What to do with old fire extinguishers?

[Leighb]

As per title, I have several out of date/low pressure dry powder extinguishers and wish to dispose of them responsibly. I don't think I should just stick them in the dustbin. Any suggestions?

 

[Sandy]

Light a fire and practice using the extinguisher.

 

[Catalina36]

Light a fire and practice using the extinguisher.

Light the fire by testing an out of date flare.

 

[Sandy]

Light the fire by testing an out of date flare.

An interesting match, should we also be using last year's fuel?

 

[PilotWolf]

Light a fire and practice using the extinguisher.

Just be aware dry power is messy and stings if you get it in your eyes!

W.

 

[septiclecky]

Can't it be serviced by a fire extinguisher engineer and put back into service?

 

[Topcat47]

My current problem is the disposal of 5 litres of 5 year old unleaded. I'm not daft enough to use it as a firelighter, not blasé enough to pop it into the petrol tank along with some fresh.

 

[Boater Sam]

I use empty ones fitted with a tank connector as heating system expansion tanks. Epoxy the insides first.
Sam.

 

[NormanS]

Just fire them into the skip. At least you will then know if they would have worked.

 

[rjandhl]

We took several to the local household waste centre, they took them and added them to a stack of others.

 

[Catalina36]

My current problem is the disposal of 5 litres of 5 year old unleaded. I'm not daft enough to use it as a firelighter, not blasé enough to pop it into the petrol tank along with some fresh.

Stick it in your car a gallon at a time. 5 tankfuls, gone.

 

[Catalina36]

They're like flares and insurance. They're stuff you buy because everyone does and you think you should, then you never need them and eventually you throw them out and buy some more. Repeat, or not. Get a bucket of water.

 

[James_Calvert]

I had this problem with an ancient BCF extinguisher. While I pondered it served well as a hat peg.

This year I took it off to clean behind it. Sometime in the past 35 years it had emptied itself.

So I binned it.

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

Stick it in your car a gallon at a time. 5 tankfuls, gone.

Where have the other four gallons come from?

 

[doraymefa]

What do you define as being old when applied to a fire extinguisher?

 

[pyrojames]

What do you define as being old when applied to a fire extinguisher?

When the pressure guage is no longer in the green!

 

[Leighb]

When the pressure guage is no longer in the green!

What James said, plus another when I removed to check it found a “use by” date on the rear of 2007!!

 

[ghostlymoron]

I'd just fire it off in a secluded spot in the garden - it would give you an idea of what happens if you ever have to do it for real.

 

[Sniper]

Just fire them into the skip. At least you will then know if they would have worked.

Exactly what I did with one of mine a year or so ago. Needle was well in to the green sector but the extinguisher was a few years beyond its ‘use by’ date. The paltry stream of powder that came out convinced me that a) replacement was necessary and b) even In their prime they were unlikely to be hugely useful in fighting a substantial fire.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Get them services and re pressurised and put then back in use.

We have to do this every year for our safety certificate.

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