Fire Extinguishers
Maintenance & Servicing
Monthly inspections, annual basic servicing, extended discharge testing and replacement advice — delivered and certified under the same fire safety contract as your alarms and emergency lighting.
What we deliver
Extinguisher maintenance, end to end
Survey, supply, install, service and replace — with certification issued digitally after every visit.
- Annual Basic Service (BS 5306-3)
- Extended Service & Discharge Testing
- CO2 Stretch Testing (10 Year)
- Extinguisher Supply & Installation
- Site Surveys & Correct Extinguisher Siting
- Signage & Bracket Installation
- Asset Tagging & Logbook Management
- Replacement & Disposal
What the regulations say
The extinguisher maintenance cycle
The maintenance cycle for fire extinguishers should consist of the following stages.
- 1
Inspection by the user, conducted at least monthly.
- 2
Basic service, conducted at least on an annual basis.
- 3
Extended service including discharge testing or refurbishing, which — except for CO2 extinguishers and a few certain other exceptions — is carried out after the first five years, and then at five yearly intervals thereafter (as shown in the table below).
- 4
In addition to being a recommendation of BS 5306-3:2003, stretch testing CO2 extinguishers after 10 years is a legal requirement under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000.
- 5
Replacement, which should be performed no later than at age 20 years.
Service frequencies
Extinguisher servicing schedule
Required inspection and testing intervals by extinguisher type.
| Extinguisher Type | At Least Monthly | At Least Annually | Additional Requirements | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 yr | 10 yr | 15 yr | 20 yr | |||
| Water & Foam (water based) | Visual Inspection | Basic Service | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Advise Replacement |
| Powder (non primary sealed only) | Visual Inspection | Basic Service | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Advise Replacement |
| CO2 | Visual Inspection | Basic Service | — | Refurbishment | — | Advise Replacement |
| Class D Extinguishers | Visual Inspection | Basic Service | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Advise Replacement |
| Class F Extinguishers | Visual Inspection | Basic Service | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Discharge Test | Advise Replacement |
| Halon | Now an offence to possess Halon extinguishers. | |||||
Please note — it is recommended that extinguishers be replaced at 5 yearly intervals, as the cost to perform a discharge test and then refill is not economical.
Know your equipment
What types of fire extinguisher are there?
Choosing and siting the right extinguisher is a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Here's a plain-English guide to the five types you'll find in UK commercial premises.
Water Extinguishers
Red label · Class A
Suitable for Class A fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles.
There are three varieties of water extinguisher: Water Jet, Water Spray, and Water with Additives.
Available as 3 ltr, 6 ltr and 9 ltr
Foam Extinguishers
Cream label · Class A & B
Suitable for Class A and Class B fires.
Foam extinguishers are ideal for tackling liquid fires like petrol or diesel, but can also be used on solid materials like wood or paper.
Available as 2 ltr, 3 ltr, 6 ltr and 9 ltr
CO2 Extinguishers
Black label · Class B & electrical
Suitable for Class B fires, which include flammable liquids, as well as electrical fires.
CO2 is non-damaging to electrical equipment and machinery, making it the standard choice for server rooms, plant rooms and offices.
Available as 2kg and 5kg
Powder Extinguishers
Blue label · Class A, B & C
Suitable for Class A, B and C fires.
Extremely versatile and can be used on fires involving solid materials (wood, paper or textiles), flammable liquids (petrol, diesel or oil) and gases.
Available as 1kg, 2kg, 4kg, 6kg and 9kg
Wet Chemical Extinguishers
Yellow label · Class F & A
Suitable for Class F fires — this includes cooking oils and fats.
Also suitable for Class A fires — wood, paper and textiles. The standard choice for commercial kitchens.
Available as 3 ltr and 6 ltr
Not sure what you need? Our free site survey identifies the correct type, size, quantity and siting for every area of your building — including signage and brackets.
Pricing
Fire extinguisher servicing costs
The service charge is £9.00 per extinguisher with a minimum service charge of £60.00, which covers all standard fire extinguisher types. There are no hidden costs; there are no extra charges for small parts.
£9.00
Per extinguisher serviced
Covers all standard extinguisher types — no hidden costs, no extra charges for small parts.
£50.00
Site visit charge
Applied per site attendance, with a minimum service charge of £60.00.
£10.00
Extinguisher disposal
Safe recycling and disposal of decommissioned extinguishers removed from site.
All prices exclude VAT. Multi-site portfolios and larger asset counts are quoted on request.
Why Propcare EFS
Extinguisher servicing that stands up to audit.
BS 5306-3 Aligned
Servicing carried out to the current British Standard maintenance cycle.
Scheduled Intervals
Monthly, annual and extended service dates tracked across your portfolio.
Documented Assets
Every extinguisher tagged, logged and reported after each visit.
One Contractor
Extinguishers serviced alongside alarms, emergency lighting and fire doors.
Enquire
Discuss your extinguisher servicing
Tell us how many sites and units you have. We'll respond with a servicing schedule and clear pricing.
- · Free extinguisher survey and asset count
- · Coverage across London, the South East & East Anglia
- · BS 5306-3 aligned servicing and certification
Danny Watson
Co-Owner / Director — Propcare EFS
Direct line — replies within one working day.
FireQual Qualified
Our fire safety work is carried out by FireQual-qualified engineers — the awarding organisation for regulated fire safety qualifications in the UK — alongside our NAPIT registration and SafeContractor approval.
