“Fire Extinguisher Refill Near Me And How To Find Them”: An Insight Look

One of the most popular methods to control small and local fires is to quickly spray them with a fire extinguisher. Therefore, you need to ensure that your fire extinguisher is always filled so you could use it at moment notice. “But what if my fire extinguishers run low and I don’t know any fire extinguishers refill near me?” you may wonder. In that case, this article is for you.

Down below, you would be introduced to the refilling principle of fire extinguishers as well as how to find a place that provides refilling services. In additional that, you could also find frequently asked question about fire extinguishers in general along with their answer in this article as well. From the cost of brand new fire extinguishers to how often should you refill them, everything would be carefully analyzed.  

 The refilling of fire extinguishers

An overview of refill principle

As mentioned above, you have to keep your fire extinguisher filled so you could deploy it at any given time. To achieve that goal and prevent potential malfunctions in a critical moment, a tight refill and inspection schedule is necessary. Just by setting up a logical refill and inspection scheme for your fire extinguisher, you would be able to protect your property, friend and family much better than before.   

For most of the time, you have to refill the fire extinguisher periodically (not use) and immediately (after use).

In the usual case, periodic refills are accompanied by a thorough inspection as well and often take place once a year. The unit integrity, gauge, pressure and others would be examined before it could be refilled. Immediate refill is similar though it occurs after you use the unit no matter how much fire suppression agents are used.  

The fire extinguisher refill process

At first, the unit condition and its pressure will be evaluated in order to determine the best course of action. For example, units that have a slightly low pressure will be refilled with a sufficient amount of fire suppression agent. On the other hand, units with an unacceptably low pressure will be emptied and cleaned before being refilled with agents. After the refilling is finished, all units should have a pressure between 185 and 205 psi.

To ensure consistent performance and prevent leakage, parts that appear to be damaged or deteriorated would be replaced without delay. The last thing people want to experience is to see their fire extinguisher fail unexpectedly while they are dealing with a fire. For aged units, a hydrostatic test is necessary to check whether the strength of the fire extinguisher remain adequate for people to use or not.  

How to tell if your unit needs a refill

You only need to take a look at the fire extinguisher gauge in order to figure out whether it needs to be refilled or not. Almost all fire extinguishers in circulation come with an easy to understand gauge which consists of a green zone and a red zone. As long as the gauge needle stays within the green zone, there is nothing to worry about.   

FAQs about conventional fire extinguishers

How many classes of fire extinguishers are in circulation?

Nowadays, there are around 4 classes of fire extinguishers that you could run into, they are A, B, C and D with unique colors:

• Class A: Units contain water or foam and come in a silver cylinder. They are used to handle fires in ordinary combustibles like wood, rubber, plastic and paper.
• Class B and C: Units contain Carbon Dioxide or dry chemical and come in a red cylinder. They are used to handle fires in flammable liquids and energized electrical equipment
• Class D: Units contain powder and come with a yellow cylinder. They are used to handle fires in industrial application.  

How much is fire extinguisher?

The price of brand new fire extinguisher depends a lot on its class as well as its purposes. Household/kitchen/ car fire extinguishers could be as low as $10 and go as high as $60. In most of the case, single-use units are considerably cheaper compared to their rechargeable counterparts. Industrial class fire extinguishers that could deal with multiple types of fires are usually expensive with a unit price between $300 and $800.

How much does fire extinguisher cost?

 Besides the acquisition cost, there are other expenses associated with the use and maintenance of a fire extinguisher. A standard refill/inspection service could cost you $35 – $75 and a hydrostatic test for old units would add around $40 to your bill. In many cases, it’s could be wise to just simply discard your old fire extinguisher and buy new units instead of refilling/maintaining it.

Where to recharge fire extinguisher?

Generally speaking, you should be able to locate nearby refill services looking on the Internet. Places that offer fire extinguisher refill often provide excellent unit inspection as well so you don’t have anything to worry about. Nonetheless, it’s also wise for you to compare the cost of the operation to the price of brand new units. In some case, it’s cost effective to ditch your fire extinguisher when it runs dry and then purchases a new unit.

How to recharge fire extinguisher?

