How often should fire extinguishers be tested and examined?

Answer 1

NFPA code requires hydrostatic testing of CO2 and other stored pressure extinguishers at no more than 12 year intervals. Because they are also required to be internally inspected every 5 years, some agencies do hydrostatic at 10 year intervals.

Answer 2

Most extinguishers have some kind of an indicator to inform the user that the extinguisher is under proper pressure. If you have a CO2 extinguisher that does not have an indicator, you have no way of knowing if it is fit for use. I would recommend discarding the unit and obtaining an extinguisher that allows for checking fit of use.

Answer 3

Depends upon what sort of fire extinguishers they are and where they are installed.

For instance, a commercial cooking fire extinguisher must be inspected every 6 months and should have certain types of maintenance done during each inspection, according to NFPA 1 Fire Code. Different code may apply in other jurisdictions.

Also, portable fire extinguishers may need to be examined on a monthly basis, and records kept; some types require annual maintenance; others require maintenance at longer intervals (e.g., 5 years or 12 years).

Answer 4

Under NFPA 1, a CO2 extinguisher must be inspected internally at least every 5 years. Obviously you would need to replace the CO2 at that time.