The service
What happens during a residential sprinkler service.
A clear walk-through of how we service and test your system to BS EN 12845 and BS 9251, what we check for, and what you can expect. Written for the people responsible for the building, not the people who built it.
The law and the standards
Why an annual service matters.
Residential and domestic sprinkler systems are maintained to the British Standards they were designed and installed under: BS 9251 for homes, flats and residential blocks, and BS EN 12845 for larger schemes. Both call for routine checks through the year and a competent annual sprinkler inspection, so the system that protects your residents is known to work, not assumed to. A service is not a tick-box visit. It is the difference between a system that activates when it matters and one that quietly will not.
That applies whatever you have: wet sprinkler systems, where the pipework holds water year round, and dry sprinkler systems, where unheated spaces like car parks and roof voids are protected by air-filled pipework, each get a BS 9251 inspection or a BS EN 12845 inspection to match their design. Where the visit turns something up, we handle the sprinkler fault finding, repairs and sprinkler head replacement too.
The legal duty to keep fire safety in working order sits with the responsible person for the building, usually the owner, freeholder or managing agent, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If a fire risk assessor, insurer or the fire service asks for evidence of fire sprinkler compliance, the annual service record and certificate are what they will want to see.
How it works
Our service, step by step.
Eight steps, in the order we work through them on site.
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01
Arrival and preparation
We sign in, agree the plan with you, and isolate the alarm so testing does not trigger an evacuation or a call to the fire service.
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02
Visual inspection
Sprinkler heads, pipework and valves are checked for damage, corrosion, paint, obstruction and anything that would stop a head operating.
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03
Water supply check
The supply that feeds the system, mains and tank where applicable, is confirmed to be available and at the level the system was designed for.
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04
Flow and pressure test
Sprinkler flow testing and valve testing through the test valve, to confirm the system reaches its design flow and pressure, not simply that it holds water.
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05
Pump duty analysis
Where a pump is fitted, we check it starts, runs and delivers correctly, and that it will do so on the day it is actually needed.
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06
Alarm and flow switch testing
We confirm the flow switch and any alarm interface signal correctly, so a real activation is seen and acted on.
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07
System reactivation
The system is returned to full readiness, the alarm is put back into service, and we confirm with you that everything is live again.
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08
Certificate and written report
We confirm the service is complete and issue your certificate, followed by a full written report within 24 hours of completing the service.
Beyond the checklist
What we are actually checking for.
Most service quotes give you a list of steps. That tells you what we do. It does not tell you what we are looking for. Here is what an experienced engineer is actually checking, beneath the surface of the routine.
Corrosion and rust in pipes
The slow problem that does not show until a section fails. We look where it starts, at joints, low points and unheated runs.
Faulty or clogged heads
A head that is painted over, loaded with dust or quietly failed will not operate. Each one is checked, not glanced at.
Blockages and leaks
Restrictions that starve the system of water, and slow leaks that drop pressure over months without anyone noticing.
Imbalance from building changes
A system designed for one layout, now serving another after a refurbishment. We check it still covers what it should.
Mechanical wear
Valves that stick, gauges that read wrong. Sprinkler valve testing catches the moving and measuring parts that decide whether the system performs.
Pressure, too high or too low
Both are a problem. We confirm the system sits where it was designed to, and find out why if it does not.
Freezing and water stagnation in unheated areas
Roof spaces, car parks and plant rooms are where systems freeze in winter and stagnate the rest of the year. These are the places a quick service skips and we do not.
The paperwork
What you get, what to keep.
The certificate confirms that the system was properly serviced, records what was tested and found, and notes anything left outstanding. It is written to be read, not filed and forgotten, so the person responsible for the building can see at a glance where things stand.
Keep it with your fire safety records. Your insurer may ask for it at renewal, a fire risk assessor will expect to see it, and the local fire service can request it during an audit. One clear document, with your written report following within 24 hours, saves a scramble later.
Every visit is carried out by a sprinkler service engineer who works on residential systems every day. If you would rather set the whole year up in one go, ask us about a sprinkler maintenance contract and we will build the schedule around your buildings.
On the day
What we need to do the job properly.
Building managers are busy. Here is what makes the day go smoothly, so you do not have to chase us and we do not have to chase you.
- Access to common parts and riser cupboards, with keys or a fob arranged in advance.
- Residents notified ahead of time where we need to enter dwellings. We can supply a template letter.
- Access to the fire alarm panel where the sprinkler system is linked to it.
- A heads-up on any recent changes to the system or the building, so nothing catches either of us out.
The promise
What you can expect from us.
- Quote within 24 hours
- From your enquiry, a real quote for your building, not a holding email.
- A slot within 48 hours
- Of accepting the quote, we give you the first available service date.
- Certificate within 24 hours
- Issued once the service is complete, not weeks later after a reminder.
- Report within 24 hours
- A clear written summary of what we did and found, within a day of completing the service.
In their words
“Insert a genuine customer review here, in their own words: what the service was like and the difference it made.”
Book a service
Get your annual service on the calendar.
Tell us the building and the system. We come back within 24 hours with a quote and a date.