Fire Extinguisher Refills & Recharging

An extinguisher that has been used, even for five seconds on a bin fire, is finished until it is recharged. The seal is broken, the pressure is gone, and a unit that looks full is not. The same goes for one that has quietly lost pressure on the wall.

Refilling is almost always cheaper than replacing, and on larger CO₂ and powder units it is considerably cheaper. We refill, re-pressurise, replace the seal and pin, and recommission the unit with a fresh service date.

When a refill is the right answer

The extinguisher has been discharged, fully or partially.
The gauge has fallen out of the green band.
A CO₂ unit weighs light against its stamped charge weight.
The tamper seal has been broken, even if nothing came out.
A powder unit has been in service for years and the charge wants replacing rather than just shaking loose.

Any of those and the unit comes out of service there and then. We will tell you on the spot whether it is worth refilling or whether the cylinder has reached the end of its life.

When replacement is honestly the better buy

We will say so. A corroded cylinder, a failed or illegible test stamp, a body that has been dented hard enough to distort, or a small domestic unit where the refill costs most of a new one. Those get replaced, and we will tell you that rather than take the refill money.

The decision is always yours and it is always made before we start, not written on the invoice afterwards.

Keeping cover while units are off site

Larger refills are not always a roadside job. Where a unit has to come away, we can leave a loan extinguisher of the same type in its place so the building is never uncovered, which matters if you are a licensed premises, a school or an HMO where somebody will notice an empty bracket.

Questions we get asked about refills & recharging

Is it cheaper to refill or replace a fire extinguisher?

On anything from a 2kg CO₂ upwards, refilling is normally cheaper, and on large powder and foam units it is much cheaper. On the smallest domestic units the two are close enough that a new one, with a fresh ten-year clock, is often the better value. We price both and let you choose.

My extinguisher was only used for a few seconds. Does it still need recharging?

Yes. Once the seal breaks the unit begins losing pressure, and a partly used extinguisher will not deliver a full discharge when you need one. Treat any activation, however brief, as a unit out of service.

How long does a refill take?

Most are done the same day. Where a unit has to leave site we will usually return it within a few working days and can leave a loan extinguisher in the meantime.

Can you recharge an extinguisher that is not on a service contract with you?

Yes. You do not need an existing contract and we are happy to take on equipment someone else supplied. If it turns out to be past saving we will tell you before any charge is incurred.

Extinguisher servicing

An extinguisher is only worth the wall space if someone has checked it. We service every make and type, record what we find, and leave you the paperwork.

Extinguisher supply

The right extinguisher, in the right place, on the wall, not in a box in the stockroom waiting for someone to find a drill.

Fire safety equipment

The rest of the kit: signage, stands, cabinets, covers and the small items that make a fire plan actually work on the floor.

Enquire about refills & recharging

Free estimates. Tell us roughly what has happened and where you are, and we will come back to you with a price and a realistic date.

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We reply by email, usually the same working day. We will only use your details to answer this enquiry. See our privacy notice. In a genuine emergency, call 07538 094345.

Fire extinguisher refills and recharging