How Long Does a Fire Extinguisher Last?

allen griggs

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I have had this for 7 years.  It looks OK.  How long do they last?

dcon12

allen griggs said:

 How long do they last?

About five  minutes. Don

toad67

OSHA rules require them to be re certified every year. If they're not damaged, or in the red area of the gauge, they generally just tip them upside down and whack them with a rubber mallet to break up the chemical inside. Other than that, they last quite a while. 

pulsarnc

It is good for 10 years as long as it reads fully charged . At the ten year mark it should be inspected and recharged by a professional .

Butchdog2

As long as gauge says charged and the mud dabbers haven't plugged the hose it should be good to go.

select-fire

Never used one till a few days ago. It had rusted and I decided to try it out. 10# Co2. Sprayed it in the yard and it took a good 5 min before the dust blew away. I was impressed.

Rocky Raab

After the first time, I've declined to pay $30 each to have them whack them with a mallet. I do my own now. Have five around the house. Near the kitchen, two in the garage, and a large one in the reloading room, plus a "floater" I have near the outdoor grill in the summer. Kitchen, garage, and grill are the most likely places to need one right damn now.

mogley98

I think rechargeable units are supposed to get hydro tested every 12 years we've found it cheaper to just replace them

pulsarnc

as noted it is cheaper to trash them than to have them hydro tested 

hillbille

 gotta disagree with don, allways wanted to set one off, and one night when I was corporal of the guard we passed  8th marines motor pool and there was a barrell in the parking lot on fire, I guess the guard started a fire to keep warm but we stopped and he was nowhere to be found, so I opened the door to a small shack and took the fire extingisher off the wall and let go on the burning 55 gal drum, it was an instant mess, that crap went everywhere, even covered a few duece and halfs about 25 feet away. me and the driver got to laughing so hard we almost fell down, next thing we know we hear a door on one of the dueceand halfs open up it was the guard he had been napping, I walked over asked him what he was doing and told him if he was finally awake he could clean up the mess, me and driver hightailed it out of there and laughed the rest of the night, don't know what ever happened to  the poor private........

Ditch-Runner

 never gave it much thought keep one in the kitchen one in my old camaro and 5 or 6 of the tall chrome water versions in my garage I fill them about 3/4 full of water and add in compressed air work great we use them often  as intended  for small camp fire control and I have found they make a great  thing to use as fast small project pressure washer .  I gave 10 to 15 bucks for each at fle markets great investment . I empty them in the winter  prevent freezing and rely on the chemical ones have thought about filling with Rv antifreeze for the winter may give it a try 

lkannes

I have one that has a tag on it that says it was made in 1972. The gauge is still in the green but I don't trust it so I have purchased a new one.

nmyers

It depends.

Soda/acid fire extinguishers are obsolete & should be discarded.  CO2 extinguishers work best on flammable liquids & electrical fires, but are pricey & you may find it difficult to have them recharged.  Most residential & commercial ones use dry chemical, & are rated by volume ABC.  The minimum commercial size is 2A10BC.  Those with plastic valves cannot be recharged, only those with metal valves can.  There are special extinguishers for special hazards. 

Residential extinguishers do not need to be tested, just check the gauge.  I have tested extinguishers that were > 30 years old, they worked fine.  If you use one in a kitchen, you will need to replace every appliance.   (Dry powder is corrosive, & will ruin circuit boards if not neutralized.)

Commercial extinguishers need to be hydro tested after 6 years, & discarded after 12.  They must be serviced annually, or replaced annually.

mrs102

I was in the fire extinguisher business part-time for more than thirty years.  Some of your comments are correct but not all.  It is difficult to give a definitive answer because there are so many different types and extinguishing agents.  Don't buy cheap and expect longevity.  Don't buy with plastic heads (valves).  Consider the value of what you are protecting.  Don't partially use a dry chemical extinguisher, even if it was an accidental discharge, and hang it back up.  It will leak pressure and be useless the next time you need it. 

Rocky Raab

Ahhh, yes, carbon tet. I remember it well. Such an odd smell to it. And how ironic that when you spray carbon tet on a fire, it forms into a poisonous gas.

Edit to add: I just Wikied it and learned that it is the liquid used in lava lamps!

mogley98

In healthcare we have been replacing old dry chemical with some of the clean agent extinguishers. ABC rated and no mess

pulsarnc

Much like the old r12 Freon and similar numbers it was determined that halon depleted the ozone . It’s use has been outlawed for about 15 years . Also it was used in lots of confined spaces , such as boat engine rooms etc . Folks died from oxygen starvation if they re- entered the space too quickly . Not a good thing in the cockpit of a small plane if you pass out !

Rocky Raab

Just finished giving all of mine a good thumping with a rubber mallet. Held them upside down, thumped, turned them up, thumped, repeat several times. Put a date sticker on one to remind me when I last did them.

Mr. Perfect

The question is akin to: how long does a car last.  Too many varieties and unknown conditions to weigh in, in any meaningful way.

select-fire

Just shot a clean hole thru a discharged one with a 9mm

Mr. Perfect

select-fire said:

Just shot a clean hole thru a discharged one with a 9mm

Did it happen to be in your glove box at the time?

drobs

Question - where would I go to get a fire extinguisher recharged? Mine is showing in the yellow or read.

mrs102

Question - where would I go to get a fire extinguisher recharged? Mine is showing in the yellow or read.

No idea where you live drobs but yellow pages used to be a good source.  Otherwise I'd internet search your city + fire equipment distributor/sales/service.  Unless you have a high quality unit less than 12 years old you might be better off buying new.  Less expensive are available at Menards, Home Depot etc..