How to Check a Fire Extinguisher Gauge

As a general rule, you should make it a point to perform a quick inspection of any fire extinguishers in your Longview, TX home or business at least once a month. There are a variety of steps you should take in these inspections, including checking the pressure gauge.

The gauge is what tells you whether the unit is within its operational zone, or if it’s undercharged or overcharged. Checking the gauge is simple—you want the needle to be pointing into the green area, which indicates it’s in the range for optimal operation. Otherwise, if it’s in the red zone, it will be either undercharged or overcharged.

If there is a charge issue with the fire extinguisher gauge, that’s when it becomes necessary to perform recharging on the unit.

Other important aspects of fire extinguisher inspection

As we mentioned, it’s important for you to check your fire extinguishers once a month to make sure the needle is pointing into the correct area on the gauge. However, there are other important reasons to perform these inspections. It helps you ensure the extinguisher is still actually present in its designated location, that it has not sustained any damage, that nothing is blocking people from easily accessing the equipment when it’s needed and that it’s appropriately charged.

Here are a few examples of the other things you should look at in your monthly inspections, beyond just the pressure levels:

• Damage: It’s important to inspect the exterior of your fire extinguisher in Longview, TX to look for signs of physical damage. Examples of such damage could include corrosion, dents or leakage.
• Pull pin: You should check and make sure the pull pin is not missing from the unit, and that the seal is intact. If not, you will need to perform some additional repairs and maintenance to make sure the unit is prepared for operation in an emergency situation.
• Date of inspection: If you aren’t sure when you last had the fire extinguisher inspected, you should check the tag and verify the last date of inspection. If it’s been a while since a professional looked at the unit, it may be beneficial for you to call in a professional technician and have them perform regular preventative maintenance.
• Date the back: If no further action needs to be taken, you can date and initial the back of the tag to indicate you performed the visual inspection for that month. This information is also beneficial if you bring in a professional technician so they can see the unit has an ongoing inspection history.

If you have further questions or needs with regard to your fire extinguisher maintenance and inspections in Longview, TX, we encourage you to contact Anchor Safety Inc. It’s important for all owners of fire extinguishers to stay on top of their preventative maintenance to ensure fire extinguishers are safe for use when they’re needed, should an emergency situation occur at your home or business. Reach out to us today to learn more or schedule an inspection.

Categorised in: Fire Extinguishers

This post was written by Writer