The Definitive Guide to Fire Extinguishers: Testing, Inspection and Maintenance Procedures
If a fire is just starting, you can put it out using portable fire extinguishers. If you operate a commercial kitchen, restaurant or cafeteria, you should always be ready to deal with sudden fire breakouts. As per the fire safety code, it is your responsibility to provide your staff and guests a safe working and dining environment. Since restaurant fires can prove to be dangerous, you should outfit your facility with a fire suppression system as well as keep fire extinguishers at hand. What is even more important is that you ensure all the fire extinguishers are in operable condition at all times. That is exactly why you should pay serious attention to fire extinguisher inspection, testing, maintenance and recharge in a timely manner.
At Nationwide Fire Protection in Denver, CO, we specialize in equipping restaurants and commercial kitchens with systems and equipment for effective protection against greasy fire that can quickly spread inside the facility. In this guide, we will focus on fire extinguishers including their testing, inspection and maintenance procedures so that you can combat small fires efficiently.
Types of Fire Extinguishers
You must have heard about fire extinguishers. It is common to see them in commercial establishments and buildings. But what you may not know is that there are different types of portable fire extinguishers.
Fire extinguishers are quite effective at putting out small fires as soon as they break out. That is exactly why it is crucial to stay equipped with these fire safety equipment at all times. Since there are various types or classes of fires, there are also various types of extinguishers to combat each of them. Any type of fire happens when fuel, heat and oxygen combine together. What extinguishers actually do is eliminate any one of these three elements to extinguish the fire.
Five main types of extinguishers include:
- Water spray fire extinguishers
- Foam fire extinguishers
- Dry powder fire extinguishers
- CO2 fire extinguishers
- Wet chemical fire extinguishers
Based on exactly what type or class of fire you plan to control, you should invest in the right type of portable extinguishers. The procedures for fire extinguisher inspection, fire extinguisher service and fire extinguisher maintenance will also vary depending on what type of extinguishers you use. Generally, fire extinguishers can be categorized into five classes including Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D and Class K. If you use an ABC extinguisher, the fire safety equipment can control Class A, B and C fires. Likewise, there are many other types of extinguishers.
For more details on different types of extinguishers or which one is ideal for your needs, reach out to one of experts at Nationwide Fire Protection, which provides restaurant fire suppression services in Denver, CO.
Fire Extinguisher Inspection Procedures
You never know when a fire emergency can arise. In a restaurant kitchen, a lot of heat and smoke is produced on a regular basis. Due to the presence of heavy duty cooking equipment and appliances, fires can break out any time. By keeping fire extinguishers a hand, you will stay prepared to deal with small fires with high effectiveness. But how do you know if the extinguishers you have in your facility are reliable as well? That is exactly why you need a fire extinguisher inspection. If you have recently installed these life saving equipment, inspection will be required once a month to keep the equipment in highly efficient condition.
During the inspection of portable fire extinguisher in a facility, the professional looks out for the following essential things:
- Location of the fire extinguisher
- Accessibility of the extinguisher
- Signage about the location of the extinguisher location
- Positioning of the pressure gauge
- Measurement of the weight of the extinguisher
- Checking the pin and tamper seal and their placement
- Condition of tires or wheels (in the case of wheeled extinguishers)
- Review of structural damages, if any
If you have proper knowledge on this subject, you can check out many of the things about extinguishers yourself. But if you find out that any of these conditions does not fulfill the necessary criteria, you should immediately get in touch with a professional company or trained professional for a detailed inspection. A trained professional will thoroughly check out every bit of fire extinguishers including their proper location in the designated places, accessibility, sealing, position of the pressure gauge etc. If any kind of structural damages are found during the fire inspection, the professional will either repair them or perform a replacement.
A fire extinguisher recharge will be required if it is found that the weight of the fire safety equipment is below normal. Many times, the extinguishers are placed in locations where the chances of rust or tempering are high. In that case, you will need to get the inspection done on a frequent basis.
As one of the most reliable and licensed fire suppression contractors in Denver, CO, Nationwide Fire Protection offers fire suppression system inspection and extinguisher inspection to restaurants, commercial kitchens, food service centers and cooking facilities on a regular basis. Whether your facility needs monthly inspection or annual assessment to evaluate the relative size and sustainability of fire protection systems and equipment, you can always rely on our specialists to do the job right and provide fire extinguisher certification as well.
Most importantly, we also help you maintain the recordkeeping that includes the month and year of inspection as well as the name and contact details of the technician who carried out the inspection.
Fire Extinguisher Testing Procedures
Conducting hydrostatic tests is essential to ensure the maximum efficiency and increase the reliability of portable fire extinguishers installed inside a restaurant kitchen. Only trained and certified technicians should perform this task using the right set of devices and tools. The professional will examine the entire life saving equipment, both internally and externally. To find out if the extinguisher has any leakage or distortion, the specialist will first remove the external components and then fill up the shell with water at a certain pressure for a specific period of time.
