Fire Extinguisher Servicing
Our Engineers follow UK servicing standard BS 5306-3 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers (code of practice). The code of practice puts the responsibility on the user (i.e. the company) to use a competent person to perform the annual inspections. A record of the Service and the due date of the next service should be recorded in the log book and the maintenance label on the extinguisher. Regular checks are also a requirement, and the responsible person should ensure this is completed on a monthly basis and recorded.
In addition to the annual servicing all extinguishers are required to undergo an extended service, which varies dependant on the type. Whilst water, foam and wet chemical can be recharged on site, powder extinguishers are extremely messy and Co2 extinguishers require a specialist hydraulic test at an approved workshop. In all instances we will look at recharging but where it is more cost effective to replace with a new extinguisher this would be a recommendation to our client.
| Extinguisher Type | Basic Service | Extended Service | Overhaul |
| Co2 | Annually | Every 10 years | |
| Foam | Annually | Every 5 years | |
| Powder | Annually | Every 5 years | |
| Water | Annually | Every 5 years | |
| Water with additive | Annually | Every 5 years | |
| Water mist | Annually | Every 5 years | |
| Wet Chemical | Annually | Every 5 years | |
| P50* | Annually** | Every 10 years | |
| FireXo* | Annually | Every 5 years |
** (in house competent person)
The maximum life expectancy of most fire extinguishers is up to 20 years, however the quality of manufacture with regards to fire extinguishers does differ and some if not maintained correctly may not last too long, especially when kept in harsher environments.
The P50* extinguisher falls outside of the scope of BS5306-3 and as such can be visually inspected by a competent person within the organisation. Whilst more expensive to purchase they can provide longer term cost savings if installed correctly and a cost comparison having been correctly completed. FireXo* extinguisher also fall out of the wider scope of BS5306-3 but do require an annual service by a competent person. As an ‘All Fire’ extinguisher it can provide a solution to having a number of varying extinguishers to combat a wider range of fire classifications.