Antique Fire Extinguisher Lamps Light Your Home Beautifully

A basic antique fire extinguisher stands about 28 inches tall so that you'll have a good sized and substantial lamp. Many of them are brass, so you can expect to do some polishing as the years go by. But the glow of a brass lamp base, when the lamp is turned on, will create a beautiful effect.

Some of the major fire extinguisher companies that you can expect to see on ebay or at auction include Badgers, Empire, Fyr Fyter, Torpedo, Pyrene, FloaFome, and Miller Peerless. Most of the fire extinguishers made during the late 1800's and early 20th Century were soda acid fire extinguishers. There was a cylinder filled with the soda solution and a glass bottle filled with acid. In order to operate the fire extinguisher you had to turn it upside down. At that point the bottle would empty the acid into the soda solution. (Remember your volcano experiment of vinegar and baking soda. Well it's sort of the same thing. A similar type of chemical reaction would take place and force the soda mixture onto the fire. Even as early as 1900, public buildings and apartment buildings were required to have fire extinguishers in the hallways.

When you're buying any antique lamp you should make sure that it works. Sometimes a rare lamp will sell in a not working condition. Then you should note the condition of the antique fire extinguisher. Because many of them are over 100 years old and were used fighting fires or at best stored in public places, you shouldn't be surprised at some dings and dents. If you're buying the fire extinguisher lamp online, examine the photographs carefully. Certainly email the seller with any questions about the condition. Take special note of the brass name plate and how it's secured onto the fire extinguisher. Check out the seams and see if ithey're held together with soldered rivets. Are they all there? Is there a hose and what condition is it in?