Fire Extinguisher Servicing

[Jon magowan]

I have just taken delivery of two new fire extinguishers to replace the expired ones on my newly purchased yacht. I noticed that one of the new devices was already 15 months old. If fire extinguishers need to be serviced annually then this one is already out of date plus I’ve lost a considerable chunk of its 5 year life !

I contacted the retailer (The Fire Protection Shop) and a very helpful and knowledgeable chap called Jason took my call. He offered to replace the fire extinguisher with a more recent one but admitted that it would probably be several months old. He told me that, as a recreational boater there was no practical or legal reason why I needed to service this device annually. He also explained that the five year life started from the original invoice date and not the manufacture date since that’s when the five year warranty ran from and that’s when the device was checked at the company.

There are two issues here for me;

1. Is the annual service, as recommended by the RYA and others, really necessary (or practical) or is it just total overkill ?

2. If I have a fire onboard (God forbid) while the extinguisher is still under warranty BUT more than 5 years old, is my insurer likely to reject my claim out of hand?

I would be very interested to hear other’s views. I am a novice sailor. All this is quite new to me!

PS I’m still looking for a second hand MeterMaid ?

 

[PlanB]

We just used to buy the small sized extinguishers when Lidl had them on special offer and replace them when expiry date loomed/next offer was available.

 

[Sandy]

Pretty sure there is no recommendations from the RYA regards service fire extinguishers for leisure boats, coded boats might be different. When I was working full time I was a fire warden and from memory the 'service' was to check that pressure was still showing green and weighing the contents.

You will need to speak to your insurance regarding point two.

You did buy Water Mist extinguishers? Always worth a share to see the mess power causes.

 

[ylop]

There are two issues here for me;

1. Is the annual service, as recommended by the RYA and others, really necessary (or practical) or is it just total overkill ?

What does your annual service consist of? Beyond checking to make sure the needle is still in green, that "5 yr" date has not expired and if you are using powder you give them a good shake around to stop in compacting what more are you doing?

2. If I have a fire onboard (God forbid) while the extinguisher is still under warranty BUT more than 5 years old, is my insurer likely to reject my claim out of hand?

does your insurer actually insist on anything? Off the top of my head mine didn't ask age, just a tick box to say there was an extinguisher. However if I set it off and it does its job but I have a "small" claim I cant imagine any insurer trying to argue I had been negligent. If I was worried they might I'd just have disposed of the used and now worthless extinguisher before the loss adjustor came to inspect. If the extinguisher failed I doubt there is enough of it present to read an expiry date! But you would have proof when you purchased it.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Thé RYA only recommend that fire extinguishers are serviced in accordance with manufacturers schedule, which of course could vary according to make.

 

[Refueler]

This is just my opinion and also from Commercial side ...

Commercial / Shipping -
............. yes annual inspections.
............. On board records of service such as shaking / up turning powder ....

Private boater ?
As far as I am aware most countries such as UK do not require annual inspections - in fact I don't think even an expiry date is even regulated.

I now live in Latvia and our cars have to carry an 'in-date' First Aid Kit and Fire Extinguisher .... so local supermarket / car shops have excellent F/Exts on sale .....
When I replace the car ext .... I give a good check of condition ... it its good - it gets mounted in the garage / workshop to supplement already existing. I also swap with older on the boat. Only if I go 'Coded' - that is rent the boat out or engage in business with it - does the boat then get regulated on safety gear. I think UK may be similar in that regard.

 

[Jon magowan]

Thanks for the responses.

From the RYA website…..

“Extinguishers should be serviced at the appropriate intervals by an approved service agent”. Quite right Praxinoscope. Thank you.

Seems I just need to check the gauge stays in the green and replace after five years from purchase.

 

[Malabarista]

Admittedly not RYA but in the construction industry the fire extinguishers need to be inspected annually by a competent person. My boss sent me on a course ( 2 day) and i am now a competent person. We have about 150 extinguishers which keep me busy for a couple of days a year. I’m not sure how much the course cost but i bet it wasnt expensive. Maybe for a club?

 

[Jon magowan]

Ah perfect, Malabarista. So what exactly do you do on an annual inspection ?

 

[Praxinoscope]

Malabrista, what is required by various H&S regulations in a commercial/public service industry is of course very different to the relatively unregulated world of UK boating, commercial vessels will certainly be required to follow the regulated service schedules, but on private use boats it is very much up to the owner on what servicing they feel may be acceptable.
I’m not conversant with regulations on inland waterways where there may be very specific regulations, but in general there are recommendations for most boats, and new boats are required to meet certain criteria, but many older boats in private ownership may or may not even be carrying even the recomended number or type of extinguisher. The question arises does anyone ever police this?
Your insurance company will certainly insist upon fire extinguishers.

