Thread: Do fire extinguishers get old, and need to be 'retired'?

Can't answer properly, mine is about that old too. It's stored horizontally and whenever I think of it I do rotate it to prevent the powder setting. Every couple of months I give it a bit of a shake as well. Gauge is still in the green so I'm hoping it will work if ever needed.
Kenley

I think it depends on the type of the extinguisher, but here's some info;

Do Fire Extinguishers Expire?


Recent question from a veterinarian: ?Do fire extinguishers ever expire? I've been here for 6yrs, and have never used them. They are both dry chemical extinguishers, if this makes any difference.?

What a great question! Fire extinguishers don't normally expire, but some do need recharging occasionally. However, some professionals routinely start replacing or recharging extinguishers after about 7 years of service as a preventive measure.

This is why OSHA's Fire Prevention standard requires all fire extinguishers to be "inspected" annually by someone trained to do that inspection. Most practices have their fire extinguishers inspected yearly by a safety company, which places month and year inspection tags on each extinguisher. The average cost for this service is only a few dollars per extinguisher.

In addition, OSHA also expects the business to regularly (like every month) check each fire extinguisher for leakage, damage, corrosion or other defects. This monthly check is also designed to ensure the extinguisher hasn't been removed from the designated location for any reason. Although not required by OSHA, we recommend a monthly check list like the example here.

Another good way to remember to do the checks is to use the reminder feature on the practice computer: set up a vaccination code for fire extinguishers with a monthly reminder frequency. The practice administrator can hand the reminder card to a staff member with an instruction sheet and the staff can share in these responsibilities. The staff member then ?invoices? the clinic for the inspection through the computer.

There are many types of fire extinguishers; the most common is the dry chemical one. Other types include carbon dioxide and foam. The carbon dioxide extinguishers are very common in areas with electronics and computers since the dry chemical powder is corrosive to printed circuit boards. Foam extinguishers are generally used on chemical fires where sustained oxygen deprivation is required.

Each fire extinguisher is rated to suppress certain kinds of fires. Class A is general materials, B is chemical, C is electrical and D is flammable metals. Most extinguishers used in the veterinary practice are multi-rating, e.g, A-B-C.

Locate a professional (look in the telephone directory under Fire Extinguishers) for recommendations on a specific location.

Used to service Fire extinguishers. Dry Chem extinguishers can have the powder compact and harden over time, particularly when it's been in a vehicle. You should get it out every few months and make sure the powder still moves inside the extinguisher. Tipping it upside down and back a few times you should feel and hear the powder move. A good shake is all that is then required if this is the case. If you can't hear or feel the powder moving, tap it all around with a rubber mallet, then give it a good shake. Once the powders moving and the pressure gauge is in the green, it will work when required.

Agree with Bacicat. What I can add to the conversation, is extinguishers for vehicles should be of the type fitted with a hose, to reach the seat of a fire in an awkward position. There is a regulation to this effect for commercial vehicles.


"A: Depending on the fire hazard of the cargo being carried, Australian Standard 2444 section 5.4 specifies that every fire extinguisher for use in commercial vehicles shall be of a type fitted fitted with a hose to assist in gaining access to awkward locations & have a minium fire rating of 1A:10BE)."


Another tip, if driving in an area of dry grass, have one of those garden sprayer pressure packs in case the exhaust ignites the dry grass caught up under your car. If nothing else, you will have an extra 5-6 litres of water. Bob

whats the cost of a new fire extinguisher?

Years ago I needed to buy a dry powder extinguisher for a one-off event.
When I was ready to settle the bill, the sales man advised that it was on the house, mainly because it was not able to be re-tested after sale (and we already had a large number of extinguishers on premise on a 6-monthly test cycle).
I seem to recall a there is a life span for sale (sell-by date), and the rationale was that there is a limited number of years it can be in service.

I replaced all the fire extinguishers in my boat for peace of mind, they are inexpensive. I did test one of the old ones and it didn't fire, so would have been useless if I had a fire on board. I did rotate them and shake them from time to time. Lying the extinguishers down I was told will help prevent the powder compacting on the bottom.
Boat flares have an expiry period of 3 years, for what fire extinguishers are worth I will replace them all with the flares as routine just to be safe.

In a Comercial situation extinguishers should be hydrostatic tested every 5 or 6 years (depending on state).
Now days anything smaller than 9 kg is not really viable to test as it is cheaper to replace it.
They are also checked every 6 months ensuring trigger operation, pin is removable, powder has not caked and there is no damage to the extinguisher it's self.
yours it appears has had nothing.
As others have mentioned you can check the powder has not gone solid, but you cannot be sure it still has adequate pressure in it.
Although the gauge shows pressure they are very unreliable.
I have come across many showing full pressure but actually having little or none.
It's just not worth relying on.
At your moment of need the last thing you want is an extinguisher that does not work or is ineffectual.
They are so cheap now days, buy a new one.
Cheers.