Fire Extinguisher Refill in Malibu

Your extinguisher went off. Now what?

Any discharge counts. Even a two-second squeeze opens the valve, and dry chemical powder can lodge in the seat and let the remaining pressure bleed out over the following days or weeks. That unit may be empty the next time someone pulls the pin.

Book a refill if:

• It was used, even briefly.
• The gauge needle sits outside the green.
• The pin or tamper seal is missing.
• The tag is out of date (that calls for annual maintenance, covered under fire extinguisher annual certification in Malibu).

Set a used unit aside. Leave a working one in its spot until the refill is done.

Fire extinguisher recharge in Malibu

Recharge and refill mean the same job. Some people say recharge because the unit gets pressurized again once the agent goes back in, and others say refill because the cylinder was empty. Either word gets you the same service.

The technician empties whatever is left, inspects the valve and hose, replaces the seals, refills the cylinder with the agent the unit was built for, pressurizes it and checks for leaks before it goes back in service. Then it gets a new tag.

When the cylinder needs a test first

A refill is a good time to check the cylinder's dates. Hydrostatic testing is due every 12 years for dry chemical units and every 5 years for CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K) units. Stored-pressure dry chemical units also need an internal teardown every 6 years. If either date has passed, that work happens before the refill. Our page on hydrostatic testing in Malibu explains the test.

Old unit? Ask whether replacing it costs less.

Who may do the work, and who inspects in Malibu

California's Title 19 rules require extinguisher service to be done by a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal. Our California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 and C-10 contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal for portable fire extinguisher service.

Malibu contracts with Los Angeles County for fire services. Fire prevention and inspections in the city are done by the County of Los Angeles Fire Department under that contract. Your current tag is the record that a unit was serviced. Keep it on the unit.

If your staff are expected to use the extinguishers you provide, federal OSHA rules require training when they're hired and at least once a year after that; see fire extinguisher training in Malibu.

Booking a refill in Malibu

We cover Malibu, including the 90263, 90264 and 90265 ZIP codes. We've handled extinguisher calls from Malibu before. When you call, tell us how many units you have, their sizes, their types (the label will say dry chemical, CO2, water or wet chemical) and which ones were used. Call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com.

For the units that weren't used, fire extinguisher service in Malibu covers the routine work.