Later, the technician will empty the shell and dry it up. Once it has been dried up, he or she will reassemble all the components. If the fire extinguisher fails the test, you will need to replace it completely. Never try to carry out the hydrostatic tests on your own, as it can prove to be dangerous.
There are specific intervals at which hydrostatic testing of portable fire extinguishers are conducted. These intervals vary depending on exactly what type of extinguisher you have in your restaurant kitchen. Usually, such testing is carried out at the interval of every 5 years or 12 years. The NFPA 10 provides complete details on when these testing should be done. Just like it is done in the extinguisher inspection procedure, recordkeeping of testing is important. The label containing the name of the technician who conducted the testing as well as the date of the testing and the pressure at which testing was done should be attached to the extinguisher. This should be done both in the case of low pressure and high pressure cylinders. At Nationwide Fire Protection, we have a highly trained and qualified team of professionals who specialize in all types of portable fire extinguisher testing.
If you want to more or schedule the testing of your extinguishers, get in touch with one of our experts in Denver, Colorado.
Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Procedures
After you have installed fire extinguishers into your restaurant building or commercial establishment, you should always pay attention to their proper maintenance on a regular basis. Regular maintenance will ensure these fire protection equipment remains efficient and operable at all times.
An extinguisher consists of several basic components. During the maintenance, the examination of both the external and the internal components will be required. The technician will closely review all the mechanical parts of the extinguisher and the state of the extinguishing agent. The physical examination and the expelling means will be checked and maintained in a proper manner. If you take a look at your extinguisher’s service manual, you will get an idea about how exactly the maintenance procedure should be performed. Extinguisher maintenance should not be done by just any person. Only certified professionals should carry out these procedures exactly as per the requirements given in NFPA 10.
The external maintenance of the fire extinguishers should be carried out on an annual basis at the time of hydrostatic testing. Plus, the internal maintenance should be done in a proper manner. Either you conduct these examinations every year or at longer intervals as per specific needs. If you have spotted issues with the life saving equipment, you should get the maintenance done immediately in order to keep the equipment in ready-to-use condition.
Maintenance should not just be performed, but the records of the same should also be kept properly. For example, the name of the person who did the maintenance along with the date of maintenance and the name of the fire protection agency should be written on a tag and attached to the extinguisher.
At Nationwide Fire Protection, we provide top quality fire extinguisher service and maintenance to a wide range of restaurants, cooking facilities and commercial kitchens all over Denver. Our fire system inspection and fire protection services are designed to enhance the safety of restaurant kitchens and help them remain compliant with the fire safety code as per NFPA 96 standards. For more information on these services, reach out to one of our specialists.
Fire Extinguisher Recharge
Refilling or recharging of all portable extinguishers should be done in a timely manner. Every time after an extinguisher is used to suppress a kitchen fire, it will need to be recharged. Sometimes, an extinguisher may discharge the chemical agent accidentally. Whichever is the case, you should see to it that all the extinguishers in your facility get recharged without any kind of delay.
There are both rechargeable and non-rechargeable extinguishers. If the extinguishers you use are rechargeable, you will need to get them refilled as per specific need and requirement. If you are not sure whether it is time for fire extinguisher recharge, you should seek the help of an expert. During an inspection, it can be found as to whether it is time for refilling the cylinders. If you have a question in this regard, our professionals will be glad to answer it. Feel free to reach out to our fire protection company in Denver and discuss your exact needs.
Fire Extinguisher Replacement
Fire extinguishers are installed to be of help in an emergency. If an extinguisher fails to perform its job in a proper manner, it is of no use and it must be discarded. Anything can happen in the event of failure of extinguishers. When any of these life saving equipment sustains some kind of damage and it is irreparable, you will need to replace it with a new one of the same size and type.
Also, each of these devices has a certain lifespan. Once longevity comes to an end, a replacement will be necessary.
There are many other circumstances under which you will need to opt for extinguisher replacement. One of these is when your extinguisher fails to pass the hydrostatic pressure testing (HPT). If the design of an extinguisher is developed as per outdated standards, you will need to replace it with the new model. That is why it is important to see whether the extinguishers you have installed have been manufactured as per the latest standards and codes.
Talk to a Fire Protection System Expert
Hopefully, you will find this guide helpful in understanding the inspection, testing and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. If you have additional questions or look for fire protection services in Denver, CO, head over to Nationwide Fire Protection. Our company provides a wide range of fire safety services including fire sprinkler installation, fire alarm installation, fire sprinkler system, fire extinguisher service and many other fire restaurant fire safety services.
For your free consultation with an expert, you should either call our office phone number or write us an email using the contact form.
If you are in search of an experienced company to design, construct and maintain a fire alarm system and electrical system in a whole restaurant building, you should get in touch with Nationwide Fire Protection (NFP). Based in Denver, CO, the company is a one stop shop for all your fire protection needs. NFP also has two other sister companies namely APS Hoods and Hood Builder that provide complimentary services for restaurant building and construction.
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