How Often Should Fire Extinguishers Be Inspected?

Monthly visual inspection

Once a month, someone on site should look at every extinguisher and confirm it is where it belongs, visible and unobstructed, with the pressure gauge in the operable range, the pin and tamper seal intact, and no visible damage or corrosion. This check does not require a licensed technician — staff can do it, and the date should be recorded on the tag or in a log.

Annual maintenance inspection

Once a year, a qualified technician performs a more thorough maintenance inspection: examining the shell, valve, hose, and nozzle, verifying the correct extinguisher type and rating for the hazard, checking the weight and charge, and servicing or recharging as needed. The extinguisher is then tagged with the service date.

This is the inspection an inspector looks for first, because the tag makes it immediately visible whether the building is current.

Hydrostatic testing

On a longer cycle that depends on the extinguisher type — commonly 5 or 12 years — the cylinder must be hydrostatically tested to confirm it can still safely hold pressure. Units that fail, or that are too old or damaged to test, are replaced.

Common reasons extinguishers fail inspection

Most failures are not mechanical. They are placement and paperwork:

• Blocked or unmarked extinguisher locations
• Missing or illegible service tags
• Wrong extinguisher class for the hazard in that area
• Discharged or under-pressurized units still mounted
• Travel distance to the nearest extinguisher exceeding what the code allows

Get on a schedule

AZ Fire Protection, LLC services, recharges, tags, and replaces portable fire extinguishers throughout the Phoenix Metro area, and can put your building on an annual schedule so nothing lapses. Call (602) 908-8629 to arrange service.