less be selected, as it becomes more difficult to use.

Is the fire extinguisher safer and safer?

No. The longer the capacity is sprayed, the larger the weight, the smaller the placement options, and the older or more powerful may not be able to afford it or control it. For a home, a 2kg fire extinguisher that is affordable, well-attended and accessible to all is more practical than a barrel that is too high or too heavy.

Is a 1 kg Fire Extinguisher Sufficient?

1kg dry powder fire extinguisher is about 29cm high, lighter, suitable for small units, dormitories, or private cars, but only for the shortest period of time and only for initial fire.

How Long Does a Portable Extinguisher Discharge For?

The Consumer Council means that the active jet time of the 2 kg or less model is approximately 8 to 10 seconds; the greater the capacity, the longer it is, the second, so each second is aimed at the bottom of the source of the fire.

Should open kitchen units be configured?

It is recommended that 2kg dry powder extinguishers close to the forklock or kitchen entrance, but not attached to the stove, that the fire blankets reach the kitchen area entrance and pre-empt the escape route.

5kg?

Fine retail stores, clinics, Cafés are generally dominated by 2kg dry powder, which is placed close to the exit and cashier's office; large, rear-carrying or cargoed slots can be added to one or 5kg; and licensed meals are subject to the provisions of the Fire Services Department or the law.

5kg and 9L fire extinguishers?

5kg Dry powder fire extinguisher approximately 50 cm suitable for workshop, garage, warehouse, mall and building utilities, generally used by trained staff. 9L water (about 56cm) and 9L bubbles (about 62cm) are used mostly in public corridors, stairs, carded seats and warehouses. The configuration is usually based on the fire pattern or the fire department.

Where can fire extinguishers be bought at different capacity levels?

Fire Station at G/F, Karrie Industrial Centre, Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan 1kg, 2kg, 5kg dry powder, 2kg, 5kg carbon dioxide, 9L water agent and 9L bubble fire extinguisher, all fire department approvals, ad hoc offer, packaged basic delivery, and delivered by the Hong Kong New Territories. 3464 3987 ，WhatsApp 96309976 。

All in all, there's not a single "one-size-fits-all" capacity. It's a "no-one-size-fits-all place."Which uses, which places, what risks?, selectFire department approval.It's...Qualified fire extinguishersYou have a real chance to help you at a critical moment. Not sure.WhatsApp 96309976Tell me about your place, we'll give you free advice.