It’s advised that you should always let the professional refill your fire extinguisher since it dangerous to do so without proper training and tool. However, it’s possible for you to refill certain types of units by yourself but you need to stay concentrated. To refill a fire extinguisher, you have to unthread the valve, let the pressure escape, pour in suppression agent, pressurize the unit, add sealing grease, rethread the valve and add a date label.

Could I use one fire extinguisher on all types of fires?

Fire extinguishers are classified into classes for a reason: a particular unit is only able to deal with fires that it has been designed for. To handle a fire with unsuitable fire extinguishers is generally inefficient and may even worsen the situation in some cases. There are indeed certain units that could extinguish multiple types of fires. However, there is no such thing as the perfect product that works on all types of fires.

How To Join Two Pieces Of Wood At 90 degrees: A Beginner Guide

Making wood joints is considered to be the most basic technique that all woodworker, amateur and professional, have to know by heart. Different projects may come with different requirements which means it’s wise for you to learn more than one way to fabricate wood joints. In the case you want to know more about how to join two pieces of wood at 90 degrees, you come to the right places.

An Overview Of The Joints

For most of the time, wood joints are primarily used when you want to attach two wood pieces together and assemble a more complex structure. Popular joint types are relatively simple to make using woodworking fasteners but there are other designs that require precise cutting. Some advanced forms of wood joints are even capable of holding pieces of wood together with nothing more than friction.

So what kind of wood joint should you use for your woodworking project? Well, to answer this question, you have to take a good look at the requirement of the project as well as your own taste. In most of the case, there are 5 factors you should consider: Fitness, Strength, Flexibility, Appearance and Ease Of Construction. By establishing the conditions of the joint, you should be able to figure out what type to use.

Types Of Right Angle Joints

In this part, we will talk about commonly used wood joints along with their characteristics and how to make them. While making wood joints is not exactly a demanding task, you still have to take care of yourself. Wear proper clothing and put on protective accessories just to be on the safe side. If your tools seem kind of dull, don’t take chance and sharpen them first. Inspect the pieces carefully so you don’t miss leftover nail, screw, etc.

Butt Joint

In term of simplicity, nothing can beat the butt joint, it’s essentially one of the most straightforward designs in existence. If you want to make a right angle joint within the shortest amount of time possible, you definitely need to consider using this joint. All you have to do to is to join pieces of wood at their respective ends with the help of screw, nail and alike.

However, due to the potential difference in grain and exposure, you should reinforce a butt joint in any way possible. Usually, adhesives are not going to cut it so it’s recommended that you go after nails and screws. Countersink and putty are necessary to keep the nails/screws from getting loose as time goes by.

Dovetail Joint

Well appreciated for its strength and aesthetic value, the dovetail joint is a really good choice if you are sufficiently skilled at woodworking. It involves cutting a series of “pins” and “tails” on two different piece of wood before finally joining them together. After that, you only have to secure the wood pieces with adhesive, there is no need to use fasteners here.

As it possesses excellent tensile strength, people often use dovetail joints to combine parts of wooden furniture such as cabinets. Generally speaking, tight-fitting dovetail joints should last for a long time but there is no need to worry if you are unable to make a perfect joint. Due to the design, even a sloppy dovetail joint could be strong and long lasting as well.

Mortise and Tenon Joint

Mortise and tenon joint is a balanced design that proves to be strong and simple. You could use the joint to attach wood pieces end to end but it also works quite well in intersected setups. To make the joint, you have to prepare a mortise hole and a tenon tongue, both of them are rectangular. From the outside, mortise and tenon joints appear to be similar to butt joints but they actually utilize a different way to secure the connection between the pieces.

After you finished shaping the pieces, the only thing left to do is to fit the tenon tongue into the mortise hole. To lock everything in place, adhesives are the most common choice though there are certain variants of Mortise and tenon joint that employ pins or wedge.

Popular questions about wood joints in general

How to join two pieces of wood end to end

Butt joint, dovetail Joint and Mortise and Tenon joint could be used to join two pieces of wood end to end. There are also other joint designs you could try such as miter joint, dado joint, dowel joint, finger joint and so one. Once again, there is no such thing as the best joint for every project, all designs come with their own pros and cons.

How to join two pieces of wood with screws

You could use screws to reinforce wood joints whenever you want but in reality, only the butt joint requires screws to function properly. Most of the other joints could perform adequately on their own or with the help of adhesive.

