Van Nuys Fire Extinguisher Service

Annual extinguisher service in Van Nuys

Most of the calls we get from Van Nuys are about fire extinguishers. Callers ask what each unit costs, how soon a technician can come, and whether their units need a recharge or a full annual service. Here's what the service covers.

Once a year, a licensed technician checks each extinguisher's pressure, seal, hose and body, then records the service on the tag that hangs from the unit. Staff check each unit monthly. Is it on its hook? Is the gauge in the green?

A recent Van Nuys quote for annual inspection was $35 per extinguisher, for a site with seven or eight units in a mix of 2.5 lb and 5 lb ABC dry chemical. Your count sets the total.

When a unit needs more than a tag

Some years add work. Stored-pressure dry chemical units get an internal teardown every 6 years and a hydrostatic test every 12 years. CO2, water and Class K wet chemical units are hydro tested every 5 years.

A unit that has been discharged, even for a second, needs a recharge before it goes back on the wall, and you can ask when you book whether yours can be recharged during the visit. Those jobs are covered on our Van Nuys fire extinguisher refill and hydrostatic testing in Van Nuys pages.

Fire extinguisher installation in Van Nuys

California Fire Code Section 906 is the section on portable extinguishers. Each spot needs a unit matched to its hazard. In an office or a retail space, that's usually a multipurpose ABC unit, rated for ordinary combustibles (A), flammable liquids (B) and energized electrical equipment (C).

Kitchens are different. A commercial kitchen with a hood suppression system also needs a Class K unit for cooking oils and fats (see kitchen fire suppression service in Van Nuys). Shops that cut or grind combustible metals need Class D.

We mount and tag each new unit. If you expect staff to use them, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(g) requires training when they're hired and at least once a year after that; we also run fire extinguisher training in Van Nuys.

LAFD covers Van Nuys, not County Fire

Van Nuys is part of the City of Los Angeles. It has no city government of its own. So the Los Angeles Fire Department covers it, not LA County Fire. Response comes from LAFD's Valley Bureau, headquartered at Fire Station 115 on Sylvan Street.

For Fire & Life Safety Inspection Clearances and plan check questions, the contact is LAFD's Valley Public Safety Unit at 818-374-1110, and clearance requests go through the FIMS Customer Portal at inspect.lafd.org.

Which code edition applies? LAFD's site still lists the 2023 Los Angeles Fire Code, and the City is preparing a 2026 edition. Confirm the current one with LAFD.

Who does the work and how to book

California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable fire extinguisher service.

We cover street addresses in 91401, 91405, 91406 and 91411. Send the count, sizes and types of your extinguishers when you call or email. Ask for the next open date.

For extinguisher service in Van Nuys, call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com

For other work in the neighborhood, start at our Van Nuys fire protection page or annual extinguisher certification in Van Nuys; outside it, see fire extinguisher service in Los Angeles County or Orange County.

Questions from Van Nuys callers

Do my extinguishers just need a recharge, or a full inspection?

Every unit needs the annual service and a new tag either way. A recharge is added if a unit was used or lost pressure.

Is it cheaper to recharge or buy new?

It depends on size, age and what's due. A small unit near its 6-year teardown or 12-year hydro test can cost less to replace than to service, so ask us to price both.

How soon can a technician come out?

Call or email us. We'll book the next open date.

Will you take my old extinguisher?

We charge $3 for disposal and recycling.