Fire is both beautiful and scary. On the one hand, it helps us stay warm and cook food. At the same time, it is also responsible for any destruction. People still haven't forgotten the massive fire that blanketed the skies of Nepal just a few years ago.
Although it was a forest fire, who can say that the same thing cannot happen right in your home? In fact, with just a small miscalculation, your entire house could be engulfed in fire. This is the primary reason why many people are investing in fire safety equipment and measures and fire extinguishers In fact fire extinguisher is one of the simplest and most effective methods of fire safety. But what do you do once you use the fire extinguisher or the fire extinguisher expires?
You refill them! In fact, refilling a fire extinguisher is not an option but a necessity! That said, What are the methods of refilling fire extinguishers in Nepal?
Let's get to the bottom of this, starting with the why and when a fire needs to be refilled. Unless you know these answers, even if you know the methods of fire extinguisher refilling in Nepal, you will not increase your fire safety.
Let's get started!
Why do fire extinguishers need to be refilled?
If you have a brand new fire extinguisher, it naturally doesn't need to be refilled. However, the older the fire extinguisher gets, the more it possesses risk.
For those unaware, a fire extinguisher is not just a can filled with clean agents to put out the fire, rather it is a complex little machine. The clean agents for fire extinguishers are put in a pressured or charged environment. The agents, especially if they are chemical ones, have their expiration date.
Here are a few scenarios why you need to have a refilled extinguisher:
Undercharged Extinguishers can harm you
If the fire extinguisher you have in hand is undercharged or overcharged, it will just be a cumbersome can in case of fire. In the worst-case scenario, it can affect the fire suppression when used, causing harm to the user and the property surrounding it.
Depressurized extinguishers are useless
Similarly, when a depressurized fire extinguisher is used, it won't be usable. Although it won't explode, if you can't use a fire extinguisher during an emergency fire suppression, the results can easily be fatal.
Expired Extinguishers are as good as having none
As for the expiration of extinguishing agents, the result is simple- it will not be effective when used. Although fire extinguishers can technically last forever, their effectiveness does decrease. There will be a point where the effect of the said fire extinguisher is as good as none - and this is extremely dangerous during a crisis.
During each one of these conditions, you must consider refilling the fire extinguisher in Nepal.
Besides these, there is also an obvious situation why a fire extinguisher must be replaced; when the fire extinguishing agents inside are used up.
The fire extinguishing agents can be:
ABC dry chemical
Carbon dioxide
Dry Powder
Wet chemical
Water stored pressure
Foam
Clean agent or halogen
The good news is that fire extinguishers can easily last a few years without any maintenance. If you are looking for a reliable fire extinguisher, please do let us know, or you can simply check our products!
When do Fire extinguishers need to be refilled?
The simplest answer to this is after you have used up all the fire extinguishing agents inside a fire extinguisher.
The only catch is that you may not use all the agents inside a fire extinguisher. Even so, you must refill the fire extinguisher immediately after use. The only alternative option to this is to dispose of the extinguisher, which is simpler but not a recommended action.
If you do not refill and recharge the fire extinguisher immediately after use, then the extinguisher will depressurize. We have already mentioned the risk of depressurized fire extinguishers.
Besides this, a fire extinguisher should also be replaced and recharged every once in a while. This is to ensure that the quality of the agent inside the extinguisher has not degraded. Refilling of fire extinguisher will also ensure that the charge and pressure inside the canister will remain optimum for immediate action.
Keeping this in mind, it is always a good idea to check your fire extinguisher every once in a while. If you see signs of any dents, corrosion, or nozzle damage, immediately take it to a servicing center to refill the agents inside and repair the damage or dispose of it.
How to Check a Fire extinguisher Gauge?
The process of checking the fire extinguisher gauge is quite simple. Every fire extinguisher has a gauge with a red and green meter. If the pointer is in the green area of the pressure gauge, then you are affirmed that the extinguisher is properly pressurized.
If the pointer is in the red area, then it is either under pressurized or over-pressurized. If the pressure gauge is in such a condition, immediately take the extinguisher to a refilling station. Then, you can re-pressurize the device and refill it if needed.
If your fire extinguisher does not have a pressure gauge, you can press the pin. The pin should pop if the pressure is optimum. At the same time, if your fire extinguisher is a Carbon Dioxide type fire extinguisher, you can check the weight. If the weight is lesser or greater than the one mentioned, get it serviced immediately.
How to refill a fire extinguisher?
Don't! Unless you are experienced with fire extinguishers by either being involved in the manufacturing process or refilling of fire extinguisher process, it is best to not tamper with the device.
Although fire extinguishers are not toxic and are not hazardous for the most part, it is still heavy metal can filled with pressurized chemicals. You probably don't have the internal condition or have the devices required to refill the extinguisher. If you need refilling, please do let us know. We house professional fire safety experts and provide quality Fire Extinguishing Refilling Services for you. Do not put yourself or your property at risk.
Now that this is out of the way and you are qualified personnel and just need a quick review, the following are step-wises processes of fire extinguisher refilling in Nepal!
Step 1: Depressurize the extinguisher
Step 2: Remove the agent from the canister
Step 3: Remove the Discharge valve from the cylinder
Step 4: Remove the siphon tube from the valve
Step 5: Detach the valve stem and spring
Step 6: Clean the valve and replace the neck-ring
Step 7: Inspect the internal extinguisher for the damage and install the new valve system.
Step 8: Refill the extinguishing agent in the appropriate portion
Step 9:Re-pressurize the appropriate pressurizing gas
Step 10: Test for leaks and reinstall the discharge nozzle/ hose
Step 11: Recheck for the weight and ensure that it is within the range set by the manufacturer
Step 12: Add a new tamper seal on the safety pin and recharge tag to the unit.
Once you complete all of these steps, your fire extinguisher will be as good as new. Although these steps may seem simple, you must be intimately familiar with the internal workings of a fire extinguisher. If not, there will always be an extremely good chance to damage the extinguisher. Naturally, you will cause more harm than good if this ever happens.
It should also be noted that different classes of fire extinguishers have different refilled extinguishers. While the one we mentioned is a general method, the specification of the valve, nozzle and gauge can differ from brand to brand. Along with this, although fire extinguishing agents are nontoxic, they are not exactly safe either. Should they be mishandled, they can pollute your environment.
Fire Extinguisher That Doesn’t Need Refilling
The only exclusion to all of the processes that we have mentioned so far is the fireball fire extinguishers. These explosive balls of dry powder extinguishing agents are meant for one-time use and are thrown into the fire from a safe distance. Fire Balls are becoming quite popular tools during fire fighting in modern times since they are mostly ABC grade dry powder fire extinguishers that cover a large area and can be deployed from a distance; A very valuable asset during open area fire fighting.
Despite not needing to be refilled, they can be unusable if they exceed their shelf life.
Conclusion,
Fire is both a boon and a curse to humans. While it does provide warmth and a cooking method to us, it can also easily cause us harm. A small mishap can easily ruin our lives. This is why fire safety equipment and measures are important.
A fire extinguisher is one of the most common and cheapest fire safety equipment and methods. That said, they can go bad as well, and if not replaced or refilled periodically, they will simply become an ornament or, worse, a fire hazard.
A fire extinguisher that cannot be used during a crisis is not worse than the fire itself.
As a side note it should be helpful to remember that even though fire extinguishers are not the primary tools used by the firefighters during fire fighting, having a multi-purpose fire extinguisher like ABC dry powder fire extinguisher would help a lot.
We hope you found this helpful. If you have any queries and suggestions for us, do let us know in the comments below. And as always, thank you for reading till the end.