Do fire extinguishers expire? How long they last and when to replace them

Do fire extinguishers expire? It depends on the type you have. A rechargeable extinguisher has no set expiration date, and most stay in service as long as they get their maintenance and pass their tests. A disposable one comes out of service within 12 years of the date it was made. This is how long each type lasts, where to find the dates to check, and when one has to be replaced.

How long do fire extinguishers last?

A rechargeable extinguisher is built to be opened up, refilled and tested. The standard for portable extinguishers, NFPA 10, sets no age limit on most of them. One lasts as long as it gets its maintenance, passes its cylinder tests, and can still be serviced the way the manufacturer's manual says.

A disposable extinguisher, also called nonrechargeable, is meant to be used once. It is not refilled or pressure-tested. It comes out of service within 12 years of the date it was made, or sooner if an inspection finds a problem with it.

Fire extinguisher 6-year maintenance and hydrostatic testing

Alongside a quick visual check every month, three kinds of service come around on a fixed schedule. These come from NFPA 10, and your authority having jurisdiction may require more.

• Once a year: maintenance. A technician examines the extinguisher, and a tag records the month and year, who did the work and which company.
• Every six years: an internal examination. Most stored-pressure dry chemical extinguishers are emptied and examined inside and out. If the same work is done during a recharge or a hydrostatic test, the six years start again from that date.
• Every five or 12 years: a hydrostatic test. The cylinder is filled with water and pressure-tested to confirm it is still strong. Water, foam, wet chemical and carbon dioxide extinguishers are tested every five years. Dry chemical extinguishers are generally tested every 12.

On a wet chemical extinguisher, the kind used in commercial kitchens, the liquid inside is also discarded and replaced at the five-year test. Our article on the Class K fire extinguisher explains where those belong. The full schedule for each type is on our fire protection inspection calendar.

Where is the expiration date on a fire extinguisher?

NFPA 10 does not call for an expiration date on a rechargeable extinguisher. Check these dates instead:

• The annual tag. It shows the last maintenance. Our guide on how to read a fire extinguisher inspection tag covers what it records.
• The six-year label. A separate label on the extinguisher with the month and year of the last internal examination.
• The hydrostatic test record. A label on the cylinder or, on a carbon dioxide extinguisher, a date stamped into the metal.
• The date it was made. This sets the 12-year limit on a disposable extinguisher.

When to replace a fire extinguisher

When an inspection finds a problem with a rechargeable extinguisher, the first step is maintenance. It is replaced when:

• The cylinder fails its hydrostatic test or the examination that goes with it.
• The cylinder is damaged. Examples are damaged threads, corrosion that has left pits in the metal, a deep dent, an earlier repair by welding or soldering, or exposure to fire or excessive heat.
• It can no longer be serviced the way the manufacturer's manual says.
• It is an older model that NFPA 10 lists as obsolete. That includes any extinguisher made before 1955, any that has to be turned upside down to work, and hand-carried stored-pressure dry chemical extinguishers made in 1984 or earlier.

A disposable extinguisher is replaced when it reaches 12 years. Either way, NFPA 10 calls for a replacement right away, suited to the fire risk in that area and with at least the same rating.

What to do with an expired fire extinguisher

A disposable dry chemical extinguisher that fails an inspection is emptied and discarded, or sent back to the manufacturer. A disposable extinguisher that holds halon is not emptied. It goes back to the manufacturer, a fire equipment dealer or a distributor so the halon can be recovered. A cylinder that fails its test is condemned, which means it cannot be repaired or reused.

We supply replacement extinguishers and take care of disposing of obsolete and condemned ones.

What we find most often

Most of the extinguisher findings in our experience are a six-year internal examination or a hydrostatic test that is due or overdue.

We test, service and replace portable extinguishers across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware as part of our fire extinguisher service. Send us a list of your extinguishers and we'll put the six-year and hydrostatic test dates on your inspection schedule.