Fire Extinguisher Recharge: What Everyone Should Know

Did you know that fire extinguisher recharge services are just as important as fire extinguishers? Fire extinguishers are ubiquitous in many commercial and business establishments — they are always around, waiting and ready if a fire breaks out. But the reality is that fire extinguishers often aren't prepared because they have not been maintained enough.

There are a lot of instances of employees trying to fight an incipient-stage fire with a portable extinguisher and then discovering too late that the fire extinguisher isn't charged — even if it's never been utilized before.

Business owners must understand the significance of fire extinguisher recharge services. This procedure is vital for fire extinguisher maintenance and service and must not be ignored.

The Importance of Fire Extinguisher Recharge Services

Fire extinguisher recharge services are important in keeping your fire safety equipment maintained.

How to know when you should need fire extinguisher recharge services? If you experience one of the following scenarios, call us immediately for fire extinguisher recharge services.

You Discharged a Fire Extinguisher in a Recent Fire Breakout

If you or any of your employees took action against fire with the nearest fire extinguisher, you should have it recharged again as soon as possible. Even if you only discharged the extinguisher's contents a tiny bit, it's still worth recharging it instantly.

After all, the distinction between completely charged and partially charged might be the difference between life and death!

A Tiny Quantity of Extinguisher Was Mistakenly Discharged

An unintentional discharge of a few milliseconds of pressure might result in a poor fire extinguisher function. If a fire extinguisher has been emptied, it should be refilled afterward to provide complete protection against future fires.

Your Extinguishers Were Recently Tested

A technician might discharge the fire extinguisher during regular checks to ensure that all discharging components and pressure gauge readings are working properly. Before returning the extinguisher to service, any required repairs should be completed, and the extinguisher refilled.

During a Regular Check, a Partly Discharged Extinguisher Was Discovered

Once a month, walk through each fire extinguisher and examine it visually. If any of the gauge shows low pressure, the extinguisher must be examined for leaks and refilled as quickly as possible.

How Often Do Fire Extinguisher Recharge Services Need to Be Done? 

Fire extinguisher recharge services are required yearly and immediately after usage to avoid device malfunction (regardless of the agent amount used). During your annual fire extinguisher inspection, all units would be examined for damage and refilled with compressed air and fire protection chemical.

A fire safety services provider can help keep a commercial building safe from fire.

So, how crucial is it to have your fire extinguishers charged? Simply scheduling the fire extinguisher recharge services reduces the chance of fire-related injury or death, ensuring the safety of building inhabitants.

When Do Fire Extinguishers Have to be Recharged?

To guarantee that adequate pressure and suppression liquid are retained and ready to extinguish a fire, fire extinguishers should be recharged instantly after use. There are various situations when fire extinguishers must be recharged.

Fire extinguishers must be refilled as soon as possible after each use. Even though the extinguishing substance within was not totally emptied, the extinguisher must still be maintained before it could be used again.

Leakage and ultimately complete pressure loss necessary for effective functioning are common outcomes of a minimum discharge.

Periodically throughout their lives - Fire extinguishers must be refilled on a regular basis. Even if they haven't been used, the manufacturer's service requirements and the NFPA 10 guideline for portable fire extinguishers need frequent internal inspection and refilling. Internal inspection and recharge are necessary at 6-12 years from the date of manufacture stated on the extinguisher for the most widely used maintained pressure dry chemical fire extinguishers.

Fire extinguishers must be examined or recharged if they show signs of obvious damage, rusting, or nozzle blockage. This is due to corrosion or other external conditions that might cause them to become depressurized.

How to Check a Fire Extinguisher Gauge

Property and business owners should check their fire extinguishers regularly.

At least once a month, business and property owners should do a short fire extinguisher examination, with the pressure gauge being one of the most crucial components to examine. The gauge will indicate if the device is undercharged, overloaded, or operating normally. For best results, the needle should point inside the green region. Bring the pressure gauge to fire protection professionals for servicing and maintenance if it is in the "Recharge" position or showing in the "Over Pressurized Range."

What is the Fire Extinguisher Recharging Process?

When the fire extinguisher is refilled, you may anticipate the following. The following is not a step-by-step tutorial on refilling a fire extinguisher but rather an overview to help you comprehend the procedure.

  1. The agent is withdrawn from the cylinder, and the extinguisher is entirely depressurized.
  2. The cylinder's discharge valve is removed.
  3. The valve spring and stem are removed, as well as the siphon tube from the valve.
  4. The fire extinguisher recharge services technician helps clean the valve, substitutes the valve neck o-ring, and visually examines the device for indications of damage both inside and out.
  5. After cleaning, the valve is rebuilt with a fresh valve stem to guarantee correct seating and prevent pressure loss in the future.
  6. The extinguishing agent (carbon dioxide, water, dry chemical, etc.) is replaced by weight to the proper quantity for the unit's size and as directed in the unit's recharging instructions.
  7. The device is re-pressurized using the appropriate pressurizing gas, as specified in the recharge instructions.
  8. The technician performs a Leak Test to look for leaks and then replaces the discharge hose or nozzle.
  9. The extinguisher is measured again to ensure that the overall weight is within the manufacturer's permitted tolerance.
  10. A new tamper seal is fitted on the safety pin, and a new refill tag is affixed to the unit, each tag stating the unit's overall weight and the technician's identification.

Should You Recharge or Replace Your Fire Extinguisher?

Although you should always look for recharging options first, a replacement is sometimes the best solution. Your fire extinguisher should be replaced:

If the canister's charge is steadily depleting: If you haven't utilized your fire extinguisher in a long period of time and the pressure gauge is steadily dropping, the nozzle might be leaking, or the shell could be damaged. In any case, a gradual reduction of pressure is sufficient justification to replace your fire extinguisher.

There are some signs to know if your extinguisher needs fire extinguisher recharge services.

If any additional components are broken: If the handle is shaky or the pin is damaged or missing, the fire extinguisher may not operate well when you require it to fight a fire. These types of issues should be discovered during monthly self-inspections, allowing you to replace the fire extinguisher as early as feasible.

If the inspection tag is absent, proceed as follows: This tag reveals the fire extinguisher's maintenance history. You won't know how long it's been since the previous inspection or how bad the canister is without it. When you can quickly replace the fire extinguisher with a new one that you know is dependable, it's not worth risking your building and the people within.

When it's the most cost-effective option: In certain cases, replacing the entire unit is less costly than recharging it, which is particularly true with tiny canisters. To be certain, look into your price choices.

Stay Protected and Prepared with Fire Extinguisher Recharge Services

Partnering with an expert fire protection provider to execute rigorous maintenance procedures like fire extinguisher recharge services is among the easiest methods to help safeguard your business against incipient-stage fires.

Only specialists should recharge fire extinguishers.

While a cursory assessment of a fire extinguisher may reveal a problem, only full inspections and upkeep procedures should be performed by fire prevention specialists. Our certified experts are ready 24/7 to recharge the fire extinguishers to guarantee regulatory compliance and functioning, whether after each use, at regular intervals during their life, or when depressurization occurs. Call us today to learn more!

FAQ

Can I recharge my fire extinguisher?

Fire extinguisher recharge services require education and training. It would be best to just go to a fire extinguisher servicing company and have them recharge your fire extinguishers for you.

How much is a fire extinguisher recharge?

Recharging a fire extinguisher would cost around $20 to $50 dollars, depending on the size. 

Where can you recharge fire extinguishers?

If you want your fire extinguisher recharged, you can contact a certified fire extinguisher repair company or technician.