Did you know? Expired fire extinguishers can explode!

Fire extinguishers can always “save the day” in critical moments. Whether residential or public places, its existence is essential, but did you know that life-saving fire extinguishers can also become a life-threatening culprit! In fact, the fire extinguisher is also very dangerous, but the general fire extinguisher will not have such a big safety hazard, will explode the fire extinguisher is expired!

A. the cause of the explosion.

The fire extinguisher itself is a high-pressure tank, the internal pressure is about ten times the atmosphere, under normal circumstances, the thick tank wall can effectively prevent the explosion, but the expired fire extinguisher tank will be corroded by external pollution and thinning. Coupled with the fire extinguisher carbon dioxide flame retardant dry powder, foam, and other components, exposed to high temperatures, may also occur chemical reactions, resulting in an increase in pressure inside the bottle, this time a slight bump, may trigger an explosion, and the explosion power is very scary.

See cases.

1., 2007, when a porter in a wholesale market warehouse in Shenyang when using expired dry powder fire extinguishers, the fire extinguisher suddenly exploded, the porter Wang was killed on the spot.

2, May 14, 2012, Lanzhou Yantan furniture market, store owner Mr. Lin, heard an abnormal sound from the scrapped dry powder fire extinguisher at the door, he went over to see what happened, when the fire extinguisher suddenly exploded, Lin was blown up and seriously injured.

3, June 4, 2016, a 14-year-old boy in Harbin found a discarded fire extinguisher near his home and picked it up. The fire extinguisher exploded and the boy was killed.

Second, in daily life, how do we determine whether the fire extinguisher is expired?

In general, fire extinguishers expire into two cases (ordinary ABC dry powder fire extinguishers, for example).

The fire extinguisher agent expired.

New fire extinguishers need to be replaced after two years of use of the extinguishing agent, after the replacement is to replace the extinguishing agent once a year.

Extinguisher shell expired.

Fire extinguishers after a long time of air corrosion, as well as filling with strong pressure gas and pharmaceuticals, coupled with the pharmaceutical bottle will appear shock damage, can not guarantee the use of safety, every 12 years need to be mandatory obsolescence.

Third, how to identify the expired fire extinguishers?

1、Check the quality of the cylinder

If there is damage or after the shelf life must be scrapped.

2、Check the driving pressure

The pressure indicator pointer in the green zone can be used with confidence, the yellow area is too high pressure, the red area is expired.

3、Check the charge

Fire extinguisher expired must be scrapped or refilled with the extinguishing agent. Fire extinguisher filling, fire extinguisher filling manufacturers will be posted on the fire extinguisher bottle expiration date, the newly purchased fire extinguisher is also the same in the fire extinguisher bottle can be viewed on the expiration date.

Fourth, the criteria for end-of-life fire extinguishers

1, the fire extinguisher in addition to the expiration date, there will be scrapped.

2, the fire extinguisher barrel for hydrostatic testing, failure to allow welding, must be scrapped.

3、The barrel body is seriously rusted or connection parts, the bottom of the barrel is seriously rusted.

4、The internal buckle type head without air relief screw and fixing screw.

5, the hand-wheel valve of the carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, must replace the pressure handle type valve.

6、Serious deformation of the cylinder body.

7, unreasonable structure.

8, no production plant name and factory year.

9, the sale and maintenance of expressly prohibited.