 

[Refueler]

Ah perfect, Malabarista. So what exactly do you do on an annual inspection ?

Most retail Extinguishers are not owner serviceable. They are sealed unit designed to be replaced when used or indication of need to.

Larger intended for shipping / industrial can be owner serviceable with some such as Shipping requiring Certified personnel at specified intervals. Routine servicing conducted by appointed officer on board ... then full testing at periods by Cert'd .
That can entail ... pressure testing the ext itself, small samples of foam A / B to see reaction ... actions that you cannot conduct.

I doubt that your Ext's are intended for owner service ... most likely what are termed "Fit and Forget" units ...

 

[Daverw]

Where did the replace at 5 years come from? I check mine annually, write the checked date on the side, visual inspection only needed

 

[Jon magowan]

Well, my surveyor told me that these things require an extended service after 5 years, so just cheaper to replace ant that point. Also warranty is only for 5 years.

So my question now is, if anybody asks if my fire extinguishers are ‘in date’, what does that mean ?

 

[Malabarista]

Ah perfect, Malabarista. So what exactly do you do on an annual inspection ?

Depends on the type of extinguisher but mostly common sense stuff. We weigh and shake dry powder inspect for rust and check hoses, check pressure on CO bottles put a sticker on with date of next service. If they have been discharged or gone past their five years we replace them and hand the old ones into London Fire. My point was that a ‘competent person’ can be anybody really. Just buy some stickers and apply common sense.

 

[Refueler]

Depends on the type of extinguisher but mostly common sense stuff. We weigh and shake dry powder inspect for rust and check hoses, check pressure on CO bottles put a sticker on with date of next service. If they have been discharged or gone past their five years we replace them and hand the old ones into London Fire. My point was that a ‘competent person’ can be anybody really. Just buy some stickers and apply common sense.

Its same for Lifejackets ..... self test / inspection ... mark the label with date.

 

[Momac]

2. If I have a fire onboard (God forbid) while the extinguisher is still under warranty BUT more than 5 years old, is my insurer likely to reject my claim out of hand?

I don't think there can be any insurers requirement to fight a fire. The only insurance requirement I have is for an engine bay extinguisher to be fitted which I do have.

As we are on inland waters we have a Boat Safety Certificate which is renewed every 4 years. My extinguishers have dial gauge and no expiry date . Providing the gauge is on green the extinguishers pass.

A fire blanket is potentially useful on a boat and never goes out of date.

.

 

[Daverw]

Well, my surveyor told me that these things require an extended service after 5 years, so just cheaper to replace ant that point. Also warranty is only for 5 years.

So my question now is, if anybody asks if my fire extinguishers are ‘in date’, what does that mean ?

I would and do answer yes, look at the inspection due date and detail when done in ships log book, warranty has no effect here, do you always change stuff when warranty expires?
this was when we were surveyed just before Christmas marked as very good by our surveyor.

 

[Neeves]

If everyone retires, ie sends to garbage, every 5 years that's an incredible waste (a bit like flares). One might have thought there was a way of recycling (extinguishers, not flares). I've never used an extinguisher, nor have any desire to have the need, other time expired items, LJs, harnesses, tethers - are used regularly.

Gas cylinders are recycled and last for ever - what's special about fire extinguishers that they are almost all never used and simply go to land fill.

Interestingly the few boat fires that I have seen reported are catastrophic and the vessel a total loss - usually anyone on board gets as far away as possible - use of tiny fire extinguishers are never mentioned. As mentioned fire blankets in the galley never go out of date (we have one) but again never used (never used one at home either).

Its a good industry to be in, regular, predictable sales, no need for marketing, no changes in technology to worry about (or not that I know of).......

Caravans and motor homes should have similar requirements....do they? and if they do they add to the rather worrying environmental impact with waste.

Jonathan

 

[Daverw]

I would expect to send any old fire extinguisher to scrap yard/ metal recycling, it’s only a steel tank filled with water and low pressure gas/ air?

 

[Gsailor]

There are different types of extinguishers and different services.

My foam ones were opened and the man poured in some chemicals (long time ago and memory only tells me that the two chemicals produced the foam). He topped them up.

Other extinguishers were unscrewed and the pressure delivering device was repressurised using a compressor or he simply replaced the 'bulb' pressure thing.

I only had foam, water, co2 and the awful powder ones back then. The water mist had not hit the market then.

He did all this regardless of any guages in the green.