Quote Originally Posted by cassiesmom

Does a home fire extinguisher ever lose its effectiveness?

... there's still a fire extinguisher in my closet that's not getting any newer.
They do need to be "inspected".

Consider a typical home or vehicle 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 pound Dry Chemical extinguisher
that carries an "ABC" or "Flammable Liquids" label and has a small GAUGE >>>
These need to be "inspected" frequently to be sure the gauge indicates "FULL" and
that there's nothing blocking the discharge nozzle.
Then pick the extinguisher UP and *SHAKE* it - to unpack the dry chemical and
insure that it will flow out the nozzle when needed.

You can do these "inspections" yourself ... for 12 YEARS.

After the 12th Year of the extinguisher's "life" - it gets a lil "dicey"!
The US Dept of Transportation rules state that all stored pressure Dry Chemical
extinguishers MUST be "Hydrostatically Tested" by a certified tester Every 12 Years.
ALL Extinguishers are "dated" with the month/year they were assembled.
THAT date starts the 12 year clock - not when you purchased it.

For small home sized extinguishers, it's a LOT cheaper to go to WalMart, Sears, or your
favorite Hardware store and buy a barnd NEW one than pay a fire extinguisher service center
to empty, hydro test, dry, and refill your old one!

What to DO with the OLD one?
Call your local Fire Station and ask if you can come by some day for a quick class ...
Tell 'em "I'll bring my old extinguisher to use, just need you guys to build a fire and
show me how to use it." (We LIKE building fires! )
After you use it - toss it in the dumpster.

Be Safe!
/s/ Phred