Hydrostatic Testing in Burbank

Is your extinguisher due for a hydro test?

Start with the cylinder itself. The dates are stamped on it.

A hydrostatic test empties the cylinder, fills it with water and brings it up to test pressure, so the technician can see whether the shell still holds without leaking, bulging or stretching. A cylinder that fails is taken out of service. It can't be refilled.

How often depends on what's inside:

• Dry chemical (the common ABC unit): every 12 years.
• CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K): every 5 years.

Burbank callers often ask whether the number is 6 or 12. It's both. The 6-year job is an internal teardown and maintenance on stored-pressure dry chemical units, while the 12-year job is the pressure test on that same cylinder, and neither one replaces the annual tag a licensed technician puts on every unit each year. Owners also do a quick visual check monthly.

If a Burbank notice prompted the call

Burbank has its own fire department. It's a city department. Its Fire Prevention Bureau runs routine fire and life safety inspections of commercial and multi-family properties, so if your notice came from the city, that bureau is the office to ask about it.

Some Burbank callers got a notice even though nobody came inside. Don't ignore it. Send us the notice with a count of your extinguishers, and we'll work out which units need only the annual service, which are due for a 6-year teardown, and which are past their hydro date.

How the test fits into a visit

The technician reads the label and stamps on every unit first. Units due for a hydro test come off the wall. We run hydrostatic tests in our shop on Wednesdays; after a cylinder passes, it's recharged and tagged before it goes back into service. Can't leave a hallway bare? Tell us when you book.

Old stock is common. One Burbank client had extinguishers carried over from earlier buildings, some not serviced since 2019. With a mix like that, we sort by age and type before anything gets tested, because for a small, older dry chemical unit a new extinguisher is sometimes the better buy.

That also answers the hardware store question. A store-bought extinguisher skips the hydro test for now. It still needs the yearly inspection and tag.

Cost, and who may do the work

Price depends on cylinder type and count. On a recent Burbank call, our rep gave a rough figure of $20 and up for hydro testing, with the firm number set after a site survey. Recent Burbank quotes for annual extinguisher inspection have run $35 per extinguisher.

In California, extinguisher service must be done by a firm and technician licensed by the California State Fire Marshal. Our California work is performed by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service and for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based systems.

Burbank hydrostatic testing questions

Is it 6 years or 12 years?

Both, for different jobs. A stored-pressure dry chemical unit gets internal maintenance at 6 years and a hydrostatic test at 12. CO2, water and wet chemical units are hydro tested every 5 years.

Do you only come to Burbank on Wednesdays?

No. Wednesday is the day we run hydrostatic tests in our shop, and that's true for every city we serve.

Is it cheaper to buy new ones?

Sometimes. For small, older units, replacement can cost less than testing and recharging, but a new extinguisher still needs its annual inspection and tag, so ask us to compare first.

We got a notice, but no one came inside. Is it a scam?

Check with the Burbank Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau. It runs routine inspections of commercial and multi-family properties and can confirm whether the notice is theirs.

Related Burbank services: fire extinguisher service in Burbank, annual extinguisher certification and extinguisher refill and recharge. See all fire protection services in Burbank, or hydro testing in Los Angeles County and Orange County.

Have your unit count and cylinder dates handy. Call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com to set up hydrostatic testing in Burbank.