How often is a fire extinguisher pressure-tested in Spain?

Every five years, with a level C test carried out by an authorised maintenance company (Pressure Equipment Regulation, Annex III, note 1; RIPCI, Annex II, Table II).

How long does a fire extinguisher last?

Its service life is twenty years from the date of manufacture (Pressure Equipment Regulation, Annex III, note 1). RIPCI provides for the retest three times from the date of the first test (Annex II, Table II).

From which date are the five years counted?

From the date of manufacture or from the previous periodic inspection (Pressure Equipment Regulation, Article 6.5). Both dates appear on the extinguisher's periodic inspection plate.

Can I check the extinguisher myself?

Only the quarterly checks in Table I, which the owner's staff may carry out. Annual maintenance and the pressure test are for the manufacturer or an authorised maintenance company (RIPCI, Annex II, sections 3 and 4).

ES · Expiry & renewal tracking

Don't let any extinguisher miss its pressure test

Fire extinguishers in Spain undergo a level C pressure test (retimbrado) every five years by an authorised maintenance company, and their service life is twenty years from manufacture (Royal Decree 809/2021, Annex III, note 1; RIPCI, Annex II). They also get annual maintenance under UNE 23120 and a quarterly check.

Spain's Pressure Equipment Regulation, approved by Royal Decree 809/2021, provides that fire extinguishers undergo only level C tests every five years, carried out by maintenance companies authorised under the Fire Protection Installations Regulation (RIPCI), and that they have a service life of twenty years from the date of manufacture (Annex III, section 1, note 1). A level C inspection is an out-of-service inspection with a hydrostatic pressure test (Annex III, section 2.3).

RIPCI (Royal Decree 513/2017) says the same in its maintenance programme: every five years, a level C test (timbrado) under Annex III of the Pressure Equipment Regulation and, from the date of that test, the retest (retimbrado) three times (Annex II, Table II). In addition, each extinguisher gets the annual maintenance set out in standard UNE 23120, by the manufacturer or a maintenance company, and every three months checks that the owner's own staff may carry out (Annex II, Tables I and II and sections 3 and 4).

Periodic inspection intervals are counted from the equipment's date of manufacture or from the previous periodic inspection (Article 6.5 of the Pressure Equipment Regulation). On the extinguisher's periodic inspection plate, the first date is the date of manufacture and the following ones are the dates of each level C test (Annex III, section 5.a).

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At a glance

Pressure test (level C, retimbrado)	Every 5 years, by an authorised maintenance company (REP, Annex III, note 1; RIPCI, Annex II, Table II)
Number of retests	Three, from the date of the first test (RIPCI, Annex II, Table II)
Service life	20 years from the date of manufacture (REP, Annex III, note 1)
Annual maintenance	Under standard UNE 23120, by the manufacturer or a maintenance company (RIPCI, Annex II, Table II)
Quarterly check	May be done by the owner's staff (RIPCI, Annex II, Table I and section 3)
Records	At least 5 years, by both the owner and the maintenance company (RIPCI, Annex II, section 6)

REP: Pressure Equipment Regulation (Royal Decree 809/2021). RIPCI: Fire Protection Installations Regulation (Royal Decree 513/2017).

Who is responsible?

The maintenance company carries out maintenance within the regulatory deadlines, tells the owner when each periodic operation is due, puts a label on every extinguisher it maintains showing the date of the operation and of the next check, and keeps a register of the extinguishers and the work done (RIPCI, Article 17). The owner keeps records of the maintenance programme for at least five years (Annex II, section 6).

If the deadline passes

Breaches of RIPCI and its annexes are classified and penalised under Title V of the Industry Act, Law 21/1992 (RIPCI, Article 23). The Pressure Equipment Regulation provides the same, and its Article 15 also allows the regional authority to order equipment to be taken out of service if a breach may involve a serious and imminent risk.

What the test plate shows

After the first level B or C periodic inspection, a 70 x 35 mm plate, which may be adhesive, is fitted to the extinguisher if it does not already have one. It shows the serial number, the maximum allowable design pressure, the dates (manufacture and each level C test), the Integrated Industrial Register number of the company that carried out the test, and the hydrostatic test pressure (REP, Annex III, section 5.a).

Tracking it with ExpirySuite

Add each extinguisher and record the date of the next pressure test: five years after the date of manufacture or the last test shown on the plate. Open a separate record for the end of its service life (20 years from manufacture).
Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before and on the day itself.
The maintenance company can upload the certificate through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
Assign a responsible person, such as the property manager or maintenance lead; emails arrive in each recipient's language. If a date passes, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.

Frequently asked questions

How often is a fire extinguisher pressure-tested in Spain?: Every five years, with a level C test carried out by an authorised maintenance company (Pressure Equipment Regulation, Annex III, note 1; RIPCI, Annex II, Table II).
How long does a fire extinguisher last?: Its service life is twenty years from the date of manufacture (Pressure Equipment Regulation, Annex III, note 1). RIPCI provides for the retest three times from the date of the first test (Annex II, Table II).
From which date are the five years counted?: From the date of manufacture or from the previous periodic inspection (Pressure Equipment Regulation, Article 6.5). Both dates appear on the extinguisher's periodic inspection plate.
Can I check the extinguisher myself?: Only the quarterly checks in Table I, which the owner's staff may carry out. Annual maintenance and the pressure test are for the manufacturer or an authorised maintenance company (RIPCI, Annex II, sections 3 and 4).

Sources

Last checked: Sep 30, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.

Made for fire extinguisher pressure test (retimbrado) (Spain)

A ready template for fire extinguisher pressure test (retimbrado) (Spain) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.

Reminders on time

Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each fire extinguisher pressure test (retimbrado) (Spain) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.

Assign an owner

Give each fire extinguisher pressure test (retimbrado) (Spain) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.