Fire Extinguisher Cabinets

Q: What size cabinet do I need for my fire extinguisher?

Size the cabinet by the extinguisher's cylinder diameter against the cabinet's interior (tub) depth, not by weight. A standard 10 lb dry chemical extinguisher (about a 5-1/8 in cylinder) fits a "10 lb" cabinet; a wide-body "short" 10 lb (about 6 in) or a 20 lb unit needs a deeper tub. Check the cylinder diameter on the extinguisher cut sheet against the tub depth on the cabinet cut sheet.

Q: Do I need a fire-rated cabinet?

Only when you recess a cabinet into a fire-resistance-rated wall and want to preserve that rating. A fire-rated cabinet is tested and labeled (ASTM E814) to maintain a 1- or 2-hour wall around the recess; alternatively, surface-mount a standard cabinet, which doesn't open a recess. In a non-rated wall, a standard cabinet is fine.

12 products in this collection ↓

Fire extinguisher cabinets house and protect a portable extinguisher and, where a public space calls for it, deter tampering or shield the unit from weather. Choose by how the cabinet mounts, whether the wall is fire-rated, and whether your extinguisher's cylinder fits the tub depth. For the full walkthrough, see our Fire Extinguisher Cabinet Selection Guide.

Mounting. Fully-recessed and trimless cabinets sit inside the wall for the cleanest look and least projection; semi-recessed is the general-purpose default in a standard stud wall; surface-mount bolts to the wall face for masonry, thin walls, and rated walls you don't want to cut into. In an occupied corridor, a recessed or semi-recessed cabinet stays within the ADA 4-inch projection limit.

Fire-rated walls. Recessing a cabinet into a 1- or 2-hour fire-rated wall calls for a fire-rated cabinet (tested to ASTM E814) to preserve the wall's rating — or surface-mount a standard cabinet, which doesn't open a recess.

Fit. A cabinet is sized by the extinguisher's cylinder diameter against the interior (tub) depth, not by weight. A 5 lb unit fits a 5 or 10 lb cabinet; a standard 10 lb needs a 10 lb cabinet; wide "short" 10 lb and 20 lb units need a deeper tub. Match the cabinet to the measured cylinder.

Extinguisher selection and placement follow NFPA 10 and its mounting requirements; the cabinet is the housing and never changes what the code requires.