Frequently Asked Questions

Other than very specific applications in Aerospace, Military and Shipping Halon Extinguishers are banned in the UK and throughout most of the World. It is illegal to own a charged Halon extinguisher in the UK unless you have one of these exemptions. Disposal is by regulated Companies who reclaim the Halon.
If you wish to dispose of a Halon extinguisher you should contact your local Environmental Services.

Alternatives to Halon include our FE36 Clean Agent Automatic Extinguishers and for the majority of other applications Carbon Dioxide (CO2).

Provided your fire extinguishers are regularly serviced and maintained, they can last for 10 years plus – however this is only if the extinguishers pass their 5 year and 10 year discharge test. You can expect the cost of maintenance to increase over time as components, such as seals, deteriorate. With the low cost of our new extinguishers you should always compare the service cost with the price of purchasing a new replacement.

Brief instructions on how to use the extinguisher are printed on the canister. You can also find instructions at the bottom of each fire extinguisher category page on our website. See foot of Foam Fire Extinguishers as an example. Training in the correct use of fire extinguishers must be given to any members of staff who may be called upon to use them.  We also offer a workplace Training Programme on DVD that shows which, how and when to discharge a fire extinguisher.

Apart from our factory sealed and disposable fire extinguishers all of the extinguishers we supply can be refilled and where appropriate repressurised. Refilling should only be undertaken by a competent person trained or experienced in Fire Extinguisher Maintenance and Servicing.

We supply refills, cartridges, spare parts and extinguisher consumables for this purpose.

The Fire Rating printed on all Quality Approved Fire Extinguishers indicate the type(s) (or Class) and size of fire the extinguisher can deal with.

• Class A fires are burning solids like wood, paper and fabrics
• Class B Fires are flammable liquids like petrol and hydrocarbon oils and fuels
• Class C Fires are flammable liquid and pressurised gases
• Class D Fires are burning metals
• Class F Fires are flammable cooking oils and fats

There is no Class E, often mistaken as describing Electrical Fires. See product descriptions for the types of extinguishers you can use on electrical fires.

Some extinguishers are effective on more than one Class of fire. Read the product description for details.
For more information see specific sections in our Advice pages.

In addition to independent third party Approvals – BS EN3 Kitemark, Lloyds, MED, all our extinguishers come with a minimum 5 year Manufacturers Warranty.

Some fire extinguishers for example some small disposable and factory sealed units and chrome/silver finish fall outside the scope of BS EN3 but carry other approvals. These extinguishers are made in the UK under ISO 9001 Quality Supervision, are tested in accordance with BS EN3 and carry a 5 year Manufacturers Warranty as a minimum.

You should always look for recognized independent approvals when purchasing fire safety equipment.

This depends on the type and size of fire risk you are intending to protect.  Our Advice section and Extinguisher Wizard will help you determine the options available. If you are a business your Fire Risk Assessment will indicate the type(s) of extinguisher(s) you require. You can also call our Customer Service line on 01724 854199 for help but the law limits us from making specific recommendations without conducting a Site Survey.