Don't throw out that old fire extinguisher

What to do when your fire extinguisher goes bad and how to dispose of it properly.

According to NEDT.ORG for the type I had - Not all extinguishers are the same. Always read the label and contact the manufacturer with any questions.

[metalsurgeon]

Local fire control near me "mines" the community for empties and under pressured ones. They harvest the chemical and re use it. They pay you a small fee.

[mobiusone]

Whenever an extinguisher goes bad, it's learning time! I grab the kids, start a fire, and have one of them practice!

[ikpejoz]

"well it's empty now" turns round and see's his house on fire

[flamu]

“Honey! The neighbor is seeing forest fires that aren’t there, again!”

[tibbers]

Thing about fertilizer use: it probably depends on whats in the extinguisher as the contents may vary depending on the fire its meant to fight

[fridaycaliforniaa]

In my country, the firemen hunt for them and recycle them. It's even free to reload yours when it's still on warranty.

[mhw]

Instead of throwing it out how about getting it recharged it saves the landfills and the environment.

[simplesbest]

When I was a young dumby I sprayed one of my dad’s extinguishers all over the hard having fun with a buddy. It killed every bit of grass it touched. My dad was not happy

[ChrundleTGreat]

So the lesson here is that if the arrow is just BARELY into the “empty” side, you can still probably put out an engine fire with it.

[watchingtherain]

"Don't throw out that old fire extinguisher"

Throws out fire extinguisher.

[mikegrant]

Why waste the dry chemical inside or the "container"... turn the extinguisher upside down, tap it a few times to settle the dry chemical at the top, discharge the dry nitrogen gas while it's still upside down and then twist off the head of this plastic gutted extinguisher. (PRO TIP: Buy extinguishers with metal heads that can be recharged)... After you have the head off, dump the still good dry chemical into one or two zip lock baggies. You now have one or two throwable or droppable fire extinguisher bags ready for use on a chimney fire. The aluminum pressure canister and top can be modified by removing the dip tube, cutting it off close to the top without damaging the base where the spring seats on it, holding in the piston (which acts as the discharge valve).You now have a field expedient water bottle after you clean everything with a spot of mild dish detergent. The valve has o-rings to keep it from leaking, as does the base of the valve assembly where it seats onto the cylinder... Or, you can just modify the valve assembly into a plug, to keep it simple. The aluminium cylinder is food grade, the former contents are basically inert monoammonium phosphate or Sodium Bicarbonate based extinguisher agents. The plastic heads on these cheap extinguishers are high grade and stable. You only need enough to make a plug.

[HailAnts]

_"Old fire extinguishers work as fertilizer?!"_

Why am I reminded of that scene in _Fight Club_ where they put up a fake billboard saying _'You can use your used motor oil to water your garden!'_

[littleripper]

I would keep it as a backup seeing as it still had a lot of pressure. When I was in a house fire we went through 6 large extinguishers to get out.

[bb]

The lesson of the clip is that even an old extinguisher has enough pressure to put out a fire

[franknstein]

"Has no pressure" Creates a cloud the size of, Texas.

[billyhighfill]

Yaaa. I keep mine for the “just in case”. You had PLENTY of pressure for a kitchen fire. I would be so mad if I wasted a “bad” extinguisher and then had a fire. I know I Should buy a new one, but I’ve used multiple extinguishers after they entered the low pressure zone, And they all worked and had substantial powder expulsion. I’m not worried.

[username]

“You don’t wanna breathe this stuff”
Also him
*sprays all of it into the wildlife*

[hindenburgerhelper]

“Don’t breath this stuff”
*Watches an entire cloud of it roll back into his backyard*

[lizamay]

Thank you for showing everyone how to properly and safely dispose of a fire extinguisher. I learned that the insides aren't useless, and others learned the whole way round too! I feel we should share this type of information just as a reminder on occasion. It's good for us

[ceegslug]

*introduces some forever chemicals into my backyard food supply like a boss*