[AT] fire extinguishers

[Steve W.]

jtchall at nc.rr.com wrote:
> My problem with fire extinguishers is not buying them, its having to 
> replace/recharge them. I've got several and FORTUNATELY none of them have 
> ever been used. Unfortunately some of them are over 15 years old. I need to 
> check with a local shop to see how often they should be recharged and 
> whether I would be cheaper to replace them.
> 
> John Hall

The NFPA standard is to have them recharged every 6 years and 
hydro-tested every 12 years.
If you are a business OR any type of shop with fire insurance then 
follow that at the very least.

Normally I will go through and inspect mine every 6 months. That 
involves checking the mount, look over the entire thing for damage or 
rust, check the pressure gauge, and sign the tag.

IF you are friends with the local FD you can possibly go through them to 
have the units serviced cheaper. If any of them have plastic valves they 
are likely single use. The best solution then is to replace the ones 
likely to be used with new units, but good ones are not cheap, again you 
can sometimes get them at a discount through the FD.

-- 
Steve W.