Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
I was wondering how long a dry chemical fire extinguisher is good for. Someone gave me one that hasn't been serviced since 2002 and the gauge still reads fully charged.
- Thread starter Stephen Newell
- Start date
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Odds are the sodium bicarbonate of tripple K is set solid from sitting all there years. At work there was a callup to tip and shake every month.
iirc the vessel is supposed to be pressure tested every 10 years.
Gary from Muleshoe
Well-known Member
That new of an extinguisher should be alright. To be sure take it by your local fire marshal's office, he will know for sure.
guido
Well-known Member
Hello Stephen Newell,
Dry type fire extinguisher should not be pressurized. As I recall we used Ansul dry chemical units and the only time they pressurized the dry chemical was when you activated the CO2 to use it. Those units did not have a pressure gauge though.
The nozzle will get gummed up so inspection would mean to squeeze the handle and shack the powder out,
Guido.
Dry type fire extinguisher should not be pressurized. As I recall we used Ansul dry chemical units and the only time they pressurized the dry chemical was when you activated the CO2 to use it. Those units did not have a pressure gauge though.
The nozzle will get gummed up so inspection would mean to squeeze the handle and shack the powder out,
Guido.
When the extinguisher guy comes around he inspects all in the building and services the ones that need re-certification. He pulled some out of service from our service trucks because they were "out of date" (meaning they needed to be re-certified). They were the small ones and he said it was cheaper to buy new ones than to re-certify that size. He also said the "out of date" extinguishers were still OK as long as the gauge showed pressure, but NOT for DOT purposes.
Bottom line is the gauge tells if it's good or not, but like others say, beat on it to keep the powder loose.
Bottom line is the gauge tells if it's good or not, but like others say, beat on it to keep the powder loose.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
I took some old ones out to let my sons try them out, practice training, like we did at work. I remember some of them not working, the gauges stick, the material hardens.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
I didn't try striking it with anything but I turned it upside down and shook it and I couldn't feel anything move.
In marine use, the Coast Guard seems to consider 12 years to be the useful life. If your dry chemical extinguisher is older than that and you are boarded for a safety inspection you will fail. The real useful life is probably something more than that, as the Coast Guard rules are pretty conservative. I was told it's a good idea to turn them over and shake them to break up any clumps in the chemical annually.
Some thoughts: Like the other guy said: make sure the material is loose inside the case. If its not, it won't come out when you need it to.
The other thing: We had a small fire where I work and a few days later the Extinguisher recharge service picked up the extinguisher we used. While they were there, they checked all the other extinguishers in the building. The lady said that if ever the city fire department came through, to take the little extinguisher hanging over the workbench and hide it in a drawer somewhere so they wouldn't see it. They would fail that one. She didn't say why, I guess it was because of its size.
The other thing: We had a small fire where I work and a few days later the Extinguisher recharge service picked up the extinguisher we used. While they were there, they checked all the other extinguishers in the building. The lady said that if ever the city fire department came through, to take the little extinguisher hanging over the workbench and hide it in a drawer somewhere so they wouldn't see it. They would fail that one. She didn't say why, I guess it was because of its size.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
that ain't good
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
If the area is above freezing. Consider a 2-1/2 gallon pressurized water with cup of liquid dish soap added.
Rollie NE PA
Well-known Member
When you say dry chemical I assume you are talking about a ABC rated extinguisher. Before you determine if it is good you need to understand what type of fire the extinguisher can be used on. A dry chem extinguisher is filled with the chemical powder Monoamonium Phosphate and Barium Sulfate.
To answer you question, it may be completely charged or the gauge needle could be stuck. I have several that were taken out of service that I keep in the garage.
A extinguisher that has had any amount of chemical released needs to be recharged as the powder will interfere with the seating of the valve and it will cause a loss of pressure.
http://buckeyefire.com/pdfs/msds/2013/ABC.pdf
To answer you question, it may be completely charged or the gauge needle could be stuck. I have several that were taken out of service that I keep in the garage.
A extinguisher that has had any amount of chemical released needs to be recharged as the powder will interfere with the seating of the valve and it will cause a loss of pressure.
http://buckeyefire.com/pdfs/msds/2013/ABC.pdf
Most consumer type dry chem units are of the stored pressure variety... meaning they have a red/green indicating type pressure gauge on the handle. The cartridge type you're talking about are not pressurized until you push the handle to puncture the Co2 cartridge...
I would think that if a stored pressure unit still has pressure, it should be dry... and probably still good. That said, IIRC, they're supposed to be hydro'd every 5 years I think...
Rod
I would think that if a stored pressure unit still has pressure, it should be dry... and probably still good. That said, IIRC, they're supposed to be hydro'd every 5 years I think...
Rod
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
Yes it is a ABC fire extinguisher. It is made by Amerex and says it is nitrogen compressed. Probably the only thing I might end up needing it for would be a paint fire. I think it would be suited for that.
The extinguisher hasn't been used. It still has the seal on it. This evening I tried turning it upside down and beat on the bottom with a rubber mallet and couldn't tell if any of the powder was loose. Perhaps it's because I'm hard of hearing though.
The extinguisher hasn't been used. It still has the seal on it. This evening I tried turning it upside down and beat on the bottom with a rubber mallet and couldn't tell if any of the powder was loose. Perhaps it's because I'm hard of hearing though.
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