Call 0330 043 0080
Compliance · Fire and life safety

How often should fire extinguishers be serviced?

  • 4tasks
  • 9sources
  • checked on
  • Englandscope
The short answer

Have every extinguisher given a basic service by a competent technician once a year, and look them over at least once a month. BS 5306-3 also calls for an extended service about every five years, with CO2 extinguishers overhauled every ten years.

The tasks

What to do, and how often

Task How often Who Basis
Visual check that each extinguisher is in place, undamaged and at the correct pressure Every month Responsible person or nominated staff Guidance Home Office guidance lists a monthly visual check. The FIA advises routine visual inspections weekly or monthly. SourcesS1S2
Basic service by a competent extinguisher technician Every year Competent extinguisher technician British Standard BS 5306-3 recommends that all extinguishers are inspected by a competent person at least annually. SourcesS3S4S5S6
Extended service, including discharge, internal inspection and refill Applies to: Water, foam, powder and wet chemical extinguishers Every 5 years Competent extinguisher technician British Standard BS 5306-3 recommends extended servicing broadly every five years for stored pressure extinguishers such as water, foam, powder and wet chemical types. SourcesS8S4
Overhaul, including hydraulic pressure test of the cylinder and a new valve Applies to: CO2 extinguishers Every 10 years Competent extinguisher technician British Standard BS 5306-3 recommends that CO2 extinguishers are overhauled at ten year intervals. SourcesS7

Where a row says who or what it applies to, the task is for that case only.

The law

Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire-fighting equipment to be kept under a suitable system of maintenance and in efficient working order. The Order sets no service interval.

The standard

BS 5306-3:2017, the code of practice for commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers.

Records to keep

  • Service label on each extinguisher showing the last service date
  • Annual service report or certificate from the technician
  • Monthly visual check log
  • Extinguisher asset list with type, location and age

Notes

The annual service and the five and ten year intervals come from the British Standard, not from legislation. The FIA describes the intervals as broadly annual and broadly five-yearly. Some manufacturers set their own servicing instructions, which should also be followed.

Who delivers this in the group

Gemini AMPM

Delivered by Gemini AMPM. One number reaches every company in the group, day or night: 0330 043 0080.

See it on geminiampm.co.uk ↗
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Fire extinguishers: is the interval set in law?

No task on this page has an interval set in legislation. Each one is recommended by a British Standard or by guidance. Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire-fighting equipment to be kept under a suitable system of maintenance and in efficient working order. The Order sets no service interval.

Fire extinguishers: who should carry out each task?

Responsible person or nominated staff: visual check that each extinguisher is in place, undamaged and at the correct pressure. Competent extinguisher technician: basic service by a competent extinguisher technician; extended service, including discharge, internal inspection and refill; overhaul, including hydraulic pressure test of the cylinder and a new valve.

Fire extinguishers: what records should you keep?

Keep these records: service label on each extinguisher showing the last service date; annual service report or certificate from the technician; monthly visual check log; extinguisher asset list with type, location and age.

Checked on

Sources

Every task and legal statement is supported by at least one source fetched over HTTPS and read on the date shown. Quotes are verbatim and 25 words or fewer. A second, independent verification pass re-fetched every source and re-read the legislation on 5 October 2026. Intervals taken from British Standards were checked against published summaries of those standards by trade bodies and government guidance, because the standards themselves are paid publications.

  1. A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire ↗

    Home Office (GOV.UK) · Updated 20 January 2025. Guidance issued under article 50 of the Fire Safety Order · read on

    “Carry out a visual check of all fire extinguishers”

    A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire, Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Monthly visual check by the user

  2. Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Published 29 April 2026 · read on

    “Routine visual inspections should be carried out regularly, for example weekly or monthly.”

    Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: FIA advice on routine visual inspections

  3. Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Published 29 April 2026 · read on

    “All extinguishers should be inspected by a competent person at least annually in accordance with the recommendation of BS 5306-3”

    Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: BS 5306-3 annual inspection by a competent person

  4. FIA Short Guide to BS 5306-3:2017 ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Version 1, November 2017 · read on

    “the system of (broadly annual) basic servicing and (broadly five-yearly) extended servicing by competent persons”

    FIA Short Guide to BS 5306-3:2017, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: BS 5306-3:2017 system of annual basic and five-yearly extended servicing

  5. A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire ↗

    Home Office (GOV.UK) · Updated 20 January 2025. Guidance issued under article 50 of the Fire Safety Order · read on

    “Fire extinguishers should be inspected and tested by a competent contractor”

    A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire, Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Annual inspection and test by a competent contractor

  6. Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats ↗

    Local Government Association, hosted by the Home Office (GOV.UK) · Written 2011; GOV.UK page last updated 2 December 2024. The Home Office says it is no longer comprehensive and is being revised · read on

    “they should be inspected and maintained every 12 months”

    Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats, Local Government Association, hosted by the Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Twelve-monthly inspection and maintenance; cites BS 5306-3

  7. Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Published 29 April 2026 · read on

    “extinguishers require overhaul at 10-year intervals”

    Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: Ten year overhaul of CO2 extinguishers

  8. Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing ↗

    Fire Industry Association · Published 29 April 2026 · read on

    “Stored pressure extinguishers, such as water, foam, powder, and wet chemical types, require periodic extended servicing.”

    Signs Your Fire Extinguisher Needs Replacing, Fire Industry Association

    Supports: Five-yearly extended servicing of stored pressure extinguishers

  9. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17: Maintenance ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · Revised text as shown on 5 October 2026 · read on

    “are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair”

    Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17: Maintenance, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: The general legal duty to maintain fire safety equipment

Fire and life safety
Fire detection and alarm systemsHow often should a fire alarm be tested and serviced? WeeklyMonthlySix-monthly LawBritish Standard Emergency lightingHow often should emergency lighting be tested? MonthlySix-monthlyAnnualEvery few years British StandardGuidance Fire doors (communal and flat entrance doors)How often do fire doors need to be inspected? WeeklyQuarterlySix-monthlyAnnual LawGuidance Dry and wet rising mainsHow often should dry risers and wet risers be tested? MonthlySix-monthlyAnnual LawBritish Standard Sprinkler systemsHow often should a sprinkler system be tested and serviced? WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlySix-monthlyAnnualEvery few years LawBritish Standard Smoke control and smoke ventilation (AOVs)How often should smoke vents (AOVs) and smoke control systems be tested? WeeklyMonthlySix-monthlyAnnual LawBritish StandardGuidance Fire and smoke dampersHow often should fire dampers be tested? AnnualNo fixed interval British StandardGuidance Gaseous fire suppression systems (including room integrity testing)How often should a gas fire suppression system be serviced and the room integrity tested? Six-monthlyAnnualNo fixed interval LawBritish StandardGuidance Evacuation alert systems (BS 8629)How often should an evacuation alert system be checked? MonthlyNo fixed interval LawBritish Standard Voice alarm and public address (PAVA) systemsHow often should a voice alarm (PAVA) system be tested? WeeklySix-monthlyAnnual British Standard Firefighting lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildingsWhat monthly checks are required on firefighting lifts and fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings? WeeklyMonthlyAnnualNo fixed interval LawGuidance Kitchen extract (grease) ductworkHow often should kitchen extract ductwork be cleaned? QuarterlySix-monthlyAnnual Guidance Fire risk assessment reviewHow often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed? AnnualEvery few yearsNo fixed interval LawGuidance

Put it on your building's calendar

The planner takes your building type and the systems it has, then sets out every task by rhythm. Take it away as a calendar file, a printed page or a link.

Open the planner

Need this on your building?

Call 0330 043 0080, day or night, or book a site survey.The work is delivered by Gemini AMPM.

← All regimes