Fire dampers are an essential part of any buildings fire safety system but they need to be sufficiently maintained and regularly tested to keep them in full working condition. If fire dampers are not checked and tested at the required intervals, then they might not function properly in the event that a fire did occur.
There are a number of issues that can cause fire dampers to fail such as;
- Accumulation of debris, dirt, dust and grime
- Blockages and obstructions
- Rust and corrosion
- Damaged or faulty parts
- Poor installation
What is a Drop Test?
The way that fire dampers are tested is by a ‘drop test’ which consists of two parts.
- Firstly, the fire dampers are all located and accessed. Any debris, dust and dirt is removed and the fire damper is cleaned to ensure that the shutters can close effectively. Once cleaned a visual inspection is carried out to check for any obvious blockages, obstructions, broken parts or corrosion. Any parts that are excessively worn or faulty need to be replaced.
- The second part is the drop test itself which involves manually releasing the fire damper so that the shutters close. Once closed the seal’s integrity and mechanisms can be inspected to make sure there are no faults or problems. They are then properly reset.
Any faults need to be reported so that they can be immediately rectified. A report is produced documenting;
- The location of all fire dampers
- Information on the type of dampers
- Photographs
- Drop test results
- Details on any remedial work required
How Often Should Fire Dampers Be Tested?
It is a legal requirement that fire dampers get tested by a competent person on completion of the installation and then annually at regular intervals not exceeding 1 year. Fire dampers that are located in dust-laden atmospheres or those with high pollution should be tested much more frequently.
Fire Damper Services
At Swiftclean, our experts deliver professional, reliable and cost-effective fire damper testing for properties, businesses and organisations of all type, size and complexity.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about our testing services for fire dampers in Brighton then please get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help.