How to join two pieces of plywood

For most of the time, you should be able to join two pieces of plywood in the same way as with ordinary wood.

How to join two pieces of wood with dowels

As long as the dowels are properly crafted, the task is quite simple. Pour a bit of glue into the holes on the wood pieces and insert the dowels. Camp everything together for the glue to dry and that should be it.

How much weight can a 2×4 hold? – Fully Explained

​​​​​​How much weight can a 2×4 hold? When it comes to load-bearing capacity, strength-weight ratios, and insulation, wood generally scores in every respect. Therefore, wooden houses can stay warm in winter and cool in summer. Due to its structure, wood does not allow much conductivity, which is why wooden doors are ideal for keeping hot summers and freezing winters at bay. Wood also has its characteristics that determine its identity and nature. These properties not only vary from tree to tree, but also depend on the direction of the wood. Therefore, even the same type of wood would have different properties. Since wood has many inherent properties, these can generally be classified as physical and mechanical properties. These properties are mainly affected by some common factors such as anatomy and moisture content, and there are times when mineral and extraction levels are also known to play a fundamental role.

In this article, we use a 2×4-inch wood as a case study to determine the weight at which a 2×4 can be used as a support frame. The following information below best describes what should be considered when calculating the effect of the loading weight on a 2×4 inches wooden frame.

Important factors that you need to take into account

Lumber grade

When you check the quality of the wood, you get an idea of everything you need to know about the material and its strength. Besides, the quality of the wood provides information about the stiffness value associated with the material. Since not all materials are the same, carefully check the quality of the wood before choosing the right one for your task.

Load duration

Before loading a 2×4 inches wooden frame, it is important to consider the useful life. How long does the 2×4 inch wooden frame stay charged? How long will the 2×4 stretch over the material used? These questions restrict your choice of the type of wood to be used. Full-time loading requires careful consideration of the strength of the material (Fb), while the stiffness value (E) is normally not affected. If you didn’t know, E is the weight that can cause the material to deform, while Fb is the structural strength of the outermost portions of the material.

Wood choice

The choice of lumber is considered one of the few factors that determine the weight that a 2×4 inches lumber can carry. The most common wood used in building components is pine, as it has admirable compressive strength and excellent hardness. However, there are different types of pine with different qualities. You should therefore research carefully before use. The weakest jaw that is currently used is white pine, while the strongest is slash pine.

Project design

Typically, the 2×4 are assembled to meet the dimensional requirements of the project. Nevertheless, whenever possible, people opt for a simple and robust rather than a complicated design. The planning and production of a simple wooden construction takes little time and enables simple repairs if necessary.

Stamping

 Stamping is one of the factors that determine whether a 2x 4 inches wooden frame can serve as a support or not. Stamping shows most of the properties of the wood and can be used as the ultimate guide. In cases where the wood has a BTR and a stand mark, this means that the wood has a standard and better light framing. However, if the stamp is “S-dry”, it means that the wood has been surface dried. The sorting information should be visible on the embossing and serve as a guide for choosing the right 2×4 that meets your needs.

The characteristics of the average 2x4s

How far can a 2×4 span?

In general, the length of a 2×4 can be up to 20 feet, but some factors are important in length. At 10 feet, a 2×4 will not sag significantly under its weight, but it is also unlikely to remain fully upright. 2×4-inch wood can even tip, warp, and twist when drying. As a result, some degree of distortion is expected. Therefore, change the design of your project accordingly.

2×4 vs 2×6 in term of strength

 Technically speaking, a 2×6 has better strength and insulation value than a 2×4 inches wooden frame, making it a good choice for home improvement projects. However, the price of 2×6 is significantly higher than that of 2×4-inch lumber, which means that buying 2×6 is not always an economical investment. With a thoughtful design, however, a 2×4 collection could form a structure with excellent integrity and strength without costing you a fortune.

How much weight can a 2×4 support vertically?

Here you can work on the assumption that there is no wind or the wind impact effect is not too strong. However, if there is no strong wind, measure 2×4 at least 8 feet can carry at least 1000 pounds vertically. Such calculations would be valid if, for example, the load is quadratic.

However, it is strongly recommended not to push the 2×4 material to its limits, as it is also important that you use available material such as brace as support if necessary, to secure the 2×4 material.

How much weight can a 2×4 support horizontally?

