Protecting your home and family from a fire is important. Your home should have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, and you should know how to use and maintain them. Fire extinguishers need regular inspections. You can make routine inspections yourself, but you'll also need to have a professional inspect and service your fire extinguishers periodically. Here are some tips for maintaining and inspecting your extinguishers.

Do A Visual Check Monthly

Check your fire extinguishers regularly to make sure they're where they are supposed to be and that they can be accessed easily. Also, check for signs of damage and verify the pressure reading is in the right range. If the pressure is too low or if you see rusted areas or a dent in an extinguisher, have the fire extinguisher checked out by a professional to make sure it's safe to use.

You can put a tag on your extinguisher to initial and date each inspection to help you remember. If you change your HVAC filter regularly, you may want to do that when you check your extinguishers and test your smoke detectors so you remember to do all your monthly maintenance checks.

Have An Inspection Yearly

If you have several fire extinguishers, you might want a technician to come to your home for the annual inspection. However, you can also take your equipment to a fire equipment company as long as you have backups at home. By having your extinguishers checked once a year, you will have peace of mind the extinguishers are safe to use and will operate as they should.

During an annual inspection, a fire extinguisher is checked thoroughly by a professional who can look for signs of damage with the nozzle and hose as well as the tank. They may pull the pin and make sure the extinguisher works properly. In addition to checking the pressure, they may weigh the tank to make sure it's full. If a fire extinguisher has been used partially, it will be filled.

Your fire extinguishers might have an expiration date listed, but if not, they'll still need to be refilled or disposed of when they lose their charge. Having annual inspections ensures you won't have to fight a fire with a useless extinguisher. When the annual inspection is complete, the technician can put a tag on each extinguisher showing the date. This way, you'll know when it's time for another annual inspection.

Have A Hydrostatic Test When It's Time

All fire extinguishers, except disposable extinguishers, should have a hydrostatic test periodically. The fire equipment professional can tell you the frequency for the type of extinguishers you have, but the tests can be spaced several years apart.

During this test, the extinguisher is checked internally and placed under pressure to make sure the extinguisher can handle the pressure needed to operate it. A fire extinguisher is under high pressure, so it's important to make sure the canister doesn't have any leaks that could make the extinguisher unsafe to use or make it ineffective. For more information, contact a fire extinguisher inspection service.