P50 Service-free Fire Extinguishers are the new standard of innovation in the firefighting world. They offer industry-leading fire ratings and boast (as the name implies) the longest lifespans on the market. With proper servicing, these things can last up to 20 years, and you can do the servicing yourself. In this article, I’ll tell you a little bit about what P50 extinguishers are. But mainly, I’ll be explaining how you can carry out maintenance on them yourself, and why that might be advantageous.
What is a P50 Fire Extinguisher?
This is going to be very brief, mainly because I’ll be covering this in a subsequent article. But it’s still an important piece of the puzzle, so let’s get into it. P50 extinguishers are supplied by Britannia Fire and are made from an incredibly strong, lightweight material. Their construction allows them to remain in pristine condition for much, much longer than most other fire extinguishers.
On top of their cutting-edge manufacturing principles, the P50s are also designed so that an annual inspection can be carried out by anyone. These are the key features that make P50 Fire Extinguishers so special, but today, it’s the inspection that we’re most concerned with.
Just to note, the 20-year lifespan that I have mentioned and will continue to mention, is a physical rating. The extinguisher will last this long, but Britannia Fire’s guarantee is for 10 years. After this point, a factory refurbishment will be required, which will cover you for the next decade until the extinguisher’s time is up.
Are P50 Fire Extinguishers Actually Service-free?
No, sorry. Okay, calm down. The point is that you can service it yourself, unlike literally every other fire extinguisher on the market. This saves you a lot of money on annual servicing, and with how long P50s last, that’s also saving on getting new extinguishers outright. Now, having servicing done by an engineer can be useful. Obviously, it puts the responsibility on someone else, someone more qualified. And it can be easily combined with a fire risk assessment, making sure your safety equipment is up to date in the same visit.
We offer fire safety surveys for a reason, but eliminating the need for one can be extremely useful. Having a P50 Fire Extinguisher is ideal for isolated or extremely high-security locations. Say you’re a lighthouse keeper, or you manage a site that mainly works unsociable hours. Getting an extinguisher technician round could be a logistical nightmare. But if you have an extinguisher that can last up to 20 years, and doesn’t require annual servicing from a third party, then you don’t have to worry about such things.
But, as implied, P50s are not exempt from most aspects of extinguisher servicing, it’s just handled a little differently. They still need to be commissioned and installed by a trained fire extinguisher engineer, a service which, luckily, we offer at the point of purchase. This process is necessary for a few reasons. It ensures the extinguisher is in a suitable position relative to escape routes and potential fire hazards. It also makes sure the extinguisher type is appropriate, which is pretty important if you’re going to be left with it for over a decade.
After that initial commission and installation is complete, you can take over the annual inspection.
How to Look After your P50 Fire Extinguisher
Okay, we’re finally here. This might get a little bullet-pointy, so bear with me. The annual inspection can usually be done in less than a minute, and the instructions for this are printed on the cylinder itself. Also on the cylinder is a table of text boxes for you to record the date of the inspection.
Step 1:
Check the body. This may sound a little simple, because it is. The first, and easiest thing to do, is to simply check the extinguisher for physical damage. Pick it up, rotate it around, and make sure there are no dents or cracks that could impact its functionality. Look for similar signs on the base of the extinguisher as well.
Step 2:
Check the hose. This isn’t too different from step 1. Make sure that it’s fully intact, no cracks, no points where it might have melted (this could happen unbeknownst to you while using it near a fire, or even just leaving it out in the sun). Also, look down the nozzle to make sure it is clear of any debris.
Step 3:
Check the pressure gauge. There are two, by the way, but only in case one is broken. They both serve the same purpose. The arrow should be in the green segment if the stored pressure is correct. You should also check that the gauges are working properly. You can do this with the magnet found on the underside of the extinguisher base. Hold the magnet close to the gauge and move it side to side. If the arrow moves with the magnet, then the gauge is working.
Step 4:
Check the manufacture date. This is primarily indicated by the coloured stud that will be located somewhere on the base of your P50 Fire Extinguisher. On the cylinder is a table that states which colour relates to which year (e.g. white means it was made in 2025, and will mean 2035 eventually, so there are 10 different colours to help delineate). All you’re really looking for here is how close the thing is to being 10 years old.
Step 5:
Record and sign off your findings. I mentioned the table for this earlier. In it, you will record the date that you carried out the inspection and write your initials. Also, use a permanent marker, if that wasn’t obvious. Oh, and don’t forget to note all of your inspections in your fire safety log book.
Step 6:
Check the anti-tamper seal. This is probably not something you’ll need to give direct attention to, as you’ll likely have noticed if anything was wrong before this point. Your P50 Fire Extinguisher should have an anti-tamper seal around the pin, and this seal should be unbroken. If it is broken, then your extinguisher may have been tampered with and used without your knowledge (thus requiring a replacement or refill).
Step 7:
Check the safety pin for damage. Pretty self-explanatory, the safety pin that must be removed to use the extinguisher (and is also the thing that the anti-tamper seal should be wound around) should be undamaged. You should also be able to move it slightly, otherwise it is jammed or bent somewhere. As long as you can move it, you should be able to easily remove it when the extinguisher is actually needed.
And that’s it!
Well done, you made it, and your P50 Fire Extinguisher is now fully checked. I imagine that took longer to read than it will to actually carry out, but that’s fine. And before I go, I do want to mention that there is an app, available for Apple and Google, that will actually talk you through the process, and let you register inspections on it too.
And beyond that, if you’re still not fully clear on the process, then please check out this demonstration video from our own managing director below. So I’ll see you soon when we really get into what P50 Fire Extinguishers are and what they can do. See you then!
