A fire can break out quickly. But the reasons for this are not always clear at first glance. Because while you are very careful with candles or open fire in general, other fire risks are not immediately obvious. Defective smartphone, e-bike or notebook batteries can cause a fire.
However, multiple sockets are much more dangerous and mostly underestimated: Usually, most sockets are open 3,000 to 3,500 watts designed. If you exceed this value, the power strips overload and can cause a fire. Devices that require a lot of electricity should therefore not be connected to a multiple socket. These include, for example, washing machines, household grills, fan heaters and dishwashers. But you should also be careful with other devices. A hair dryer alone, for example, can consume 1,000 watts.
What you definitely have to pay attention to is the power strip to keep free from dust. This is because accumulated dust can ignite even with small sparks, leading to a fire.
What you should also definitely avoid is multiple to connect socket strips in series. It can also be dangerous to put the socket strips behind hide it in furniture or even in boxes. Multiple sockets have no place in wet rooms (e.g. bathrooms) either.
But no matter how careful you are, a fire can always break out. Next to one smoke detectorwhich is mandatory in Germany anyway, you should also have one fire extinguisher to hand – however, not every model is suitable for every type of fire.
We show you the differences in the following table – including example recommendations for the respective fire class. Some fire extinguishers support several fire classes at the same time. It also depends in part on whether the fire extinguisher works with foam or powder.
powder or foam?
In general, if possible, powder should not be used in the house or apartment, as the mixture settles in even the smallest corners and is very difficult to remove. Powder extinguishers are therefore more for the garage or basement. A fire extinguisher with foam is therefore suitable for inhabited interiors.