Maintenance and Servicing

Professional fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance is an essential part of any fire protection system. It is the responsibility of a business owner or responsible person to arrange the regular service.

Basic Service (by a Qualified Engineer)

Fire extinguisher servicing should be carried out once a year to the standard laid down under BS 5306-3:2009. The service procedure involves thorough checking of the fire extinguisher for corrosion and partial or complete discharge. Reference should be made to the manufacturer's recommendations and instructions for specific information on servicing and recharging. Any fire extinguishers that are deemed unfit for use should be brought to the attention of the user and removed from service.

  1. Visually inspect the fire extinguisher for corrosion and damage.
  2. Check that the extinguisher has not been used, by checking the following:
    • Safety pin and tamper seal are in place (Fig. 1)
    • Pressure gauge reading (indicating needle should be in the green area (Fig. 2). This is not applicable for CO2 fire extinguishers)
  3. Check that the operating instructions on the extinguisher are clear and legible.
  4. Remove the discharge hose and check for blockages and corrosion (Fig. 3)
    • Once the discharge hose has been removed replace the ‘O’ ring.
  5. Weigh the extinguisher and record on the service label.
    • If there is more than a 10% weight loss, investigate and recharge.
  6. Wipe down the extinguisher.
  7. Ensure that the wall mountings are secure and in good condition before replacing the appliance back on the wall.

Extended Service (by a Qualified Engineer)

Every five years water, foam, powder and wet chemical extinguishers require a more detailed examination including a test discharge of the extinguisher and subsequent recharging. All Extinguishers are recommended to be replaced every ten years.

Here an overview of the main activities involved:

  1. Discharge the extinguisher
  2. Unscrew the headcap in a safe manner and check all removable parts for any sign of corrosion and blockages
  3. Examine the extinguisher body internally for any signs of corrosion
  4. Rinse water based extinguishers out with clean water
  5. Replace all 'O' rings and hose rings
  6. Refill the extinguisher
  7. Refit the headcap
  8. Re-pressurise the extinguisher

The above only applies to pressurised extinguishers, only. Gas cartridge extinguisher servicing has not been described here.

Due to the amount of work to carry out the extended service, it is often cheaper to purchase a new extinguisher rather than carry out the extended service.

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