I have a fire extinguisher in the garage that the gauge says to recharge. Is this practical/cost effective or should I just replace it. I quick look for places to have it serviced wasn't very fruitful.
Fire Extinguisher Recharging Question
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Unless you have a fire station near you that will do it for you it usually is not!
It all depends if it not only needs recharging but also if it needs hydrostatic testing if it's a steel bodied extinguisher!
Cheaper to buy a new one!
It all depends if it not only needs recharging but also if it needs hydrostatic testing if it's a steel bodied extinguisher!
Cheaper to buy a new one!
Unless you have a fire station near you that will do it for you it usually is not!
It all depends if it not only needs recharging but also if it needs hydrostatic testing if it's a steel bodied extinguisher!
Cheaper to buy a new one!
Not always.
Retest recert recharge should run about 75/100 on a small 2.25 or lb unit. I sell this one
Yes its a halon unit so it is a little more (aviation) sells for 225.00.
Recert on it is usually under 75.
Look for a local fire safety/extinguisher shop
Ran a google search found several around the puget sound.
https://www.google.com/search?sourc...1j0i10k1j0i13k1j0i22i30k1j33i21k1.MNQQQ1Wl1mw
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I know precious little about this kind of thing EXCEPT to say that smallish-sized fire extinguishers made by KIDDE are typically priced in the $10-$20 range at Home Depot or Lowe's. These are new and probably have a shelf life of 10 years or more. For a hundred bucks you could put one in numerous places around your house.
steveno
Member
I had some fire extinguishers a couple of years ago and while the gauges were reading ok I was kind of wondering if they were any good because they had been sitting around for years so I took them out on country road and fired them off and neither of them worked very well. I checked with a place that charges them and they wouldn't do it because they were too old. I don't remember the year that was the cutoff. I ended up just going to wally world and got one $25(?).
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/463800-fire-extinguisher.html?463800=#post138947285
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/463800-fire-extinguisher.html?463800=#post138947285
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oneounceload
Member
The concern with old ones is that many times, the chemical inside (whether just baking soda or more complex) can solidify, rendering the unit useless. A fire safety/extinguisher place can do the refill and cert, but as mentioned, buying new ones can be cheaper - especially in the backyard of Costco.
DWalt
Member
Yes, caking can be a problem with the dry powder fire extinguishers. Instructions for those usually specify that they be turned and shaken periodically to break up lumps, but most people never bother to do that. I think I will go shake my kitchen and garage FEs now - it has been a long time.
oneounceload
Member
I just checked the one in my garage - it was last serviced/certified in 2000; the dust on top is rather thick...............Mine are/were "commercial" grade (whatever that means) as I got them through my employer at the time.
It's usually cheaper to replace them, and recharging should be done only with all-metal extinguishers. If your extinguisher has a plastic valve like most consumer extinguishers, forget about recharging it.
Since it is easier/cheaper to replace them, how do you dispose of the old ones? Can't recycle and I don't think you can place in the trash. ? Discharge and put in recycle?
Faulkner
Member
The commercial grade dry chemical extinguishers that are most common are supposed to be hydro tested every 5 years. If it needs a hydro test it's not really coast effective unless you are doing them in quantity, say 25 or more from one building.
Here locally there are a couple of fire fighters who have a side business of servicing extinguishers. We seem to use the extinguishers in our patrol cars fairly often and they'll refill our dry chemical extinguishers for $10 each, and I take them my personal extinguishers for refills after I use them for controlling brush fires and such. There are some big regional or nation wide companies that do refills, but since extinguisher refilling is a low tech low overhead business almost any town of size has a mom & pop or two that does refilling.
We replace all the extinguishers from our patrol cars every 5 years and we take the old ones to the fire department and they use them for training.
Here locally there are a couple of fire fighters who have a side business of servicing extinguishers. We seem to use the extinguishers in our patrol cars fairly often and they'll refill our dry chemical extinguishers for $10 each, and I take them my personal extinguishers for refills after I use them for controlling brush fires and such. There are some big regional or nation wide companies that do refills, but since extinguisher refilling is a low tech low overhead business almost any town of size has a mom & pop or two that does refilling.
We replace all the extinguishers from our patrol cars every 5 years and we take the old ones to the fire department and they use them for training.
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As others have said, if you have a Kidde or other plastic valve extinguisher, buy a new one. A true commercial/ industrial extinguisher should have a paper or plastic tag with the certification instructions. Halon extinguishers use a specialized chemical that is very expensive to replace and re-certify.
Aircraft quality extinguishers at $225 are not what you need in a home. Get a bunch of 2.5 pound Kidde extinguishers and replace them as needed. Mount them on the brackets supplied or use US Coast Guard approved steel brackets.
In the years that I did Red Cross after fire assistance (Disaster Action Team), I never saw any burned up home that had even a 2.5 pound extinguisher. After that experience, I have them all over my house. You only get a few seconds of spray from a 2.5 pound extinguisher. If you can handle larger ones, get those from a fire extinguisher supply company. Big box stores only sell small ones. Put one in your garage and in your kitchen at a minimum.
Aircraft quality extinguishers at $225 are not what you need in a home. Get a bunch of 2.5 pound Kidde extinguishers and replace them as needed. Mount them on the brackets supplied or use US Coast Guard approved steel brackets.
In the years that I did Red Cross after fire assistance (Disaster Action Team), I never saw any burned up home that had even a 2.5 pound extinguisher. After that experience, I have them all over my house. You only get a few seconds of spray from a 2.5 pound extinguisher. If you can handle larger ones, get those from a fire extinguisher supply company. Big box stores only sell small ones. Put one in your garage and in your kitchen at a minimum.
Alpo
Member
I've got three of the Kidde "1A/10BC" extinguishers. One is on the wall next to the stove, one is in the truck, and the third is still in the box, in storage. Probably got all three of them at the same time - when I moved into the house in '92.
So - oughta just take 'em to the fire station - "Here, these are OLD. Maybe y'all can use 'em for training" - and go down to Sams and get some more? The needle is still in the green on all three of them. But I have been wondering about "powder caking".
So - oughta just take 'em to the fire station - "Here, these are OLD. Maybe y'all can use 'em for training" - and go down to Sams and get some more? The needle is still in the green on all three of them. But I have been wondering about "powder caking".
dave holl
Absent Comrade
I bought a used CO2 extinguisher years ago. Very heavy steel body with a black funnel nozzle. Tested it by discharging......worked fine, then had it recharged at the local welding supply with CO2. It is kept in the shop.
OP
I Googled this question and the most often response was to discharged it, let it sit for a few days, then put in in the trash.
Caking of the DC agent is accelerated with vibration. Extinguishers in a boat or vehicle need to be shaken and inverted frequently to combat this.
The proper extinguisher in the hands of someone TRAINED can be very effective. Perhaps the local fire department or a nearby fire would academy could be encouraged to put on demonstration/training day.
Kevin
The proper extinguisher in the hands of someone TRAINED can be very effective. Perhaps the local fire department or a nearby fire would academy could be encouraged to put on demonstration/training day.
Kevin
oneounceload
Member
Also, if you do not have a fast direct exit from a bedroom in case of fire, one there might be helpful in allowing you to escape to the outside.
As to disposal, if they are still under pressure, they can make a heckuva sight when shot at 100 yards with a high-powered rifle....
, just clean up afterwards.........
