Keeping Your Fire Alarms in Check
Safeguard those residing in your property while taking steps to prevent the devastating impact that can be caused by fires. At Existatest, our hard-working technicians are on standby to assist you with fire alarm testing and emergency lighting services.
Important Testing Procedures
To ensure your fire alarm is up to date, we offer an additional fire alarm design service. Our servicing options are detailed below:
- Weekly - One manual call point should be operated during normal working hours; a different call point should be tested each week in rotation and recorded in the log book.
- Monthly - This is only applicable to standby generator or vented battery systems.
- Quarterly - This is only applicable to vented battery systems.
Testing Every Six Months
At Existatest, we offer a six-month testing option. This includes the following actions:
- Checking entries in the log book including a record of false alarms and take necessary action.
- Visually checking structural alterations that could have an effect on the sitting of detectors and other trigger devices have not been made.
- Disconnecting standby battery and simulate full-load alarm.
- Examining batteries and their connections, and load tests where applicable with mains disconnected.
- Operating one manual call point 'break glass' system or detector per circuit to ensure the system operates properly; logging initiating devices in the log book.
- Completing the event log with details of date, time zone, and trigger device tested; reporting any defects, alteration, or repairs undertaken.
An Annual Testing Service
Work during an annual visit may be carried out over the course of two or more service visits during each 12-month period. An annual testing service includes the services below:
- Undertaking all actions as above for six-monthly inspection and testing.
- Testing all manual call points and all detectors, including heat, smoke, optical, aspirating, carbon monoxide, flame, multi-sensor, or other types.
- All cables and equipment, where practical, should be visually checked that they are secure, undamaged, and of the correct type.
Emergency Light Testing Procedures
Upon both the complete failure to your normal lighting supply, as well as a localised circuit failure, emergency lighting should be activated. Certain daily, monthly, and annual inspections and tests are required, as outlined below.
Monthly Light Testing
During a monthly emergency light inspection, we complete certain duties. These are outlined as follows:
- Each luminaire and internally illuminated exit sign should be energised from its battery by simulation of a failure for a period sufficient to ensure that each lamp is illuminated.
- Each luminaire and exit sign should be visually checked to ensure that they are present, clean, and functioning correctly.
- Upon completion, each luminaire should be checked to ensure normal supply has been restored.
- In addition, any defects should be noted in the log book.
Annual Light Testing
During an annual testing procedure, we adhere to certain requirements. These are outlined below:
The monthly inspections as above should be undertaken.
- Each luminaire and internally illuminated exit sign should be energised from its battery by simulation of a failure for its full duration. This is in accordance with the manufacturer's information and is usually three hours.
- Charging arrangements should be checked for proper functioning.
- The date of the test and its results should be recorded in the system logbook.
Central Battery Systems
Central battery systems should be tested monthly. In addition to the tests shown above, the system monitors should also be checked for correct operation.
Contact our experts to obtain more details about our fire alarm testing and emergency lighting services.