Do home fire extinguishers expire?

[JEDI]

I bought a First Alert type ABC (all 3 fire types) fire extinguisher but I don't remember when.
maybe 5yrs ago?

there's no expiration date on the fire extinguisher.
I have never used it.

do they expire?
if so, what is the general rule of thumb?

 

[Blain]

Make sure the unit has full pressure and no corrosion.
The chemical inside will continue to work as long as the valve isn't damaged and there is pressure to expel the chemical.

Units with metal heads can be refilled after use. Discharge times vary according to the unit weight, but are still only seconds with any weight.

 

[highland145]

Remember reading somewhere that the chemical can "settle" in the bottom and might not work right. However, replaced my Mom's 20+ year old one. Tried it out and it worked fine.

 

[NutBucket]

Yes, all extinguishers should be checked/recharged. Of it can't be serviced replace it.

However, that's probably more for liability purposes. It'll probably be fine but do you want to find out its not when you really need it?

 

[calahan]

Remember reading somewhere that the chemical can "settle" in the bottom and might not work right. However, replaced my Mom's 20+ year old one. Tried it out and it worked fine.

You can't surely say if it works or not, after the expiration date it has a 50% chance that it will works fine.

 

[DrPizza]

You can't surely say if it works or not, after the expiration date it has a 50% chance that it will works fine.

I would bet that it's far greater than 50% chance that it will still work fine. I haven't noticed expiration dates on my own fire extinguishers. But, you know what's better than having a brand new fire extinguisher under the sink? Having a brand new fire extinguisher under the sink AND an older fire extinguisher that most likely still works. After that, when you see them on sale every once in a while, pick up a new one. Replace the older one under the kitchen sink. Take the older one and stick it somewhere that it might just possibly come in handy some day (garage, etc.)

 

[bryanl]

The C certification only means the extinguisher is safe for use on electrical fires but says nothing about its fire fighting capacity, which is indicated by A (flammable solids) or B (flammable liquids) and a numerical score for each (higher = better) of at least 1 each, if not explicityly stated. It's common for small dry powder extinguishers to be rated 5BC, but that doesn't mean it can't fight type A fires but only that it can't fight them as well as 1 gallon of water. In other words, if all you have is a BC extinguisher, don't hesitate to use it on a type A fire.

 

[JEDI]

The C certification only means the extinguisher is safe for use on electrical fires but says nothing about its fire fighting capacity, which is indicated by A (flammable solids) or B (flammable liquids) and a numerical score for each (higher = better) of at least 1 each, if not explicityly stated. It's common for small dry powder extinguishers to be rated 5BC, but that doesn't mean it can't fight type A fires but only that it can't fight them as well as 1 gallon of water. In other words, if all you have is a BC extinguisher, don't hesitate to use it on a type A fire.

yeah, I said all types.
oh.. I see that I typed C. changed to abc.
thx

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