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Posted By Chas
We have water and powder fire extinguishers that are serviced every year. The water ones are approaching 10 years old and the powder ones are about 5 years old. Should we be considering replacing them with new ones (as advised by the service company) or are they likely to be ok for a few more years assuming the servicing regime stays the same? Does the powder in the powder extinguishers need replacing?
Is this just a sales ploy to sell us extinguishers, or am I just being too cynical?
Thanks in advance.
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Posted By andymak
Unfortunately extinguishers do have a finite life. The servicing regime should identify any that are no longer serviceable due to corrosion or damage.
Suppliers and servicers will obviously try and sell you replacements as that is an income source for them. However whilst they are saying that the extinguisher is serviceable I can see no need to replace it. Powder types should cover class A, C, and C, fires and be serviced and replaced as appropriate.
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Posted By Steve Cartwright
Extinguishers can last for years providing they are maintained. Things to look out for are cracked/damaged hoses, any signs of rust on extinguisher, handle is in good condition, you can read the writing on the extinguisher and the gauge is not damaged.
All the parts can be replaced.
Useful tip for powder extinguishers is to get someone to give them a shake (tip them upside down) about once a month. This should prevent the powder going hard.
The other one to watch out for is the gas cartridge. Sometimes they will tell you it needs replacing. It only needs replacing if it has been discharged.
My guess is its a sales ploy.
If you need more info let me know.
Steve
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Posted By Jim Walker
If you make it abundantly clear to your "tester" that as a matter of principle you will not by replacements from them. Then you can avoid someone scamming you with duff advice.
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Posted By Ron Impey
At one of my sites the extinguisher maintenance person was caught on CCTV bashing an extinguisher with a rubber mallet then saying it had to be replaced because of the dent.
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Posted By Merv Newman
not sure about the monthly "shake" but you do have to remember that they will become "pressure" vessels (not really, they are too small) The annual check should also include corrosion inspection. Some environments are more aggresive than others. Hoses will rarely deteriorate. I think (to be confirmed by other respondants) that they are normally made of Neoprene which is ozone and chemical resistant but not immune.
Should the tester want to condemn some extinguishers then they should be able to show you why.
And then you buy replacements from a different supplier.
I do tend to recommend replacement at about 10 years. but a pressure test (with water) will show you if this is really necessary if you want to bother. Extinguishers ain't that expensive. Unless you've got hundreds of them.
Weigh the gas cartridges. That will show you if they have leaked or not. Which does happen.
I can't remember the weight difference between a full and an empty. 10 grammes ?
I'm gonna get to that mini-bar just as soon as I get to the bottom of this page
Merv
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Posted By JohnR
On the subject of Gas cartridges, it is definitely not true to say that unless they have been discharged, they will not need to be replaced. Any Gas cartridge has to be overhauled after it becomes 10 years old. Once it has been, it should be able to last for a further 10 years. If its overhaul has still not been completed within 15 years of either manufacture or last overhaul, then it must be replaced and permanently decommissioned.
The weight loss tolerance for any gas cartridge is 10% of the contents original weight. This also applies to CO2 extinguishers.
JohnR
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Posted By Ken Taylor
Another 'trick' is that they simply replace a number of extinguishers each visit and get someone on site to sign the paperwork. Insist on seeing any extinguisher that they claim is condemned so they can show you why. If possible get someone to go around with the service engineer to see what happens.
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Posted By Steve Cartwright
When I did the FETA Maintenance course I was told to give Powder extinguishers a shake on a regular basis.
Gas cartridges very rarely leak, however water, foam and powder extinguishers have to be discharged at least once every 5 years. Does not matter if they are stored pressure or have a gas cartridge fitted they still have to be discharged.
CO2 extinguishers have to be discharged every 10 years. CO2 extinguishers have to be factory filled.
I've seen fire extinguishers that are 25 years old, and as long as they get serviced once a year it does not matter how old they are providing they are in good condition.
The other thing to watch out for is they sometimes tell you that you have not got enough extinguishers. When I went to one of our branches I found 8 extinguishers in it. The branch was about the same size as 3 bedroom semi. They also put fire blankets in a kitchens when all we had was a microwave and a kettle.
Steve
Steve
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Posted By John Lewis
The tip to send a person with the maintenance bloke is a good one. When I had a minder go with him there were no condemned extinguishers whereas the previous year we'd had a couple of dozen, from a population of about 700.
Experience shows that in hot areas, foundries glass plants and the like it is best to have extinguishers grouped at fire points away from the heat source rather than dotted around. The South Wales Brigade liked this as well because it gave them an immediate source of extinguishers when they entered the area. I once had two CO² extinguishers which lost their gas due to expansion and sods law took a hold. We had a genuine fire and they were the first two picked up! We actually checked everything monthly as well.
Finally, if there is any chance of wetness, make sure the extinguishers are hanging and don't sit on a floor stand. These can become havens for damp and rot the extinguishers bottom.
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Posted By Alexander Falconer
Believe it or not, fire extinguishers, like many other things have a shelf life.
Whilst not fully versed about the ins/outs of testing, etc. there will be a maximum number of times the body will be permitted to be pressure tested, before being disposed.
BS 5306 pt 4 should provide some of the answers you seek
Now to open that Glen Moray (only a 12 year old, I'm afraid)!
Alex
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Posted By Merv Newman
This thread reminds me of a story from an American colleague.
His previous site had presented him with a beautiful old brass fire extinguisher complete with commemorative plaque which took pride of place in his office.
An OSHA inspector did him for having an "inoperable fire extinguisher"
Merv
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Posted By chris white
Alot of tips already given, some right some not so right.
I own a fire protection company and started off doing fire extinguishers for one of the well-know national companies.
BS5306pt3(2003) is the service standard and the installation standard (do I have enough) in BS5308pt8 (2000)
Like everything in life the extinguishers are made to a budget with most manufacturers giving a 5-year warranty but expecting a 10-year life.
water, water additive, foam, powder & wet chemical extinguishers get serviced anually called "basic service".
every 5-years they get "extended serviced" which used to be called discharge test. They are internally examined and refilled if all OK.
CO2 extinguishers get serviced annually and every 10years get tested (off site) but this not done by most companies for various quality, cost and logistic reasons I'll not go into.
CO2 cartridges (like CO2 extinguishers) have a 10-year in service life then they are scrapped as it is not econimical to test them. During their service life they can only loose upto 10% of their contents weight, but as maintenance is preventative you must ask why? did it loose weight. I would replace it.
hoses are basically rubber and therfor subject to wear and tear especially when exposed to temperature extremes.
I'll leave it at that to avoid a long post.
Hope that helps a bit.
Chris.
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