Fire Extinguisher Maintenance:Service Collar Requirements

By Mark Conroy

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Verification of service collars were invented so that owners and AHJs have a method to determine when an extinguisher valve has been removed for recharge or internal examination. The design of the collar requires the valve to be removed in order for the collar to be installed around the neck of the container.

NFPA Requirements:

The collar shall be a single circular piece of uninterrupted material forming a hole of a size that does not permit the collar assembly to move over the neck of the container unless the valve is completely removed. The collar shall not interfere with the operation of the fire extinguisher.

Any extinguisher that is depressurized and has the valve removed for servicing requires a collar in the following situations:

• Internal Examination
• Recharge
• Hydrostatic Test

Tip: Date on collar will always be the same as or more recent than the date on a hydrostatic test label.

Service Collar Information

As a minimum, the verification of service collar is required to provide the following information:

• Month and year the extinguisher valve was removed
• Name of the agency performing the work

Color Coding and Sizes (Inches)

Service Collar Exemptions:

As a minimum, the verification of service collar is required to provide the following information:

• New extinguishers requiring a field charge, including pressurized water, foam, and wet chemical
• Cartridge-operated extinguishers
• Cylinder-operated extinguishers
• Halogenated agent extinguishers recharged without valve removal
• Carbon dioxide extinguishers recharged without valve removal

Whenever you remove a valve from an extinguisher, make sure you install the correct collar matching the extinguisher neck. Recording accurate information on the collar will allow the owner and the AHJ to enforce the code, which will help ensure safety wherever the extinguisher is installed.