How Long Does My Fire Extinguisher Last?
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It seems like yesterday that my fire equipment was replaced.
This is a common question people ask as its not monitored everyday like a bank account or beers in the fridge.
The answer is Five years is the length of time a good quality fire extinguisher should last. Of course, that is if no one uses it to fight a fire or a little bit of Tom Foolery occurs.Truth is in Australia fire extinguishers mainly come from China or similar distance. The standards mean that the fire extinguishers have to be stamped from when they are manufactured/ pressurised. This means that even though fire extinguishers should last five years, technically the time has started to tick down even before the fire extinguisher hits Australia.
It's up to efficient suppliers and installers of fire equipment to provide the product to the client as quickly as possible to avoid time being lost.
No one likes to buy something thinking, "I have five years before I have to replace that'. Turns out you have 4.5 years at the worst case if using a creditable fire protection business. That being said as a service agent for fire extinguishers we have seen fire extinguishers installed that only have one year left before DOM (date of manufacture) requires replacement.
This happens two ways;
- The installer doesn't care about their client
- Product has sat on a shelf with a supplier that isn't active in the fire industry
To gain the most out of a fire extinguisher check that your installer hasn't supplied old fire equipment or dated fire extinguishers.
To check a fire extinguishers date;
- Look at the skirt or bottom of the extinguisher for a month and year stamp example 11/2008
- Some have a date stamp on the neck of the fire extinguisher, 11/2008
If you're unable to locate look at the back of the cylinder for the manufactures details and give them a call to find out the location of their DOM.
The best advice with fire extinguishers is to contact a fire company that has a credible name in the industry.
See a comparison quote for your fire services online or we come to you at -https://www.fcfnational.com.au/self-quoting.html
Go Team FCF Fire & Electrical
Useful links for your business;
- Fire Training Online/ VR or Class Room visit
- Evacuation Diagrams from $25
- Find a local owner-operator near you - Mackay, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmania plus more check out.
Jacob Foster
Electrical Contractor- Fire Certifier- Diploma in Franchising- CEO of FCF
Jacob Foster has over 15 years' experience as a Fire Professional and even longer as an electrician. Starting FCF in 2008 at the beginning of the GFC Jacob has seen tough times for clients and focused on delivering affordable fire protection services to meet state legislation. Going to help families start their own business and continue to train all fire technicians across various levels to meet the FCF Standard. With International awards and local recognition FCF is an Industry Leader, find out more at https://www.firesafetyfranchise.com.au/how-fcf-started.html
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