Things You Need to Know Before Shopping for Fire Extinguisher Cabinets

When buying an extinguisher for your business, it is easy to forget about how you are going to store it. Some people keep them in hallways or maintenance rooms, but they run the risk of getting damaged and being out of reach when needed most when stored there. A fire extinguisher cabinet makes your device accessible to everybody, protecting it from dirt, dust, accidents, and even theft.

Before you begin searching for one, there are a few things you should consider.

Indoors or Out?

For outdoor devices, plastic fire extinguisher cabinets are ideal. They provide additional protection from the elements that you normally would not get with different material cabinets. Plastic can also work indoors and is often the cheaper option for those on a tighter budget. The downside to plastic indoors, is that it is not as aesthetically pleasing.

The material more suitable for indoor cabinets would either be steel or aluminium. Each material offers a different benefit. Aluminium is the lightest of the three and stainless steel is naturally rustproof.

How Heavy is Your Extinguisher?

Extinguishers come in all different weights and sizes. The fire extinguisher cabinet you choose must be able to support the weight of your device.

You can check the weight of your extinguisher by referring to the classification code on the side of the body. For example, you will see ‘10 B:C’ on your device and can compare it to a classification chart.

What type of cabinet you choose is less important in this regard than the quality of material used and stability of construction. For extinguishers in the highest weight brackets, it is certainly worth considering a higher quality cabinet to avoid any issues in the future.

What kind of mount?

Most cabinets are designed to be mounted on the wall to ensure ease of use and accessibility to the extinguisher. How you mount your device will be determined largely by the regulations and building codes in your establishment. You will want to have researched these regulations prior to choosing which mount you will use. For instance, there are many cases where a surface mounted cabinet that hangs outside of the wall is prohibited for commercial office spaces.

Recessed and semi-recessed fire extinguisher cabinets that sit inside the wall are a lot harder to install. One benefit for this mount is in the security of the device and is more aesthetically appealing. Another benefit being that it passes inspection quite easily and meet ADA requirements.

If you’d like to know more, contact us today for information on our wide range of extinguishers and fire extinguisher cabinets.