How Often Should Fire Extinguishers Be Inspected?

Fire extinguishers are designed to help save lives. Unfortunately, like many things, they sit inside the house or office, and you forget about them. While you hope the need never arises to use your fire extinguishers, you want to be sufficiently prepared. This means having your fire extinguisher inspected on a regular basis—something many people don’t even realize needs to be done.

Visual Fire Extinguisher Inspection

Ideally, as a homeowner or business owner, you should perform a thorough visual inspection of all fire extinguishers on the property. In doing so, you will ensure the fire extinguisher is where you need it and can easily be seen and accessed, free of damage, and fully charged and operational.

During a visual inspection, you should look for any signs of damage, such as dents, corrosion, and leakage. You also need to check the equipment’s pressure gauge to ensure the indicator shows it to be within operating range.

Check the date of your last professional inspection. If the date is near or the extinguisher is due for inspection, contact a professional to schedule the inspection.

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Inspection

A full maintenance inspection should be performed on fire extinguishers at least once per year. This is not an inspection you will do; instead, you will schedule the inspection with a professional fire protection company in your area.

A professional company will have the necessary training, expertise, and tools to perform the fire extinguisher maintenance inspection properly. They will be able to easily and accurately identify and correct potential problems.

Upon a passing inspection, the inspector will put a dated inspection tag on the equipment. This is good for a single year, at which time the extinguisher requires another annual inspection. In the event your extinguisher fails to pass the annual inspection, it will need to be repaired or replaced, depending on why the equipment failed the inspection.

Internal Maintenance Fire Extinguisher Inspection

Again, this type of inspection must be done at the hands of a professional. This inspection involves examining the entire inside of the extinguisher after discharging it and then recharging it after the inspection.

The dry chemical style of fire extinguishers will need to undergo this type of inspection every six years, along with a hydrostatic test every 12 years. As a general rule, a hydrostatic test is needed every five years for wet chemical, carbon dioxide, and pressurized water extinguishers.

If you have any questions regarding fire extinguisher inspection fire extinguisher maintenance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. If your fire extinguisher is due for inspection, contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Categorised in: Fire Extinguishers

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