Hydrostatic Testing in San Diego County

NFPA 10 test intervals · 5-year and 12-year units · California work by Hedrick Fire Protection (C-16 and C-10)

Check the cylinder before you call

Every extinguisher has its own deadline. On most dry chemical and water units, the last hydrostatic test is printed on a label on the cylinder, which shows the test date and the firm that did the work. CO2 cylinders are different: the test date is stamped into the metal on the shoulder of the cylinder. Never been tested? Then count from the manufacture date on the nameplate or cylinder.

Then add the interval for the agent 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, so a dry chemical unit is opened at the six-year mark and again when its hydro test comes due. Your annual tag doesn't cover either of these.

What happens to your extinguishers during the test

The test checks one thing: whether the shell can still hold pressure. The technician empties the unit, takes off the valve and looks inside the cylinder for rust, pitting or damage before filling it with water and bringing it up to test pressure inside a guarded cage. If it holds without leaking or bulging, it passes. Then it's dried, refilled with fresh agent, recharged and labeled with the new date.

A cylinder that leaks, bulges or shows corrosion fails. It doesn't go back on the wall. It gets replaced.

Testing usually happens at a shop, since it takes a water test rig and drying equipment that most job sites don't have. Your units may be gone for a while. When you schedule, ask how long they'll be out and how each required location will be covered until they come back.

The five-year units people forget

Dry chemical units are on every wall, so people remember them. The 5-year group slips by. A commercial kitchen with a hood suppression system also needs a Class K extinguisher, and that wet chemical unit is on the 5-year cycle, as are any CO2 or water units in the building. If your hood system is due as well, our fire kitchen service in San Diego County page covers its six-month schedule. Facing a deadline? Read how we handled a San Diego restaurant hood system with 30 days from the fire marshal.

Which fire office checks your extinguishers

That depends on your address. Inside the City of San Diego and the Port of San Diego, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's Fire Prevention Bureau does fire inspections, and the city put the 2025 California Fire Code into effect through its Municipal Code on January 1, 2026. In unincorporated areas inside the San Diego County Fire Protection District, the County Fire Marshal inspects businesses against the 2026 San Diego County Consolidated Fire Code. Other incorporated cities, such as Vista, have their own fire prevention bureaus. Not sure which one covers your site? Ask the local fire marshal.

Nearby pages and past jobs

For city pages, see hydrostatic testing in Carlsbad, Chula Vista or Escondido. For the rest of your equipment, we also do annual fire extinguisher service, fire extinguisher training for staff and fire sprinkler service, all listed on our San Diego County fire protection page.

A few jobs from around Southern California:

• Fire hydrant repair vs. a $10,000 replacement quote in Carlsbad
• Bilingual, fast-turnaround extinguisher service for a La Puente restaurant
• Extinguisher certification for a 60-vendor Norco rodeo event
• Reactivating a fire alarm dormant for two years in Rancho Santa Margarita
• Weatherproof extinguisher tags for a Victorville carnival

Hydrostatic testing questions

How often does a fire extinguisher need a hydrostatic test?

Dry chemical units need one every 12 years. CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K) units need one every 5 years, counted from the last test or, for a unit never tested, from the date it was made.

Where do I find the last test date?

Look for the hydro test label on the cylinder. On CO2 units, check the date stamped into the metal near the top.

Is this the same as the annual inspection?

No. The annual visit checks and tags the unit, while the hydrostatic test pressurizes the empty cylinder to prove the shell is still sound and comes due far less often.

What if my extinguisher fails?

It's taken out of service. A failed cylinder is replaced, not repaired.

Who does the work in California?

Our California work is performed by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 and C-10 contractor licenses. Whoever you hire, California requires extinguisher service by a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal.

To schedule hydrostatic testing in San Diego County, call (619) 568-5440 or email socal@1profire.com