As an Albuquerque property owner, it is your legal obligation to ensure both the property and its tenants are protected when it comes to safety equipment. This obligation and responsibility can be met by checking to make certain that all the fire extinguishers are current, fully charged, tagged and kept In good working order in the event a fire occurs and they need to be used to put out the fire.

Like most Albuquerque property owners, you are not certified fire extinguisher technicians, then how can you tell if the fire extinguishers in your buildings need to be thrown out and replaced. A basic guideline to follow is when your fire extinguishers are 12 years old or more, it is time to replace them. If you do not know how old the fire extinguishers in your building, the next step to take is to inspect each one to see if the pressure gauge needle is pointing to the green zone which shows it has a sufficient charge to operate if needed. Your Albuquerque commercial property’s fire safety equipment must be in good working order. A fully functioning charged fire extinguisher is your first line of defense when it comes to fire and they can be a game changer in reducing the damage a fire can cause to your property.

Featured below are list of aspects to be cognizant regarding the fact it is time to switch fire extinguishers throughout your Albuquerque commercial properties.

When to Replace Rechargeable Fire Extinguishers

The life span of a portable, rechargeable fire extinguisher is 10 to 12 years on the average. There are a basic set of considerations to inspect for regarding your Albuquerque commercial building’s rechargeable fire extinguishers to determine if they need to be replaced or kept in service. Featured below are the consideration to check for and they are as follows:

• The fire extinguisher handle. Check to see if it is cracked, completely broken or loose. If this is the case with any unit on your property you need to replace it. The handle is critical working component of the unit. If it is compromised the unit will not work properly when needed.
• Fire extinguisher locking pin – Replace the pin if it is not connected, cracked, or completely busted.
• Fire extinguisher maintenance tag – When a Fire extinguisher is inspected part of the inspection includes affixing an updated inspection tag. Get the tag replaced if the one from the last inspection was not included. Every fire extinguisher on your Albuquerque property by law is required to be inspected by a licensed fire extinguisher technician and tagged.
•  Fire extinguisher exterior shell damage – Be aware damage of any type to a fire extinguisher may make the unit fail.
• Fire extinguisher nozzle or Hose – Inspect each unit to make sure the nozzle or hose is not cracked. If this is the case, then part needs to be replaced immediately.
• Fire extinguisher pressure loss – During your inspection of each unit if you observe the unit is losing pressure from one inspection to the next, there is most likely a problem with it. The unit in question may need to be recharged or to be replaced.
• Train the company staff to complete all the tasks mentioned above and then sign off & date the back of the tag everything is okay.

The Maintenance Requirements for ABC Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers

New Mexico mandates all portable fire extinguishers must be maintained per the statutes spelled out in NFPA 10: Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers.

NFPA 10 regulations require every single multi-purpose ABC fire extinguisher is required to have annual inspections and maintenance done by a professional licensed fire extinguisher technician. Once the require inspection and maintenance of each unit is completed the technician will attach a completed service tag to the unit, which will document that the mandated maintenance has been completed. The tag will include the date and the signature of the technician.  

Each fire extinguisher is required to be totally emptied, disassembled, reassembled, and recharged at 6 years intervals. During the completion of this task, critical components of the unit are switched out any defective valve stems, rubber o-rings, or gauges will be replaced with new ones.. The licensed technician will affix a special maintenance sticker to the unit’s exterior shell. The sticker will include critical information include the date of the 6-year maintenance and the technicians licensed data.

Each fire extinguisher is required to have a pressurized hydro test at 12 years intervals. The test checks to confirm the fire extinguisher’s cylinder is in good working order. During the hydro test, the 6-year maintenance tasks are also completed. The unit is required to be stamped ‘Condemned” if it fails the hydro test. It cannot be used again. Once the hydro test is completed and it turns out a unit passed the test, a permanent label is applied to the cylinder of the unit documenting the date of the test.

Albuquerque Commercial Building Fire Safety

Albuquerque business owners, commercial property owners and other commercial property owner managers are legally obligated to make certain that fire extinguishers and all mandated fire safety equipment is put into service and correctly serviced, inspected and maintained. To make this happen the thing to do is to hire a professional fire safety company like the premier Albuquerque fire safety company, Brazas Fire. The company has the top team of certified licensed technicians ready to complete your required inspections, fix or replace any equipment that does not pass inspection to help you do everything possible to protect the safety of your customers, and tenants of your properties.