Servicing Fire Extinguishers – Your Complete Guide

Servicing and maintaining your company’s fire extinguishers is a key part of any fire safety system. This is as, over time, the extinguishers may be subject to corrosion, and partial or complete discharge. For example, if an extinguisher’s safety pin has corroded, it may prevent the user from removing the pin, rendering the extinguisher unusable. Fire extinguisher parts must therefore be inspected to ensure they remain suitable for purpose if ever a fire broke out. 

Why Is It Important To Service Fire Extinguishers? 

Fire extinguishers are the first port of call in fire-fighting, and can mean the difference between a small, localised incident, or an escalated emergency involving a fire rescue team, which puts immediate life and environment at risk. Proper maintenance and later use of fire extinguishers can therefore reduce the risk of fire incidents accelerating. You can learn about the different types of fire extinguishers here.

How Can You Service Fire Extinguishers? 

There are two types of service (basic and extended) for each type of extinguisher: stored pressure extinguishers and cartridge-operated extinguishers. The below servicing techniques should be carried out by a qualified engineer.

Stored Pressure Fire Extinguishers

These extinguishers consist of a dry-air or oxygen-free nitrogen pressurised cylinder containing the extinguishing agent (water, powder, foam etc.) 

Basic Service

The basic service for a stored pressure fire extinguisher involves visual inspection for corrosion and damage, checks to ensure the safety pin and tamper seal are in place and a pressure gauge reading. The servicing engineer will also remove the discharge hose in order to check for blockages, and weigh the extinguisher to ensure there has not been more than 10% weight loss since the last service. The extinguisher will then be wiped down and returned to the wall mount, once this fixture has been assessed to be secure. Any fire extinguishers deemed unfit for purpose will be brought to the attention of the user and removed from service.

Extended Service 

Every five years a stored pressure extinguisher will require a more detailed examination. This involves an engineer undertaking a test discharge of the extinguisher and subsequently recharging the extinguisher. 

The extinguisher will be discharged and, after ensuring all removable parts are free of corrosion and blockages, all ‘O’ rings and hose rings will be replaced. The extinguisher will then be refilled and repressured.  

Cartridge Operated Extinguishers

Cartridge-operated extinguisher consists of a cylinder filled with the extinguishant and a gas cartridge containing highly pressurised CO2. Whilst not in use, the cylinder is not pressurised. The pressure is only released once the handle is squeezed and pierces the gas cartridge.

Basic Service 

Visual inspections for corrosion and blockage take place as with the stored pressure extinguishers and safety pin and tamper seals are examined. The discharge hose will be removed for inspection, and the “O” ring replaced.

The headcap should be removed slowly as there may be pressure in the cylinder from a leaking cartridge. Once removed, the cartridge will be inspected for the following:

• Any signs of corrosion?
• Are the 7 pieces of data required displayed? These are manufacturer name and date, the chemical sign of contents, nominal weight of charge, full and empty weight and the British Standard that the cartridge conforms to.
• Is the cartridge over 10 years old?
• Does the cartridge have a discrepancy of more than 10% of the contents?

If the answer to the last two bullet points is ‘yes’, the engineer will replace the cartridge. 

The extinguisher will then be refilled and the cartridge installed.

Extended Service 

Every five years a cartridge-operated extinguisher will also require a more detailed examination, including a test discharge of the extinguisher and subsequent recharging. 

Due to the amount of work and the costs associated with this extended service, it is often cheaper to purchase a new extinguisher.

Do All Fire Extinguishers Require Services? 

Not all extinguishers require a qualified engineer service. For example, a p50 fire extinguisher does not require annual maintenance by a trained extinguisher technician, due to its novel design: they are resistant to corrosion, scratching and weather. With these types of extinguishers, a simple visual inspection can be done annually, by anyone, eliminating costs. However, if your fire extinguisher is of another make or model, fire extinguisher servicing is a critical part of their maintenance.

Sourcing an Ethical Servicing Company – Top Tips

When choosing a fire extinguisher servicing company, it is a legal requirement for the purchaser to ensure that the person or organisation carrying out the work is ‘competent’. To ensure this competency, the purchaser should ask for a Third-Party Certification (TPC), which will serve as evidence that the service offered adheres to certain standards relating to technology, environment and ethical conduct. This allows for purchaser confidence.

A Third-Party Certification Body assesses the qualities of a supplier organisation by comparison to a particular scheme via an Audit, typically taking place every six months. In the UK, anyone can write a scheme document and anyone can set up a Certification Body. Therefore, only certification bodies accredited by UKAS United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) should be seen as credible. This can be substantiated by checking the UKAS website for the corresponding schemes and certification bodies.

Alternatively, a purchaser of a fire servicing company could turn to the Fire Industry Association (FIA). TPC is a requirement of membership in the FIA and the website allows for suppliers to be searched for by geographical area.

Take Away Pointers

Fire extinguisher services are an important part of every annual fire safety plan, with full services necessary every five years, and full replacement required after ten years. A p50 fire extinguisher does not require annual maintenance by a trained extinguisher technician due to its unique design and so could save costs for your business. If you are looking to upgrade your fire extinguishers, you can learn more about suitable fire extinguisher types here.