When a cylinder’s due, we pull it, test it, and bring it back.

What a hydro test is

A cylinder takes a beating over the years. It gets knocked off the wall, bounced around in a truck, and left in the heat and the damp. From the outside, you can’t tell whether the steel is still sound. A hydro test tells you.

We fill the cylinder with water and pressurize it past what it holds every day. If it holds and doesn’t stretch, it goes back into service. If it doesn’t, it’s done. We take it out of service and replace it.

How often

It depends on the type of extinguisher. NFPA 10, the national standard for portable extinguishers, sets the schedule. CO2, water, and Class K kitchen extinguishers are tested every 5 years. Most dry chemical extinguishers go 12.

We keep the due dates. You don’t have to think about them.

What a visit looks like

When a cylinder comes due, we pull it during your regular service visit. Our trucks carry loaners. If an extinguisher has to come back to the shop, a loaner goes up in its place until yours is back.

The cylinder goes back to the shop to be tested. While it’s apart, it gets its internal work and a recharge. Then it comes back and goes on the wall.

After a recharge, there should be a new verification collar ring under the valve. If it’s missing, cut, or stretched, ask questions.

We leave a report.

Who it’s for

Anyone with extinguishers on the wall, cylinders on trucks or heavy equipment, or a hood system over a kitchen line.

If a cylinder fails, or somebody used an extinguisher and it can’t wait for the next visit, call. Our 24-hour service covers discharged units and emergency replacements.