What you should know about fire extinguisher maintenance

Fire extinguishers are a form of fire safety equipment that is often overlooked when it comes to maintenance. If they do not receive maintenance they will not work effectively, if at all, which is a major safety risk. Here’s what you should know about fire extinguisher maintenance:

Loss of pressure

It is important to regularly check the pressure gauge on fire extinguishers. If the pressure gauge is showing that the fire extinguisher has low pressure, the fire extinguisher needs to be sent in for inspection and maintenance. A fire extinguisher with low pressure will not work effectively as it will not have the pressure it needs to spray the agent onto the fire. In some cases, it will not work at all. If the gauge is displaying high pressure, this also needs to be checked out.

Refills

Fire extinguishers require refills. They should not be left to reach empty, unless the agent is used in one incident. If the fire extinguisher is used, but the agent is not finished, the fire extinguisher needs to be refilled. If they are not refilled, they may not have enough fire-fighting agent to put out a fire on another occasion.

Expiration date

Fire extinguishers will not last forever. Like most products, fire extinguishers have an expiration date. When they are bought, the expiration dates should be checked and noted. They should be replaced before they expire in order to avoid the risk of having an expired fire extinguisher during an emergency. The agent within the fire extinguisher will be unusable.