A fire extinguisher is a device that contains a fire extinguisher and serves to extinguish initial or smaller fires. Fortunately, we don't use fire extinguishers often, so it is recommended that you occasionally take some time to check their condition.

For this reason, in order to be sure that the fire extinguisher will function properly in the event of an emergency, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance, periodic inspection and control testing.

* The description of the maintenance of fire extinguishers in this article is according to the regulations in the Republic of Croatia.

Regular fire extinguisher inspection

Regular inspection of the fire extinguisher is performed by its owner (user), it is recommended at least once every three months. During the regular inspection of the fire extinguisher, pay attention to the availability, position of the apparatus, its markings, whether it is completely complete and without damage, and the condition of the seal of the closure or valve on the fire extinguisher. If it is a fire extinguisher "P" with constant pressure, check the status of the manometer on the top of the apparatus and whether the pointer is in the green field.

During the regular inspection, it is necessary to pay attention to the position, marking, visibility and availability of the fire extinguisher, the condition in which the apparatus is located (the pointer on the pressure gauge must be in the green field), its completeness, the condition of the seal on the fire extinguisher, and that's about it. it is necessary to keep records.

In the records, you can enter the type of fire extinguisher and its factory number, serial number of the record label, inventory number, date of inspection and date of service, name of the service technician, comments observed during the inspection and the signature of the person in charge of fire safety supervision in your company, who confirms the correctness. The user is obliged to eliminate the observed defects immediately by himself or with the help of a professional.

After each use, the fire extinguisher should be inspected and refilled at an authorized service center.

Periodic inspection of fire extinguishers

As its owner, you are obliged to perform a periodic inspection of the fire extinguisher at least once a year by an authorized fire extinguisher repairer. If necessary, you can carry out a periodic inspection more often, depending on the conditions of the location of the fire extinguisher, which you decide on yourself.

In order not to exceed the deadline for the regular or periodic inspection of the fire extinguisher, you can always look at the sticker on the fire extinguisher that was affixed by an authorized service technician during the last service. By punching the sticker, the service technician indicates the month and year when the specified inspections of the fire extinguisher must be performed.

Periodic inspection of the fire extinguisher under constant pressure

Periodic inspection fire extinguisher under constant pressure includes:

1. external inspection of the general condition of the device with regard to corrosion and damage,

2. external inspection of the condition and completeness of all parts of the device,

3. review regarding the usability of the labels and operating instructions on the device,

4. control of the working pressure in the apparatus (except CO2 apparatus),

5. control of the correctness of the manometer (if enabled),

6. pulling out the fuse and sealing again,

7. inspection of the condition of the connecting pipe and nozzle with air blowing and mandatory replacement of damaged or worn parts and seals,

8. checking the mass of extinguishing agents by weighing, and writing on a self-adhesive label (picture 1 in the attachment), and sticking it on the container of the device

9. shaking the device in an inverted position for the purpose of shaking the powder

Periodic inspection of fire extinguisher with ABC bottle

Periodic inspection fire extinguisher with CO₂ cartridge includes actions under 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 from Article 7 and the following actions:

1. removing the shutter, checking the operation of the activation mechanism and all seals,

2. checking the riser and excitation pipe,

3 checking the mass of propellant gas in the bottle by weighing,

4. writing the weighed mass and the date on a self-adhesive label and sticking it on the bottle (picture 2 in the attachment). Discard bottles older than 20 years.

5. in the case of devices filled with powder, check the condition of the powder in terms of flowability, the appearance of lumps and foreign bodies. For portable devices, close the opening of the container, shake the powder by turning the device over and shaking it. Lay down the transport devices and shake them. Unusable powder must be completely replaced with a new one of the same type. Sifting of powder is not allowed. Perform the mentioned operations in a dry, closed room and in the shortest possible time, to avoid wetting the powder with moisture from the air.

6. empty fire extinguishers with a water-based agent, check the inside of the tank for corrosion, and if it is satisfactory, refill it.

Control test of the fire extinguisher

The control test of fire extinguishers must be carried out at least every five years, and includes all actions provided for by periodic inspection, with the addition of the following actions:

1. in the case of devices under constant pressure, releasing the pressure from the device and opening the container,

2. disassembling the shutter or valve, checking the activation mechanism and replacing all seals,

3. checking riser pipes,

4. empty the powder from the devices filled with powder while checking the condition of the powder in terms of flowability and the appearance of lumps,

5. from devices filled with halon, pump halon from the tank,

6. inspection of the interior of the tank,

7. filling the tank with water with the addition of corrosion inhibitors and hydraulic testing of the strength and tightness of the tank according to the manufacturer's instructions. If damage, leaks or permanent deformations are observed during the test, the container must be discarded and its further use disabled;

8. drying of the tested container from the outside and inside,

9. imprinting on the bottom of the container the marking of the year of the test and the sign of the authorized company that performed the test,

10. before refilling the container of the apparatus with powder, put a ring on the bottom of the container on which the year of execution of the mentioned action should be marked, not indelibly,

11. checking the opening pressure of the safety valve except for the spraying membranes,

12. replacement of the bursting membranes on the safety valves.

After the tests, fill the device according to the manufacturer's instructions with the same extinguishing agent, that is, with the same propellant gas.

After the control test, mark the device with a sticker. By punching holes in the label, mark the year of the inspection and the code of the expert who performed the inspection.

For devices over 15 years old, except for CO2 devices, all actions required by the control test must be performed every two years.

Authorized companies or shops are obliged to keep records of the performed periodic inspection and control tests. The record contains information about the type, factory number and user of the device, as well as the date of the operation.

Fire extinguisher installation

When installing a fire extinguisher, the most important thing is to pay attention to its availability. The same applies to placing a fire extinguisher inside a building or a car.

The fire extinguisher should be placed in a visible and easily accessible place. To mount the fire extinguisher on the wall, use the wall bracket supplied with the appliance. Also for cars and other vehicles, use apparatus carriers and boxes for fire extinguishers (trucks). Apparatus holders allow you to secure the fire extinguisher and avoid its movement in the vehicle and its activation. In addition to all of the above, the boxes on the trucks protect the fire extinguisher from weather and mechanical influences.

In the building (residential or commercial, office, store), make sure that the path to the fire extinguisher is not blocked (by furniture and the like). Access to the fire extinguisher must always be possible and its location should be clearly marked with a wall sticker to indicate the location of the fire extinguisher.

The label for marking the position of the fire extinguisher must be according to the prescribed standard (size 15x15 cm), and must not be placed at a height higher than 1.5 meters.

Contact us with confidence and reliably perform all types of service and filling of fire extinguishers in our authorized service center. For any additional questions about fire extinguisher service, contact our service: [email protected]