What Happens During A Fire Damper Test?

What is a Fire Damper and How Do They Work?

Fire dampers are an essential fire safety component located within the ducts of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Their function is to prevent the spread of fire and smoke, thereby providing people with additional time to evacuate during a fire emergency.

Fire dampers play a critical role in preventing the spread of fire within a building. Without them, fire can easily move through the ductwork, breaching fire resistant barriers, spreading into evacuation routes.

Fire dampers are designed to stop the spread of a fire by closing when a fire is detected. This helps delay the spread of a fire and smoke reducing it from spreading into escape routes and reducing damage. It also works most importantly allowing people to evacuate by protecting escape routes.

How Often Should Fire Dampers Be Checked?

It is a legal requirement for businesses in the UK to get their fire dampers tested yearly, along with regular testing of fire and smoke detectors to keep buildings and the people in them safe.

You can read more information here about the legal requirements of testing fire dampers here.

What Does Fire Damper Testing Entail?

Visual Inspection

The fire damper testing process starts with a visual inspection of the fire dampers, which should be located within an accessible hatch. If they are not easily accessible, they do not meet regulatory requirements and an inspection hatch or access panels must be installed to maintain compliance.

Our engineers will then remove any dust and debris that has accumulated around the damper and shutter to ensure the shutter will engage in the case of a fire.

Next, a visual inspection is carried out to check that the damper is positioned correctly, there are no obstructions in the damper’s ducts and galleys, and that the surrounding ductwork is well supported.

Our engineers will also check for any corrosion, damage, or faulty components, and any parts that show significant wear and tear will be replaced.

Fire Damper Drop Test

A fire damper drop test is conducted to check the functionality of fire dampers which are installed in HVAC ductwork to prevent the spread of a fire and smoke.

During the test one of our engineers will manually trigger the damper to close, usually by releasing a fusible link or activating the actuator by simulating its response in a fire scenario.

Our inspectors check the damper fully shuts without obstruction and that it resets properly afterwards. The testing process involves checking the fire damper for any buildup of dust, debris or mechanical issues that could prevent the fire damper from working properly.

Fire damper testing is typically conducted annually or as needed to comply with UK fire safety codes. The testing process identifies and resolves any issues that may impair the fire damper’s functionality, ensuring the overall safety of the building.

You can read our complete guide on testing fire dampers here.

Why Would a Fire Damper Test Fail?

A fire damper can fail for a number of reasons. Some of the most common faults are obstructions and blockages, corrosion, poor installations that don’t meet regulations and broken springs impacting the integrity of the seals.

Just a single failed fire damper test can result in the devastating spread of smoke and fire throughout a building resulting in property loss and more importantly, injury or death to occupants during a fire.

Fire dampers are crucial safety systems that are required to be checked, inspected and maintained properly to protect both people and properties.

Fire Damper Services with ACB

ACB has over 20 years of experience in fire damper testing and inspections. Our speciality is ensuring that your building meets UK regulations and that your occupants are safe.