According to general maintenance manuals, fire extinguisher cylinders have a service life of:

According to general maintenance manuals, fire extinguisher cylinders have a service life of:

• A. 12 Years
• B. 20 Years
• C. 10 Years
• D. 15 Years

Answer: (A)

Fire extinguisher cylinders are pressurized vessels, and over time the metal walls can weaken from corrosion and repeated pressure cycling. To keep them safe, the shell must be tested at prescribed intervals to verify it still has adequate strength. In general maintenance manuals, the cylinder’s service life is defined as twelve years. After reaching that age, the cylinder should be requalified through a hydrostatic test or replaced, assuming the test is passed and there are no other defects. This twelve-year guideline focuses on the safety of the shell itself and its ability to contain the rated pressure, not on how many times the extinguisher is used.

Fire extinguisher cylinders are pressurized vessels, and over time the metal walls can weaken from corrosion and repeated pressure cycling. To keep them safe, the shell must be tested at prescribed intervals to verify it still has adequate strength. In general maintenance manuals, the cylinder’s service life is defined as twelve years. After reaching that age, the cylinder should be requalified through a hydrostatic test or replaced, assuming the test is passed and there are no other defects. This twelve-year guideline focuses on the safety of the shell itself and its ability to contain the rated pressure, not on how many times the extinguisher is used.