In this case, it is important to consider the position of the load. Is it an even load or just a point load? For example, a 10-foot 2×4-inches frame with an even load of 40 pounds would have a maximum bending moment of 1000 feet pounds. On the other hand, the same 10-foot 2×4-inches wooden frame with a point load of 400 pounds should experience a maximum bending moment of 500 feet pounds.

Conclusion

And that was it, not too hard to find out, was it? “How much weight can a 2×4 hold?” This question is difficult to answer if you are not an expert in this area. With the help of this article, however, you should be able to give an accurate estimate and easily find the right wood and the wood that suits your load-bearing capacity. Consider the factors listed above and you will be surprised at how easy the process can be. Keep in mind that you can use a wooden column capacity calculator to help you choose the right types and types of wood to suit your workload.

FAQs

How much weight does a 2×4 hold?

As stated in this article, the answer to this question depends on several factors. As a rule of thumb, the main factors are the quality and type of wood, the project design, the duration of the load on the 2×4-inches wooden frame, and the actual weight of the load.

This can also depend on the description of the load. This means that the load can only be a point or an even load and would affect the 2×4 resistance, which can be determined by calculation using the wooden column capacity calculator.

Would it be safe to use 2×4 for a trailer?

Yes, it is safe as long as the duration of the load and the actual weight of the load do not exceed what the 2×4 inch frame can hold.

How to Cut Tempered Glass Easily

If you’re a DIY-er who likes to do most stuff in the house, surely you’ve considered using tempered glass in one of your home projects. This kind of glass is not easy to work on, because it’s made to break, if it is cut without the right process. To make it simple, let’s concentrate on home projects that use this specific kind of glass to allow illumination and variety of design in home improvement.

Knowing how to DIY cut tempered-glass can help in saving money, because you don’t have to pay expert technicians to do this task. It’s better to know how to do this and it’ll enable you to replace glass doors, sliding doors, and most of anything that needs this kind of glass. Using tempered-glass because it durable and it’s safe when used in the home designs.

Another benefit of knowing how to cut tempered glass is that later improvements in the home, may allow us to use this material for constructing more complex projects with less mistakes! I suppose now, we’ve got an idea of where this is going and you’re eager to learn more on this very helpful subject that easily teaches anybody, how to cut tempered-glass without any risks.

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What you need to cut tempered-glass

1. Window washing fluid

2. Craft furnace

3. Glass cutter and Kerosene

4. T-square

5. 1/4-inch wooden dowel

6. Whetstone

7. Eye and Hand protection

The best process to cut tempered-glass easily

Last thoughts on how to cut tempered-glass

Last thoughts on how to cut tempered-glass

What you need to cut tempered-glass

Before, we start learning how to cut tempered-glass, there are some items that one should be acquainted with before anything else. Knowing how to use these items is important, before you can do any cutting of tempered-glass safely and efficiently without any injury or a few errors. Each item is important to the process of learning how to cut tempered-glass, you’ll need to know how to use each item before starting on the process and what step in figures in.

1. Window washing fluid

This is a solution that can be bought anywhere, and this item is applied on the tempered-glass to be use will be spotless and clean, before any “heat treatment begins” on the material.

2. Craft furnace

This is where the “Annealing” process is done. The oven has adjustable temperature setting that is important in implementing the “heat treatment” of tempered-glass. You have the option of getting different sizes, so that you can “heat-treat” any size of tempered-glass for your specific needs.

3. Glass cutter and Kerosene

A glass cutter is a tool that’s used for etching lines and cutting glass. Kerosene is where you dip the glass cutter to make the cut neater.

4. T-square

A tool used for aligning and making sure that all sides are even, when you cut the “tempered-glass”.

5. 1/4-inch wooden dowel

A dowel is used to separate the cuts made into the “annealed” glass. They come in “wooden”, “metal”, or “plastic” rod shapes that is important in one of the last stages.

6. Whetstone

It’s a stone which is fine grained for sharpening or cutting tools. This is used in the last stages of the process of cutting tempered-glass. This is basically what makes the tempered-glass ready for its final application.

7. Eye and Hand protection

These are goggles worn over your eyes to avoid injury to it, just in case any accidents happen. Safety is important whenever working with glass, and keep in mind to wear gloves to protect your hands as well.

