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Fire extinguishing spray buying guide

Updated: 20 October 2026

You are looking at a 400–500 ml can on amazon.co.uk and the title says fire extinguisher. On 19 October 2026 the five sprays kept on our [fire extinguishing spray comparison](/hub/fire-protection/fire-extinguishing-spray) ran from about £11.99 to about £69.96. This fire extinguishing spray buying guide is the checklist before you pay: what class the can actually prints, whether it names BS 6165 or admits it is not a BS EN 3 extinguisher, and what the date on the base says. Peter F. read those listings and the public UK pages behind them. We did not light a test fire. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at a 400–500 ml can on amazon.co.uk and the title says fire extinguisher.

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What you are actually buying

A fire extinguishing spray in this set is a single-use aerosol, about 400–500 ml. If that does not put the fire out, leave, close the door if you can, and call 999. A handbook quoting BS 6165 prints “Not to be refilled”: the can is finished when it has been used, dented, or passed the date on the base. BSI’s summary of BS 6165:2019 describes small disposable aerosols for limited fires, including cars and motor homes, and says this type is unlikely to be enough on its own. BS EN 3 covers conventional portable extinguishers. Kidde’s KFS-500 user guide says the Flame Out does not replace an EN 3 extinguisher. The named pick is on the best fire extinguisher spray page. At home, GOV.UK says you use an extinguisher only if the fire is very small or it is blocking your way out.

The marks that matter

Class A is wood, paper and textiles. Class B is flammable liquids. Class F is cooking oil. Electrical fires are not a letter, and a lithium-ion phone is not Class D. A rating such as 3A 13B 5F is a test result. A list of words such as “wood, paper, grease” is not. If the can prints no rating, treat the amazon fuel list as advertising until the label in your hand says the same thing. None of Super Help or PLEMO, in the sources we checked, shows a class rating. Kidde’s listing names grease, wood, paper and household waste and still does not print a number such as 5F. Firechief’s FLE500 sheet lists the fire-rating cell as n/a; the same sheet says the can is manufactured in accordance with BS 6165:2019, which is the maker’s statement. A pan of burning oil is not settled by a grease bullet. The fire-service advice is on the chip pan fire page.

Expiry, storage and electrics

The date on the base is the date you replace the can. The handbook quoting BS 6165 puts expiry no later than the end of the fifth year after filling. Kidde’s warranty is 2 years, PLEMO’s listing claims 4 years, and Lith-Ex trade pages say 5. Those are different claims. Kidde’s published storage band is about −17°C to +50°C. The Lith-Ex sheet is narrower, about +5°C to +50°C, so a can in a car through a British winter can sit outside the tighter band. Super Help’s technical sheet says the spray is not for electrical installations. None of these listings prints a dielectric test voltage. If the job you fear is a phone or laptop battery, the limit is watt-hours, on the lithium battery fire extinguisher spray page.

How the cans in this set score on those checks

Super Help SH2400 is about £11.99 (B0075293WW, 4.6 from 2,753 reviews) and about £12.98 (B0711RT41Y, 4.5 from 145). Neither prints a fire rating. Kidde Flame Out was about £18.37, with no review line, a named list of grease, wood, paper and waste, and a maker guide that says it does not replace a BS EN 3 extinguisher. PLEMO was about £12.99, and reviewers say the can only mentions a wetting agent. Firechief Lith-Ex was about £69.96 for two cans, guided at 60 Wh. Ignore a star count offered as a fire test.

Common questions

Is a fire extinguishing spray the same as a BS EN 3 extinguisher?
No. BS EN 3 covers conventional portable extinguishers. BS 6165 covers small single-use aerosols for limited fires, and BSI says that type is unlikely to be enough on its own. Kidde’s KFS-500 guide says the Flame Out does not replace an EN 3 extinguisher. A workplace in England and Wales still looks at the Fire Safety Order 2005 for appropriate equipment. A spray in a cupboard does not close that duty.
What does a rating such as 3A 13B 5F mean, and what if the can has none?
The numbers are test-fire sizes for class A solids, class B liquids and class F cooking oil. They are a result, not a slogan. Super Help and PLEMO do not show a rating in the sources we checked. Kidde names grease, wood, paper and waste without a 5F figure. If the can prints nothing, the amazon fuel list is not a rating you can quote.
How long can I keep an aerosol before I replace it?
Use the date on the base. A handbook quoting BS 6165 puts the end of life no later than the end of the fifth year after filling. Kidde’s warranty is 2 years, PLEMO’s listing claims 4 years, and Lith-Ex trade pages say 5. Those are different claims. A dent, a leak or a broken seal means you replace the can earlier.
Can I refill it?
No. The BS 6165 wording quoted in the fire-extinguisher handbook includes “Not to be refilled”. These cans are one discharge. A used can, or one whose tab is already broken, is finished. Kidde also says not to put that can in the household waste, so ask the council how to dispose of it.
Will any spray in this set work on live electrics?
Do not assume so. Super Help’s sheet says not for electrical installations, and reviews say the bottle repeats that. None of these listings prints a dielectric test voltage. A water-based spray is for live gear only when the can is marked for it. GOV.UK allows an extinguisher at home only for a very small fire or one that blocks your exit. A workplace assessment is a separate duty, and a cupboard spray does not close it.

Related pages

Sources

Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings named in the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. BSI BS 6165:2019 summary, small disposable aerosol extinguishers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 13 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Fire safety in the home (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. London Fire Brigade: pan fires (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Firechief FLE500 technical sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. BAFE: extinguisher for a small lithium-ion battery (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Kidde KFS-500 user guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Super Help Fire Stop technical data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)