How to check a home fire extinguisher

Check each fire extinguisher once a month: the gauge needle is in the green, the pin and tamper seal are in place, the nozzle is clear, the body is not dented or rusted, and nothing is blocking the path to it. That is the U.S. Fire Administration's inspection list, and it takes about a minute per extinguisher.

The other half of extinguisher readiness is knowing when not to use one. An extinguisher handles a small fire contained to one object, a pan or a wastebasket, while the room is still clear enough to breathe and the exit is behind you. Anything bigger is a 911 call from outside.

Which extinguisher, and where

Mount them on the bracket that came with them, at a height an adult can lift from, visible, and not inside a cabinet where a guest could not find them.

What you need

• The extinguisher's label, read once, so you know its class, its size, and whether it is disposable or rechargeable
• A marker or a tag to note the inspection date
• Nothing else; there is no tool for this

Steps: the monthly check

1. Look at the pressure gauge. The needle should be in the green zone. Red on either side means low or over-pressurized; either way the unit is replaced or serviced. Done when: green.
2. Check that the pull pin is in place and the tamper seal (a plastic tie through the pin) is unbroken. A broken seal means someone discharged it, even briefly; a partially discharged extinguisher can lose all its pressure within days.
3. Look at the nozzle and hose for cracks, clogs, or anything stuck in the opening.
4. Look at the body for dents, rust, or corrosion, especially at the bottom where it sits on a shelf.
5. Confirm it is accessible: nothing stacked in front of it, nothing hanging over it.
6. If the label says to, shake or invert the extinguisher a few times to keep the dry chemical from packing (many dry-chemical models call for this monthly).
7. Note the date on the tag. Done when: every extinguisher in the house has today's date.

Steps: the yearly review

1. Read the label for the manufacturer's service or replacement date. Disposable units are replaced when they reach it or when the gauge drops; rechargeable units are serviced or pressure-tested by a fire equipment company on the schedule the label gives.
2. Confirm everyone in the house knows where each extinguisher is and what PASS means.
3. Practice the motion, without pulling the pin: grip, aim low, squeeze, sweep.

How to use one: PASS

If the fire is small and contained, others are out or alerted, someone is calling 911, and the exit is behind you:

1. Pull the pin, holding the extinguisher with the nozzle pointed away from you.
2. Aim low, at the base of the fire, not the flames.
3. Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
4. Sweep the nozzle from side to side across the base until the fire is out.

Watch the area afterward for reignition. If the fire does not go out within seconds, or grows, or the room fills with smoke, drop the extinguisher and leave. Close the door behind you.

For a grease fire in a pan, the first move is the lid: slide it over the pan and turn off the burner. Never carry a burning pan and never put water on it.

When to stop and call a pro

The extinguisher check itself needs no pro. Servicing, recharging, and pressure testing a rechargeable unit is done by a fire equipment company. If an extinguisher was used at all, even for a second, take it for service or replace it. And any fire that is not out within the first sweep, or that you cannot see all of, is the fire department's job; you call from outside.

What to record

Each extinguisher's location, class, size, purchase or manufacture date, and whether it is disposable or rechargeable, plus the date of each monthly check and any service. Put the monthly check on the same reminder as the detector test; together they are a five-minute walk through the house. The maintenance schedule can hold both as one recurring task.

Common questions

Which fire extinguisher should I buy for the house?

A multipurpose extinguisher labeled A-B-C, which the U.S. Fire Administration says can be used on most types of home fires. Buy the largest one you can comfortably lift and operate; a small one empties in seconds.

Where should extinguishers go?

One on every level, near an exit so you fight the fire with your back to the way out, and one in the kitchen mounted away from the stove so you can reach it without going through the flames. The garage is the next spot if you have one.

Do fire extinguishers expire?

They lose pressure and their contents can settle or degrade. Check the label for a service or replacement date; disposable models are replaced when the gauge drops or by the date, and rechargeable ones are serviced by a fire equipment company. When in doubt, replace it.

What to do next

Buy the extinguishers the house is missing this week, starting with the kitchen. Then walk the house with the detector checklist and make one list of every alarm and extinguisher, with its date. That list is the safety plan. If you have an automatic garage door, its monthly reverse test belongs on the same list.