The best process to cut tempered-glass easily

Here is the meat of this DIY on the most effective way of “cutting tempered glass” effectively for any projects that it’s needed for. In mastering the technique, you will have the confidence to do it yourself with ease. To begin, tempered glass cannot be cut without breaking into bits! What you need to understand is the process of “Annealing”, which means heating up tempered-glass, so the internal structure is heated up to alter the stress points of the glass. Without “heat-treating” the glass it would be impossible to cut. In mastering the annealing process, you can learn to manipulate the shape of tempered-glass by cutting or even re-tempering when you’re familiar with the process..

Step 1

You need to make sure that the tempered-glass for cutting is not too big or small for your immediate requirements. Deciding on the final design you will work on will help a lot, and taking in consideration the annealing furnace’s size is an important consideration. A glass cleaner or washing solution is needed to ensure a clean surface. This must be done in the initial stages of the “annealing” technique.

Step 2

When the heating treatment begins, the end goal is the elimination of “stress points” in the tempered-glass. In this stage, what must be done is to let the kiln reach an “annealing” temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit or 1013-poise. The material is soaking to a “stable heating” temperature in the furnace, this is to make the glass less tempered so that you can cut it without breaking apart.

Once, you’ve determined the entire process, keep the glass in where it was heated and leave it for 8-hours for cooling, or any duration depending on your judgment throughout the entire process.

Step 3

The next stage is cooling the tempered-glass, but allowing changes for a slow and gradual drop in heat applied so the “stress points” will not show in the glass structure. As a marker, the suggested “strain point” temperature is “1014.5-poise”, from there cooling is gradual to eliminate the tempered-ness of the glass. Leave the material inside the oven until the de-tempered glass has reached room temperature. Different kinds of glasses have differing cooling temperatures.

Step 4

Once the “annealing” is done; now what you need is safety goggles, glass cutter, and Kerosene. After the “annealing treatment” is done, what you have is a de-tempered glass with no more stress points and any cutting done will not shatter it anymore. Put a T-square over the area that you will begin cutting. A pro-tip is to dampen your glass cutter with kerosene, which will make a clean cut on the heated-treated glass. A glass cutter should make a straight line with a T-square, to make sure the line is done correctly. It’s important that any pressure applied is moderate and it must be run-over just once.

Step 5

What should be done after the lines are etched on the glass, you need to use ¼ inch “wood dowels” on the etched lines. If the lines are not cleanly done, the ridges won’t come apart evenly. Once, the “dowels” are placed and enough force applied on them, this will result in a neat ridge.

Last thoughts on how to cut tempered-glass

How was this DIY-er on “how to cut tempered-glass”? Was it easy to follow and understand in the text? Did it give you a clear idea how to go about it and clarified some confusion about the entire process. If it did, then you can understand the importance of how the de-tempering of glass and the items involved in the process go together in achieving the end result. This will allow you to work on home projects yourself, which requires a technician and you save money. If you’ve got further questions and clarifications, you can refer to the links included in the article. Did the information, allow you to learn “how to cut tempered-glass”, and if it helped much then kindly share if you can. Keep in mind that initial attempts may not be successful, but follow the tutorial and continue refining your “technique” further will produce better results in time.

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When the heating treatment begins, the end goal is the elimination of “stress points” in the tempered-glass. In this stage, what must be done is to let the kiln reach an “annealing” temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit or 1013-poise. The material is soaking to a “stable heating” temperature in the furnace, this is to make the glass less tempered so that you can cut it without breaking apart. Once, you’ve determined the entire process, keep the glass in where it was heated and leave it for 8-hours for cooling, or any duration depending on your judgment throughout the entire process.

Last thoughts on how to cut tempered-glass

How was this DIY-er on “how to cut tempered-glass”? Was it easy to follow and understand in the text? Did it give you a clear idea how to go about it and clarified some confusion about the entire process. If it did, then you can understand the importance of how the de-tempering of glass and the items involved in the process go together in achieving the end result. This will allow you to work on home projects yourself, which requires a technician and you save money. If you’ve got further questions and clarifications, you can refer to the links included in the article. Did the information, allow you to learn “how to cut tempered-glass”, and if it helped much then kindly share if you can. Keep in mind that initial attempts may not be successful, but follow the tutorial and continue refining your “technique” further will produce better results in time.