Fire extinguishers are the first step in preventing a small fire from growing into an uncontrollable, deadly blaze. If you want your fire extinguisher to perform properly during this life-or-death situation, it must be maintained and inspected regularly. According to NFPA, here are the required inspections and testing procedures you must complete on your standard ABC fire extinguishers.
- Monthly Inspections
- Annual Inspections
- 6-Year Maintenance/Recharge
- 12-Year Hydrostatic Pressure Testing
Monthly Fire Extinguisher Inspections
Monthly inspections can be completed in-house by an employee of your company. All you have to do is follow these simple steps to complete your monthly fire extinguisher inspections:
- Verify that the fire extinguisher is in its designated area
- Visibly clean area around fire extinguisher
- Indicate if fire extinguisher is visible and/or if there is a sign present that shows where the extinguisher is located
- Check to see if the fire extinguisher will be physically accessible during an emergency
- Verify that the fire extinguisher pressure gauge is operable (needle is in the green area)
- Confirm the fire extinguisher is full by checking for visible signs of replenishment or use.
If all these questions are met, your monthly fire extinguisher self-inspection is complete! These monthly inspections must be documented on a fire extinguisher tag or separate paper/electronic filing system. Documentation must include month/year of inspection and the name of the person who completed the inspection.
Annual Fire Extinguisher Inspections
Annual inspections require a certified fire extinguisher inspector to come to your location and perform a full maintenance check. This inspection includes checking all of the mechanical aspects of your extinguisher to ensure that the expelling means are still intact and that the physical body of the extinguisher shows no signs of damage.
If needed, your technician will perform an internal examination as well as run tests to ensure the fire extinguisher is in proper working condition.
TIP: When scheduling your annual inspections, try to coincide them with your other fire protection inspections such as fire sprinklers, fire alarm testing, etc. to save time and money by having one company come to service all your equipment vs. multiple companies.
6-Year Fire Extinguisher Inspection & Maintenance
Every six years, your stored pressure fire extinguishers will need to be serviced and recharged by a certified technician. Here is what you can expect during your six-year maintenance and recharge.
- Inspection & Identification: One of Brazas Fire certified technicians will visit your location to identify and inspect each fire extinguisher.
- Discharge Existing Product: Once identified, we will discharge the existing dry chemical from extinguisher.
- Valve Stem Replacement: Our technician will replace the valve stem and O-Rings to ensure there are no future leaks.
- Dry Chemical & Nitrogen Refill: Your fire extinguisher is now refilled with ABC dry chemical as well as nitrogen to the manufacturer’s recommended weight.
- Pressure Test for Leaks: Using a soap and water mixture, the technician will check to see if there are any small leaks within the extinguisher.
- Identification Tag: The technician will place a 6-year compliance sticker as well as the annual inspection tag on the fire extinguisher. Your extinguisher is now up to date on NFPA requirements.
12-Year Fire Extinguisher Inspection and Maintenance
Every 12 years, all your low-pressure cylinders will need to be hydrostatically tested to ensure that they are still in safe working condition. This test will need to be administered by a certified professional with access to a hydrostatic testing machine. Below is what you can expect during your 12-year maintenance and recharge.
- Identification: One of our certified technicians will identify and inspect each fire extinguisher in your facility. Once the extinguisher has been identified, it will be discharged and prepped for hydrostatic testing.
- Hydrostatic Machine: The extinguisher is placed into the hydrostatic testing machine and inserted into a water test jacket cylinder.
- Pressure Test: The hydrostatic machine will pressurize your extinguisher using the water expansion method. This means the extinguisher must meet or exceed the manufacturer’s recommended pressure for 30 seconds.
- Air Dryer: Once the test has been completed, the liquid is drained from the extinguisher and placed on an air dryer that heats up to prevent rusting.
- Fill Fire Extinguisher: The fire extinguisher is then refilled, and a hydrostatic test sticker/metal stamp is placed on the cylinder.
- Testing for leaks: Lastly, the extinguisher will be tested for leaks using a water/soap mixture. If there are no leaks, the annual inspection tag will be placed on the fire extinguisher and you’re all finished!
Still have questions about fire extinguisher inspections? Visit Brazas Fire’s fire extinguisher maintenance page to learn more about what you can do to keep your fire extinguishers up to date on inspections and maintenance. Ready to schedule your next inspection? Give us a call at 505-889-8999 and ask about our annual, 6-year, or 12-year fire extinguisher inspections. One of our local Albuquerque fire extinguisher experts will contact you to schedule an appointment.