Fire Extinguisher

[CraigP83]

There was an Extinguisher in my boat when I bought it 2 years ago, I've never taken a good look at it but I assume they go bad. Do you guys just replace the Extinguisher in your boat every couple years or can it be recharged?

[The Bassmeister]

They should last several years. The extinguisher should have a gauge on it that says full or empty.  The gauge is normally a round dial and the full area should be green and the empty area should be red with a needle pointing to one of those area's.  I tried to have the one on my boat filled last year and the guy that services them told me if the extinguisher has a plastic nozzle on it, by law it can't be refilled. So i just bought another cheap one to replace it.

[TakeSonFishing]

Hey guys, I have been an Assistant Fire Chief of Fire Prevention for the last six years.  (I enforce extinguisher regulations

To make it simple, the extinguisher is good for 6 years, so long as you inspect it annually. 
Annual inspection includes (assuming this is a multi-purpose dry chem extinguisher, should have ABC on it):  Check the gauge as Craig said. Make sure the needle is in the green.  Inspect for damage, dents, rusting, etc... Check the hose or nozzle; make sure it is not clogged, dry-rotted, etc... "Heft" the extinguisher, which means pick it up.  Make sure it is heavy for its size (you're checking for the actual powder inside.)  Turn it upside down in your hands, feel for the powder to drop to the top of the extinguisher (this also reduces the chance of caking or compacting of the powder).  Find the date of manufacture.  It can be on a sticker, stamped on the bottom, or stamped around the neck.  At 6 years it will require "6 year maintenance" which is where they depressurize it, empty it, look at the inside, and refile, etc...  At 12 years it will require hydrostatic testing. 
Now those are the NFPA 10 regulations.  Most very small extinguishers (i.e. 1 to 5 lb extinguishers) are considered disposable and are not cost effective to perform the maintenance on them.  So after six years it is not legal. 
However, so long as the nozzle and hose are not clogged (dirt dobber  ), the powder has not caked, it is still pressurized, and is not damage, then it will work.  The firefighting agent inside does not go bad.  It's good practically indefinitely. 
I replace mine after the 6 years though.  I don't want an o-ring going bad and it not be pressurized.  Odds are I wouldn't notice until I needed to use it!!!

[Princeton_Man]

I follow the same procedures as TSF. In this area, if you're lucky enough to be selected by the game warden, he checks for everything. He'll even inspect the extinguisher and write a defective equipment ticket for a bad one. Laws differ in some areas. Some boats are required to have one while it's optional for others.

I'm glad Craig started this thread. I needed a reminder to buy a new one for my newest tow vehicle. We have fire extinguishers in our vehicles, the garage, utility room, kitchen, even my home office. -Jim

[Mike Cork]

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