Fire extinguishers are a vital tool to have in your home. But like all tools and accessories, they have an expiration date or can malfunction. If expired, they will be of little to no use to you and can put you in a dangerous situation.
The rule of thumb is if your fire extinguisher is older than 12 years, then you may need to get it replaced. Other factors, such as the pressure gauge and the manufacturer’s recommendation, go into figuring out if your extinguisher is still good to go to put out a fire.
You can look at many things to see if your extinguisher should be retired or is still good. I will tell you in detail what those signs are and help you determine if you need to recharge your fire extinguisher or buy a new one.
If your fire extinguisher is defective or due for a change, check my article here to help you choose the best extinguisher for your needs.
Signs To Know Your Fire Extinguisher Is Good
Because the fire extinguisher is a critical product to have in your home, it is necessary to check the extinguisher regularly. There are many things you can do to be proactive rather than reactive.
Here are some things you can do to make sure your fire extinguisher is still good:
- Always check the expiration date.
- Inspect the pressure gauge.
- Check with the manufacturer.
- Examine the fire extinguisher for dents or damage
- Examine the fire extinguisher rubber hose for tears or cracks
- Check for missing parts
- Look at the bottom for the manufacturing date of your fire extinguisher
- Get the fire extinguisher inspected by a professional
- If your fire extinguisher is rechargeable, recharge it
Always Check The Expiration Date
Checking the expiration date is the easiest step you can do. All fire extinguishers should have an expiration date, so you know when it needs to be thrown out. The chemicals inside don’t last forever, like most things.
You should be able to find the expiration date on the side of the bottle, along with the instructions on how to use it. If there is not an expiration date, sometimes there will be a tag that will tell you when the last time it was serviced. If it hasn’t been serviced in the last ten years, you will need to either get a new one or get it serviced.
Sometimes the year it was manufactured can be located on the bottom of the bottle. In the directions, there may even be a suggestion for when you should get a new one. Always check the directions for specific instructions.
If there is no expiration, manufacturers have said that their extinguishers last anywhere between 5 to 15 years or at an average of 12 years.
Inspect The Pressure Gauge
The pressure gauge can tell you if your fire extinguisher needs to be serviced or not. If the arrow is in green, you are good to go.
If it is low, you may want to get it refilled or have another fire extinguisher ready. Depending on the size, you may not have enough that could put out a larger fire. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
When the pressure gauge is at red or zero, it is time to either get it refilled or buy a new one. No pressure means many things:
- There are no more dry chemicals in the bottle.
- There is an inability to spray the chemical if there are any.
- Damaged bottle.
Make sure to get this replaced immediately, just in case of an emergency.
If at any time you suspect the pressure gauge to be broken, get the fire extinguisher serviced or replace it entirely. If the glass is broken on the meter, get the bottle replaced. A faulty pressure gauge can lead to serious issues.
Get The Fire Extinguisher Inspected By A Professional
Licensed professionals will know if your fire extinguisher is good to go if it needs to be replaced. You can find a local professional by searching for an experienced fire protection company. They provide the services you are looking for, and they have the knowledge you need.
If you cannot find a fire protection company, you can check with your local fire stations. Some fire stations provide services to check your fire extinguisher, but not all. It depends on your fire station if they have licensed professionals.
Check With The Manufacturer
If you are ever missing any information on your fire extinguisher or have any questions about it, you can check the manufacturer’s website for clarification. They also will have recalls, so if you think a part on your bottle is deformed, check with them. They will have the information posted.
Even if your fire extinguisher seems intact, it is best to check the manufacturer’s website every year. There may have been a recall on a specific part that you may not physically see but will affect its usefulness.
Look Over The Product
If you haven’t gotten inspected by a professional and can’t do it at the moment, you can examine it yourself. You do not have to be certified or licensed to check the bottle.
Now, you should always get it checked by a professional if there are any wear and tears. No one can replace a professional, but you can see for yourself if there is any real damage.
Try to look at a few of these things when you examine your product:
- Check the seal.
- Try the handle.
- Search for dents or marks.
- Examine the tube.
- Double-check the pressure gauge.
- Search for missing parts.
- Where was it stored?
Check The Seal
There are seals on fire extinguishers. This seal informs you that the fire extinguisher has yet to be used. The expiration date is the first thing you should check, but the seal is almost as important to see if your extinguisher is still up to par.
The seal is a plastic piece, usually on the pin in the handle or the handle itself. It has to be broken to be able to release the dry chemicals. If this seal has been tampered with or is broken, it could mean that the extinguisher has been used and will not work for another use.
Fire extinguishers are meant for one-time use, even rechargeable ones. You can check the pressure gauge just to see if the fire extinguisher is still good, but it is important to get it inspected by a professional just to make sure.
You don’t want to assume when it comes to a fire extinguisher. The wrong assumption can cause major damage during an emergency and could be the difference between a small fire in the kitchen and the entire house burning down.
Try The Handle
The handle is an easy part to see if it still works. If the handle is bent, broken, or even immovable, then you may have a problem on your hands. You will need to be able to use the handle even to release the chemicals inside. If you can’t do that, your fire extinguisher is useless.
Be sure not to spray any of the contents within the bottle. If you do this, you will have to get the extinguisher replaced even if it was still good before you squeezed that handle.
Search For Dents Or Marks
Dents can cause pressure changes in your fire extinguisher. Minor dents may not be harmful, and the extinguisher can still function, but larger dents can harm its efficacy. Dents can also affect the pressure within the bottle and may cause danger to you if you try to use it.
It’s okay to have some scratches or marks on the bottle. It happens when you move it around.
As long as there aren’t any tears that go through the bottle or the tube, you should be safe.
