
YES
A BOWL OF SPAGHETTI nearly cost me my apartment earlier this year. After I emptied an entire box of pasta into a too-small pot, the spaghetti tips grazed the burner and burst into flames. As I frantically, ineffectually dumped water on my smoldering cuisine, I resolved to get myself to a hardware store and buy a fire extinguisher to stash by the stove.
Though I was vaguely aware you can find legitimately pretty extinguishers these days, I wanted the classic, ugly red one, complete with the oversize pictograph instructing users to first pull the pin. So what if it detracted from my décor? I wanted to signal to guests how seriously I took fire safety. Plus, I found a five-pound Amerex extinguisher for $64. Designer models (which often lack warning labels) can cost hundreds.
As a descendant of volunteer firefighters, I found my stovetop mishap mortifying and was wary of making an error. As my father could tell you: If you hang an extinguisher you can’t recognize as such in a panic—like those from the Belgian brand Safe-T that masquerade as a bottle of bourbon (from $99, safe-t.us) or the duck-shaped Oiva (right)—why own one at all?
“I can’t imagine two years after buying a fire extinguisher, running around and remembering that I bought a duck,” said Sean Fallon, a Las Vegas-based filmmaker and new father who doubted whether his son’s nanny would be able to quickly identify the device. “You want a fire extinguisher that’s intrusive. That’s the whole point.”
NO
WHAT DO peppermint-scented candles, intricate holiday meals and crisp winter air have in common? A heightened risk of fueling a house fire, says the Red Cross.
Yet more than 30% of American homes don’t have a fire extinguisher according to a survey by the homeowner resource porch.com. That’s not counting residences where strategically garish extinguishers are buried behind winter coats and skis—inaccessible in the event of a conflagration.
Chic extinguishers do the same job as traditional ones without drawing undue attention. Their fun finishes and creative shapes make homeowners more likely to display them prominently on a countertop or bookcase (or to purchase them at all). Recognizing that urbane designs might encourage homeowners to buy in, Japanese company Morita Miyata, which has made extinguishers for a century, recently launched a line of matte black and white devices. Brian O’Connor, head of the fire extinguisher initiative at the National Fire Protection Association, approves, noting the pros of increased ownership outweigh the cons that come from discreetly dapper extinguishers “hiding in plain sight.”
Americans got by for decades without red extinguishers—it wasn’t until the 1970s that the distinctive color took hold, replacing copper vessels. After you remove its playful duck head, Jalo Helsinki’s Oiva extinguisher functions like a standard fire snuffer. Some would argue: It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
"fire" - Google News
December 20, 2019 at 02:05AM
https://ift.tt/38VPzWY
Does a ‘Chic’ Fire Extinguisher Put Your Home at Risk? - The Wall Street Journal
"fire" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2rPfnCQ
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Does a ‘Chic’ Fire Extinguisher Put Your Home at Risk? - The Wall Street Journal"
Post a Comment