Current legislation states that to conform with BS EN1968:2002 – Seamless Steel Cylinders, BS EN1802:2002 – Seamless Alloy Cylinders & BS EN1803:2002 – Welded Carbon Steel Cylinders. – “In the case of containers used for emergency purposes eg fire extinguishers, breathing apparatus, it is the responsibility of the person in possession (owner or user) to submit it for periodic inspection within the interval specified in Annex B.

In Annex B, the interval for containers used for Co2, Nitrogen & Argon & Gas Mixtures used as extinguishing agents is 10 years. Therefore, all gaseous agents, Inert & Chemical require to be periodically tested every 10 years from the stamped manufactured date on the cylinder body.

periodically tested every 10 years from the stamped manufactured date on the cylinder body.

When System Cylinders approach or become 10 years old, client’s do not want to experience system downtime and have no fire protection means when the Cylinders are removed from site to be tested. As a result, PTESL have formed a large stock of various Cylinders to allow us to offer an extensive Service Exchange program.

This ensures that a fully tested, refurbished replacement cylinder with a matching agent fill is delivered to site, prior to the existing system cylinders being removed. They are then swapped with minimal downtime and the existing cylinders are returned to our factory as part of the program. This ensures that clients do not have enclosures without active system’s in place during the long period of testing.

As part of the process the cylinders are decanted of agent, valve assembly removed, visually inspected internally using a specialist camera, filled with water and pressure tested to their required rated Test Pressure. Once a pass has been verified, the cylinder body is emptied of water, thoroughly dried and visually inspected. The cylinder body is then externally refurbished by shot blasting and a repaint. Once checked and inspected a further time, a refurbished valve assembly is then fitted to the correct torque in line with the manufacturer’s requirements. The Cylinder is then filled with the required fill and correct agent and is then put aside for thorough leak testing to ensure the Cylinder has bonded and will not leak agent.

At PTESL we can offer a complete Cylinder Testing & Service Replacement solution. We have a dedicated team that have years of experience and expertise in the testing, refurbishing and handling of all Gaseous Suppression Cylinders. Our engineers have a combined knowledge of nearly 50 years in this field, leading the way in which we carry this out.

As a company we have invested heavily in the latest cylinder handling equipment to ensure we can offer the best possible service. We also ensure all our engineers have the required training and certification. For Cylinders that contain fluorinated gases only F-Gas Certified engineers are legally allowed to handle them, all PTESL engineers have been F-Gas Certified.

Through this investment, it means we can provide one of the fastest cylinder turnaround times, when needed most. This is especially effective should your system discharge as it means we are best placed to offer immediate response to get you online in record time. 

We then use our cloud-based document management system, to ensure your documents are with you in a timely manner, following completion of the works.

Please contact us if you need assistance of what can appear to be a costly, complex requirement with your equipment, we can provide the complete solution for your requirements.