Fire extinguisher refilling and servicing in Galle

SafeZone Fire Company refills and services the extinguishers you already have, for homes, vehicles, shops, guest houses and workplaces across the Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts.

When does an extinguisher need refilling?

• After any use, even a little. What is left may not be enough for a real fire, and once the valve has opened it can slowly lose pressure.
• The gauge needle is out of the green. Powder, water and foam units usually have a small gauge. A needle on either side of the green band means the pressure is wrong.
• A CO2 unit is light when weighed. CO2 extinguishers usually have no gauge, so they are weighed at a service and compared with the weights marked on the cylinder.
• The safety pin or tamper seal is missing or broken. Treat it as used: someone may have squeezed the handle.
• There is visible damage: rust, dents, a cracked hose or horn, or a label you can no longer read. Have it checked before it is refilled: a damaged cylinder may need replacing.
• It is past its service date. If the date on its service label is more than 12 months old, it is due for a check.

What a proper refill involves

A refill is more than a top-up. Whoever does the work, a proper refill generally covers these steps:

1. 1

   Inspect the cylinder and valve

   Any agent left inside is emptied, the cylinder is checked for rust, dents and damage, and the valve, hose and horn are checked and cleaned. A cylinder that fails should be replaced, not refilled.

2. 2

   Check the pressure-test date

   International codes set intervals for a pressure (hydrostatic) test of the cylinder: under NFPA 10 (US), every 5 years for CO2, water, foam and wet chemical, and every 12 years for dry powder. BS 5306-3 (UK) uses an extended service every 5 years and a CO2 overhaul every 10 years instead. An overdue cylinder is tested, or replaced, before any refill.

3. 3

   Refill with the correct agent

   The agent the unit was made for, in the amount on its label. Never a different one.

4. 4

   Fit new seals

   Worn valve seals are replaced where needed, and the safety pin goes back in with a new tamper seal.

5. 5

   Check pressure and weight

   Stored-pressure units are pressurised and the gauge checked; CO2 units are weighed against the full weight marked on them. Then a leak check.

6. 6

   Add a dated label

   A service label showing the date and who did the work, so you, and a fire inspector, can see when it was last done.

Comparing refill quotes? Ask each supplier which of these steps the price includes. The test and service intervals on this page come from international codes (BS 5306-3 in the UK, NFPA 10 in the US), not Sri Lankan law: we know of no published Sri Lankan legal interval.

How to get a refill price

A refill price depends on each extinguisher's type and size, and how many you have. The type and size are printed on the label.

1. Find the label on each extinguisher. Note the type, such as CO2, dry powder (DCP or ABC), water or foam, and the size, such as 2 kg or 9 litres.
2. Count them, and tell us if any have been used, are damaged, or have a missing pin or seal.
3. Send a photo of each label on WhatsApp, with your town.
4. Get the price before any work starts. If we find a cylinder should be replaced when we inspect it, we tell you, with the price, before going ahead.

Refill and extinguisher prices

Every price we have confirmed is on the prices page, with its date.

Refill or replace?

A rechargeable extinguisher can be refilled again and again while its cylinder passes the checks. Sometimes a new one makes more sense:

Halon extinguishers are banned from import in Sri Lanka, so a halon unit is one to replace, not refill. If a new extinguisher is the better choice, we will help you pick one: our guide to extinguisher types explains which suits which fire.

Keeping extinguishers ready between refills

Between refills, international codes such as BS 5306-3 and NFPA 10 call for a quick look at each extinguisher once a month and a service by a competent person once a year. Our maintenance schedule explains what to check, and for regular visits and service records, see inspection and maintenance.

Updated: 27 October 2026