If you are worried but don’t want to throw away your bottle, contact a certified professional and ask their opinion. Professionals know all the ins and outs when it comes to fire extinguishers, and they will let you know for sure if you need to buy a new one.
Examine The Tube
The tube needs to be intact so that you can control the spray. If there are any holes in the rubber tube, you will need to replace the fire extinguisher. You will not be able to direct the contents with a damaged line.
You also need to check the fitting. The fitting at the base of the tube should not be dented or damaged. If it is, this can cause an obstruction. Obstructions will cause either little to no dry chemicals to escape. You then won’t be able to put out the fire.
You can contact a professional to see if the damages could be harmful. If it is a disposable fire extinguisher, it is best just to get a new one. It will be cheaper than if a fire broke out and you didn’t have a working fire extinguisher.
Double-Check The Pressure Gauge
The best practice when seeing if your fire extinguisher is still good is to double-check the pressure gauge. It is better to be safe, and checking it twice can solidify whether it is good. It will only take a few seconds to take a quick look.
Never check the pressure or fire extinguisher by testing to see if it works. Spraying even a little bit of the dry chemical will cause the pressure to slowly decrease because, after one use, it will leak.
If you have a disposable fire extinguisher, you will have to throw it away if you try to test it. That fire extinguisher is no longer good.
Search For Missing Parts
Make sure that all the parts are there when you inspect your fire extinguisher. If there are any missing parts, you will need to get a new one. There aren’t any parts on the bottle that can be disposed of where the fire extinguisher is still functional.
If the seal or the pin is gone, there may be a chance that the fire extinguisher has been used. If this is the case, you can get a professional to inspect it. If it is a disposable extinguisher, you will want to get a new one. You don’t want to take the chance that it has already been used.
Other missing parts to look for are:
- Handle
- Pressure gauge
- Tube
If any of these parts are missing, the fire extinguisher is useless, and you won’t be able to put out a fire. With safety, you always want to be cautious and go ahead and replace anything you aren’t one hundred percent sure working.
Where Was It Stored?
Fire extinguishers need to be stored in a cool, dry place. If it has been kept where the temperature can become extreme, this can mess with the chemicals inside as well as the pressure within the bottle.
Exposure to sun, rain, wind and other factors can cause the fire extinguisher to erode. Not all the parts are made of metal that is durable and long-lasting. The tube can easily be cut open or obstructed, and the pressure gauge can be broken.
Metal also rusts when exposed to water. If you see any rust on your fire extinguisher, you will need to get it replaced. You don’t know how badly the erosion is and if it has entered the inside of the bottle. Remember, there are chemicals inside, and if you introduce a new chemical to a homeostatic environment, it can cause the chemicals to change.
Rechargeable Fire Extinguishers
Rechargeable fire extinguishers have become quite common, but you can sometimes mistake one with a disposable one. Although they are similar in color and sometimes size, you can figure out which one is which.
An easy way to distinguish between a rechargeable fire extinguisher and a disposable one is that if the gauge says “Recharge/Refill” on it, you most likely have a rechargeable fire extinguisher.
Another way to see if your fire extinguisher is rechargeable or not is the handle. Disposable fire extinguishers have plastic handles, while rechargeable ones have metal handles. Metal means long-lasting and durable, while plastic means temporary.
Here is an excellent rechargeable fire extinguisher specifically for home use from Amazon.
Benefits Of A Rechargeable Fire Extinguisher
There are many benefits when choosing a rechargeable fire extinguisher over a disposable one. These benefits include:
- It can be used more than once.
- It will save you money.
- It is better for the environment (less waste).
- It has a metal handle.
To get your fire extinguisher recharged, it will cost anywhere between $15 and $20. New fire extinguishers can cost up to a few hundred dollars to save money with this type of device.
Disposable extinguishers often have a plastic handle. With a plastic handle, it is easier to break or even melt in a fire. A malformed handle will make an extinguisher useless. There are disposable fire extinguishers with metal handles for a little more money, but it is more beneficial to get a rechargeable one.
Rechargeable fire extinguishers are a much better option than disposable ones. It is better for the environment, and it is less money in the long run because you don’t have to buy a whole fire extinguisher every time.
How To Tell If The Fire Extinguisher Needs Recharging
There are many tell signs that you can look for when you need to recharge your fire extinguisher. Some of these signs are:
- It has expired.
- The pressure gauge is on empty.
- The indicator is on “recharge.”
- You used the fire extinguisher.
It Has Expired
If it has been ten to twelve years or the expiration date has already passed, you need to get the fire extinguisher recharged. The chemicals within the bottle can become less effective after the expiration date, or the pressure will not be strong enough to put out the fire.
Even if you think it is still good to go, you won’t know until you use it. Once it’s used, even if you try to just “test” the device, you will then need to get it recharged. The fire extinguisher will lose pressure after your “test.” It is easier just to get it refilled.
The Pressure Gauge Is On Empty
Some brands will say empty or have a red area. If the indicator is pointing to this area, you will want to get your extinguisher recharged.
The Indicator Is On “Recharge”
Most rechargeable extinguishers will says “recharge” on the pressure gauge. If the indicator points to “recharge,” it is time to see a professional to get it serviced.
You Used The Fire Extinguisher
At any point, if you used the fire extinguisher, it will need to be recharged. Even if you accidentally spray it, you will need to get it serviced.
After being used for any reason or length of time, the pressure leaks, so you will need to have a licensed professional to get it refilled and set up for the next use.
My Fire Extinguisher needs to be changed, can you help me choose a new one?
SecureHomeHero can help. If your fire extinguisher is defective or due for a change, check my article here to help you choose the best extinguisher for your needs.