fire extinguishers - renewal date

[castoffandgone]

I asked a friend who keeps an eye on our boat as we live 200miles away to check the dates on my on-board fire extinguishers, There are three as per OEM. He says the only date shown is the date when new i.e. 5 years old - supplied with the boat new. They are red ones and have no pressure gauge on them. Any idea if they are due for some form of check or renewal?

 

[Talulah]

Standard Fire Extinguishers do not usually have an expiry date.
Automatic Extinguishers do. These used to have a 5 year expiry date but these days it is typically a 10 year expiry date.
I would not be happy with extinguishers that were not fitted with a gauge. This in itself is grounds for replacing them especially considering how cheap they are.
Coding requires a discharge test when fire years old.

 

[castoffandgone]

Thanks Talulah, that is what I needed to know. All my other kit is 'in date' so replacing the extinguishers will not break the bank.

 

[PeterR]

Standard Fire Extinguishers do not usually have an expiry date.
Automatic Extinguishers do. These used to have a 5 year expiry date but these days it is typically a 10 year expiry date.
I would not be happy with extinguishers that were not fitted with a gauge. This in itself is grounds for replacing them especially considering how cheap they are.
Coding requires a discharge test when fire years old.

Most French supplied extinguishers do have an expiry date despite having a guage. Certainly the ones supplied with my Dufour had a five year certified life. The French authorities are reputed to include extiguishers in their boat checks if they start doing a full boat check.

I replaced mine with British ones - with a guage and no date - and continue to keep the French ones at home. Provided the guage is still in the green and you can hear the powder shifting when you shake the cylinder they have always worked when ever I have fire an old one off.

 

[Uricanejack]

Fire extingushers should be checked anualy.
Depending upon type there are different ways to check.
If you have CO2 it simple they are black in the UK and they will have a weight full and empty stamed in them, Check the Weight, aslong as it is not less than 80 or 90% (memory fails for exact)its good. They can only be recharged by suplyer.
Dry chem are ususaly blue and come in diferent types. Smaller 5lb generaly have a guage. If guage is in full range, No rust, give it a shake without turning over it should be good. they are basicaly disposable.
larger 10 lb usualy dont have guage. they have a internal CO2 cylinder. And are not under presure until released. to check give a shake to loosen chem it compacts over time especialy if subject to vibration. keep right way up.(If you turn upside down some of chem can get into the discharge and compact and block discharge)
Oppen the top by unscrewing it should turn easy unless under presure there are presure release holes in top to prevent flying of in your face turn slowly. unscrew clylender it will have full and empty weight stamed on it aslong as weight of cylinder ok its ok.
Water foam are usualy very similar red for water yellow for foam.
may be presurised or have internal CO2 cylinder.
Presurised can often be recharged with a tire compresor and have simmilar fitting at the top as a car tire.
otherwise it has internal cylinder like dry chem checksamw way. water level is usualy a mark on extingusher or by the marke on discharge tube.

 

[Stemar]

IIRC, the colour codes went out some time ago. You have to read the label now.

Last year, I finally disposed of a little powder extinguisher with an expiry date in the '80s. It was on the boat when I bought it and I had 2 2kg jobs that were well in date, so I left it on the grounds that it wouldn't do any harm and might do some good. On instruction from the harbourmaster, I set it off into the wheely bin so it wouldn't blow up when crushed. It worked fine, so I wish I'd kept it except that les flics maritimes might have something to say about it if I stray into their juristriction.

If you need new powder jobs, Ikea do a 2Kg one with guage and, from memory, no expiry date, for £30, £20 with a Family Card. Lidl or Aldi do them from time to time for significantly less, but Ikea has the advantage that you can get one when you want it. They also do a fire blanket for a tenner (£15 without the card)

 

[wadget]

IIRC, the colour codes went out some time ago. You have to read the label now.

New ones are red but should have 5% of it of the appropriate colour for they type it is.