On 5 Feb 2006 13:24:12 GMT, Gary Evans
wrote:

I don't know what they put in fire extinguishers but
I can't imagine that its good to breath.

For the hydrotest, water. If the fire extinguisher places scare you,
try a scuba shop; they hydrotest theirs (by regulation on all
compressed gas cylinders of certain characteristics, I believe) every
5 years as well. Some do it in-house, some send them out.

I hedged there because I'm in the fluid power industry; we use
accumulators and "gas bottles" with nitrogen at pressures up to 6000
psi or so. SO FAR, I've never run into a recertification on European
or Japanese products. It may be DOT (where T is transportation);
stationary applications may be exempt.

I do run into requirements at purchase that they must meet the
appropriate country's criteria.

At 04:30 05 February 2006, Bumper wrote:
Do not hand your nice cylinder over to most welding
supply houses. It'll
come back looking like it rode in a dump truck with
100 other loose
cylinders . . . probably 'cause it did!

Try a fire extinguisher servicing place.