As of March 5, 2007 Requirements for

Portable Fire Extinguisher Compliance

(N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3, 2.9 and 4.19)

 

At least one portable fire extinguisher shall be installed in all residential dwelling upon change of occupancy.

 

The extinguisher must meet the following criteria:

 

  1. The extinguisher must be rated for residential use consisting of an ABC type.
  2. No larger than 10 pound rated extinguisher.
  3. Mounted with the manufacturers mount within 10 feet of the kitchen area.
  4. The extinguisher can be mounted within a cabinet.
  5. Must be at least 4 ½ inches off the ground and no higher than 5 feet.

 

When mounting your fire extinguisher:

 

If you want to hang something heavy – like a bookshelf or a mirror – onto drywall, by far the best way is to fasten it directly into the underlying wall studs. Use a stud finder or just tap the wall to find out where the studs are and screw directly into them. Unfortunately in a lot of cases that isn’t possible – those studs never seem to be where you want to hang something – so luckily, you have some other options.

 

Fasteners for hanging things on a wall are broadly grouped into light duty and heavy duty. Here’s an overview of some of the more common fasteners used.

 

Light Duty Fasteners

 

Conical Plastic Anchors – Also known as plastic wall plugs, these range in size from about ¾” all the way up to 2”. The best of them have ribbed or ridged sides that will stop the anchor from pulling out of a wall once it is installed. To use one of these, drill a pilot hole in the drywall large enough for the anchor to be inserted and tapped flush with the wall surface.  Manufacturers packaging outlines the size of the pilot and the size of the screw each fastener is designed to work with. When the proper sized screw is installed, the arms that form the cone shape are forced out wider than the hole, helping to hold the screw in the drywall. For the most part, these are designed for light duty holding and shouldn’t be considered for anything that weighs more than 10 to 15 pounds.

 

 

An expanded plastic wall plug. When placed into a

 wall, the screw forced in causes the arms to spread.