Find the test date on your cylinder
Look at the extinguisher itself first. Most units carry two dates: the annual service tag hanging from the neck, and a hydrostatic test date stamped on the cylinder or printed on a label (a newer unit may show only its manufacture date until its first test). They are separate. A current annual tag doesn't mean the pressure test is current, so check both. Count from the last test date.
How often each type is due
The interval depends on what's inside.
- Dry chemical: every 12 years.
- CO2: every 5 years.
- Water: every 5 years.
- Wet chemical (Class K): every 5 years.
Stored-pressure dry chemical units also get a 6-year internal maintenance, a teardown that falls between hydro tests. If your kitchen keeps a Class K unit near the kitchen hood suppression system, that cylinder comes due on a 5-year cycle while the dry chemical units elsewhere in the building run on 12.
Anaheim's fire code and inspections
Anaheim runs its own fire department. Business fire safety inspections are done by the Life Safety Section of Anaheim Fire & Rescue's Community Risk Reduction Division. The city adopts the 2025 California Fire Code in Chapter 16.08 of its municipal code, and CFC Section 906 is the part of that code covering portable fire extinguishers. Have a question about your building? The Community Risk Reduction Division office is at 201 S. Anaheim Blvd., #300, phone (714) 765-4040.
What happens during the test
The technician takes the unit out of service first.
- Empty the agent and release the pressure.
- Remove the valve and check the inside of the cylinder for corrosion or damage.
- Fill the cylinder with water and pressurize it to its rated test pressure inside a protective cage.
- Watch for leaks, bulging or permanent stretch in the shell; a cylinder that fails is condemned and pulled from service, and you'll need a replacement.
- Dry, reassemble, refill and recharge.
- Record the new test date on the cylinder.
Plan for the gap. Each cylinder is empty while it's being tested, so ask about timing when you book and keep enough coverage on the wall while those units are out.
Who does the work
California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection, a C-16 and C-10 licensed contractor that is also licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable fire extinguisher service, which state rules require for this work. Most of the calls we get from Anaheim are about fire extinguishers. For the rest of that work, see fire extinguisher service in Anaheim, annual extinguisher certification and extinguisher refills, or start at the Anaheim fire protection hub. Outside the city, see hydrostatic testing in Orange County and hydrostatic testing in Los Angeles County.
To book hydrostatic testing in Anaheim, call (949) 558-2201 or email socal@1profire.com
Test it or replace it?
Sometimes a new unit makes more sense than a test. Recent quotes for a new 5-lb extinguisher in Anaheim, tagged and valid for one year, have run $75 each plus tax. Ask for both numbers.
(949) 558-2201 or socal@1profire.comHydrostatic testing questions
Does a current annual tag mean the hydro test is current?
No. The tag covers yearly maintenance, while the hydro date stamped on the cylinder runs on its own 5-year or 12-year clock depending on the agent inside.
Should I recharge an old extinguisher or buy a new one?
It depends on the unit's age and condition, and on what the test and recharge would cost against a new unit. We can quote both.
Can you price recurring hydro testing in volume?
Ask. Give us the cylinder count, the types and how often the work repeats (weekly, monthly or a one-time batch), and we'll quote it that way.
Who can do hydrostatic testing in California?
A firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19.