Fire Extinguishers

[Time]

Recent topics on safety and CG/RCMP inspections reminded me of a question I have.

Fire extinguishers on boats - how long are they good for?
Like many small outboard poered boaters I carry a smallish 1 pound Kidde extinguisher, aluminum cannister. I have heard that they are good for seven years, and then need replacement. Is that correct?

On a previous larger boat I carried a 5 pound extinguisher and recharged it annually, but no space on the current boat for anything that large.

 

[Last Chance]

I don't know about a 1 pounder, but I think you need to have 'em inspected every year. And every few weeks, pick it up, and turn it to keep the powder inside loose, on a boat it tends to pack down.

 

[SIR]

We use a rubber mallet to tap the bottom of the extinguisher when we do our monthly inspections. With a dry chemical extinguisher you can feel the chemical flowing from side to side if you hold it horizontally and rock is side to side slowly. I am not aware of there being a hard coded time frame for service life as long as they are inspected annually and recharged as required. We do however change them every two years on the boats but then take the extinguishers into the Resort for use inside.