How often should fire extinguishers be serviced?

The short answer

Under BS 5306-3 (the British Standard referenced by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005), fire extinguishers must be serviced at least once every 12 months by a competent person. There are additional, more involved checks at 5 years and 10 years.

The full schedule

• Monthly — visual inspection by the Responsible Person. Pressure gauge in the green, no corrosion or damage, tamper seal intact, correctly sited with signage visible.
• Annually — basic service by a competent (qualified) person under BS 5306-3. Hose, nozzle and operating mechanism checked; weight verified on CO₂ units; service label updated; certificate issued.
• Every 5 years — extended service for most stored-pressure units (Water, Foam, Powder). The extinguisher is discharged, internally inspected and refilled.
• Every 10 years — overhaul or replacement. CO₂ extinguishers require a 10-year pressure test; for most other types replacement is more economic.

What happens if you miss a service

Missed services invalidate the extinguisher for compliance purposes — it would be flagged on a Fire Risk Assessment, may invalidate your buildings insurance, and could be cited in any enforcement action by the fire and rescue authority. From a practical view, an out-of-service extinguisher may not work when needed.

Who counts as a "competent person"?

BS 5306-3 expects training, current technical knowledge and access to spare parts and tools. In practice that means a third-party-accredited (e.g. BAFE SP101) engineer with their own ID. Anyone presenting a service tag should be willing to share their accreditation number.

Multi-site landlords

If you run multiple HMOs or commercial premises, a single annual contract across every site with one renewal date is the simplest way to stay on top of servicing — every unit is tracked by serial number and flagged before the 5-year and 10-year dates.