We all have — or certainly should have — one or more portable fire extinguishers in our homes. A fire in the kitchen, for example, can start easily and spread quickly, but can often be contained if it’s attacked in the first minute or so. When my old electric stove burst into flames one afternoon, I was very glad I had one.
The questions are about how long these devices last, and what we should do with them at their end of life.
Guardian Fire Protection Services suggests that a properly maintained device should last for 10-12 years. That mostly means it doesn’t get banged around, the safety pin is not missing, and it does not lose its charge. At that point, the device should be tested to ensure the integrity of the steel outer shell, and, if all is well, it can be recharged and used for another round.
If there is loss of pressure without the extinguisher being used, the nozzle is clogged or damaged, the safety pin is missing, or the handle is loose, the extinguisher needs to be replaced. Some are not rechargeable by design, and those should be replaced after 10-12 years as well.
Guardian’s website suggests that, if an extinguisher is partially or fully charged, you call your fire department to see if they will take. I made that call to Brunswick, and they are not able to take them, but other departments might. If not, then the device is hazardous waste, and needs to be handled that way. Both the high internal pressure and the nature of the fire suppression chemicals makes them dangerous to handle.
The steel container cannot be recycled in our bins, but you can leave the entire unit at the Graham Road. facility at no cost (after the annual $5 residential disposal fee). It has, in addition, been suggested that it might often be less costly to replace an extinguisher than to recharge it. I’m inclined to think that may be true.
According to the town website, the next Household Hazardous Waste Day, for Brunswick residents only, is to be April 30, 2022. The Brunswick Works Director assures me that a full, or partially full extinguisher will be accepted at hazardous Waste Day. You will need to call Public Works about a month ahead of time, to make an appointment, but the option is free. Between Hazardous Waste Days, the devices can be taken to either the Environmental Depot, in Lewiston, or Riverside Recycling, in Portland. Both will charge a fee.
If you have an extinguisher that is not rechargeable, and its “Use By” date has passed, it is generally handled as Household Hazardous Waste. You can return it to the manufacturer, if you can drive it there, but most carriers won’t take anything hazardous. If something needs to be done sooner, the Fire Department said they would assist with finding a place for you to take it, or you can take it to Hazardous Waste Day.
As a final note, please check your extinguishers to be sure the safety pin can be removed. In order to use a portable extinguisher, you remove the pin, aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, and squeeze the two parts of the handle together. The pin is there to allow you to move the device without accidentally causing it to discharge, and, when the unit is sold, the pin is locked into place, usually with a plastic ring. If the ring locking it in place is not removed, the pin will not come out when you need the fire extinguisher, and you do not have time then to find a pair of scissors and cut it loose. I found one this week with the pin still very much locked in place.
The Recycle Bin is a weekly column on what to recycle, what not to recycle, and why, in Brunswick. The public is encouraged to submit questions by email to brunsrecycleinfo@gmail.com. Harry Hopcroft is a member of the Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee, though his opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the committee.
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