Do fire extinguishers go bad?

[bczoom]

If an extinguisher gauge still reads OK, can I assume that it'll work regardless of age?
My neighbor used one last year that had its last inspection date of 1975 and it still worked fine but would rather not take the risk if there is a "shelf life" to these things.

Brian

 

[Golfgar4]

That's a good question Brian. I've wondered the same thing myself.

I have two extinguishers, one in my garage and one in my shop, that I've had for something like 8 years. Both are ABC extinguishers. Both gauges are in the <font color="green"> GREEN </font> range and have never been used. I do occassionally, when I think of it, just grab them and flip them upside down and shake them a little, then put them back on their brackets.

Don't know if that does any good, or if it even needs to be done on these types of extinguishers. But I figure that it can't hurt. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[chucko]

At work ours have to be inspected yearly (I think I can look if you realy need to know) so I would assume that have some kinfd of shelf life. That being said I have never had one that said "OK" not work.....hummm wornder if the gage can stick?

 

[WVBill]

Here's a quote from the Kidde Fire Extinguisher Company Web site FAQs:

"7) Is there a way to tell if my fire extinguisher needs replacing?
Check the pressure gauge and inspect the extinguisher once a month, or more frequently, if exposed to weather, or possible tampering. The pointer on the gauge must be in the green area to work properly."


It may be worth noting, however that their Model FA110 - Multipurpose Home Fire Extinguisher has a 6 year warranty.

Hope this helps.

 

[Boondox]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That's a good question Brian. I've wondered the same thing myself.

I have two extinguishers, one in my garage and one in my shop, that I've had for something like 8 years. Both are ABC extinguishers. Both gauges are in the <font color="green"> GREEN </font> range and have never been used. I do occassionally, when I think of it, just grab them and flip them upside down and shake them a little, then put them back on their brackets.

Don't know if that does any good, or if it even needs to be done on these types of extinguishers. But I figure that it can't hurt. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )</font>

Garry -- With dry powder types (like purple K powder) that's a great idea. If allowed to sit for years, some of them cake up. Pete

 

[slowzuki]

Flip em and shake em, if the powder still moves well, and the gauge is good, it is ready to go!

 

[Junkman]

Best thing to do to keep the powder from caking at the bottom is to turn them over and give them a few mild whacks with a rubber mallet. That is what the guy does when he comes to check ours and hang a new $8.00 tag on them saying that they are good for anther year. At home, I do it for free.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[bgott]

I did fire extinguisher service down in New Orleans in about '84. These guys are right about a yearly service call consisting of turning it upside down and tapping it to break up the cake and sticking a tag on it. The powder used in them, baking soda for a BC and ammonium phosphate for an ABC, is so fine that it will pack itself over the course of the year by just sitting there. The unit is charged with nitrogen for the propellant. Some states, however, require that you discharge the unit, clean and inspect the valve and syphon tube and affix a tag on the syphon tube to prove that you were in there. I think the reason for that is that Kidde used a plastic syphon tube with a cheesy clip holding it to the valve assembly that was notorious for being broken when you disassembled the unit. You would open up the extinguisher and the syphon tube would just be laying in the bottom of the unit! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif With that not connected you would just get a blast of nitrogen if you had to use it. That would not be a good thing. We figured that the extinguisher had to be jarred to knock it loose but it must not have taken much of an impact because we rarely saw any dents or chipped paint on the outside. The weight of the powder flopping around during the test must have been enough to break it. Kidde was hard to get the clips from, we used to steal them from each others trucks. I don't buy Kidde for that reason. You are also supposed to hydro test them every 12 years but if you don't have any damage or rust on the cylinder I wouldn't mess with it unless you need to keep the tag up for insurance purposes. I took them to Baton Rouge to do that on the weekends, that gave me all week to take the CO2 units to bars, crack the door and stick the nozzle in and chase drunks out the back door. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[bczoom]

Thanks everyone.

Sounds like they do last quite awhile.
I'll go out and do the flip and shake to each.

Brian