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Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:25 am

For the last couple of years I've been leaving my extinguisher in my buggy in the garage throughout the winter, now that My garage is no longer heated, should I bring it inside?

I've been told they shouldn't necessarily be left in freezing temperatures but I don't know if that's true or not.

What does everyone do with their's for the winter?

Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:19 am

It doesn't matter, it's nothing but dry chemical and compressed Co2.

Sun Jan 29, 2012 2:37 pm

if it's more than 12 years old fling it, says the fire department where I work.

Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:19 pm

You absolutely want to keep the extinguisher current on the inspections.

Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:48 pm

I didn't think it mattered if it was in the cold but too many ''know it all'' friends keep telling me that it will either ruin it or cause it to have a short life.

Incidentally, now that it's 2012 it's going on ten years old and maybe I should in fact have it inspected, especially since the Fire Department is less than two blocks away.

Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:15 am

Inspection includes verifying pressure via the gauge, removing the hose from the extinguisher to ensure it is clear and then taking a rubber mallet and giving it a couple light taps to ensure powder is still that, powder. That's all done for our yearly inspections at the office but we have dry chemical extinguishers which will be a bit different from the typical house unit.

Check the manufacturers specs for your unit. If you can't find them I suggest just replacing it if it is more than 10 yrs old. Couple bucks for a new one is cheap piece of mind in case of a fire.

Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:05 am

Thanks for the replies everyone, maybe I should in fact buy a new one just to make sure it will work if it is needed. Off hand, does anyone know a good place to purchase one, hopefully a chain store perhaps like Wally World or other local chain store etc. Although I'm kind of leery of their massed produced sometimes junk and always cheap quality products.

Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:23 am

Last time I had an old one that needed replacing I started a fire in the pit outside and had the wife use the old extinguisher to put the fire out. I figured it wasn't good enough to be trusted to protect me, it at least could be good enough to show her how it works in the event of an emergency.

If you have kids, let them get in on the fun too. Well worth giving them the experience and seeing for themselves that they need to aim for the base of the flames and not the tops like many folks may do instinctivly.

pen

Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:12 pm

56 manx wrote: Thanks for the replies everyone, maybe I should in fact buy a new one just to make sure it will work if it is needed. Off hand, does anyone know a good place to purchase one, hopefully a chain store perhaps like Wally World or other local chain store etc. Although I'm kind of leery of their massed produced sometimes junk and always cheap quality products.

Thanks, any suggestions would be appreciated.

A local fire equipment service company would be the best place to find a quality unit. Look for an extinguisher with an all metal valve. An extinguisher with an all metal valve can be recharged at any local fire equipment service company. Cheaper extinguishers with plastic valves have a tendency to lose pressure and won't accept a recharge very well.

Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:17 am

lostinbaja wrote:

A local fire equipment service company would be the best place to find a quality unit. Look for an extinguisher with an all metal valve. An extinguisher with an all metal valve can be recharged at any local fire equipment service company. Cheaper extinguishers with plastic valves have a tendency to lose pressure and won't accept a recharge very well.

Thanks for the info, I'd never have thought that I could look in the yellow pages and find a section for '' fire extinguishers- commercial & industrial'' but I did and under that was a place about two miles from me called ''FIRE SAFETY'' I'll go down there later this morning and take all of my extinguishers inside and out and have them inspected and replaced if necessary.

Thanks again, Richard