Smoke damper testing

What a smoke damper does

Smoke dampers sit in ductwork and are there to control the movement of smoke through a building in a fire. Unlike most fire dampers, which close when a fusible link melts in the heat, smoke dampers are usually motorised. An actuator opens or closes the blade when it gets a signal from the building’s fire alarm or smoke control system.

That means a smoke damper can fail in more ways than a simple fire damper. The blade can stick, the actuator can fail, a linkage can come loose, or the signal may never arrive. The only way to know it works is to test it through its controls.

How smoke dampers differ from fire dampers

A fire damper is a passive device: it closes once and stays closed to hold back fire where a duct passes through a fire-resisting wall or floor. A smoke damper is part of an active system. Depending on how the building is designed, it may close to stop smoke spreading, or open to let a smoke control system clear it. Many buildings have both types, and some dampers do both jobs.

Because of that, we test each damper to match what it is meant to do, and record it that way. Our article on fire dampers and smoke dampers explains the difference in more detail.

How we test smoke dampers

1. We work from your damper schedule or drawings, and agree with you how the test signal will be given, whether from the fire alarm panel, a local test switch or the building management system.
2. Each damper is reached through its access panel and checked for dust, grease, corrosion and damage.
3. The damper is driven through its full movement and we check that the blade opens and closes fully and that the actuator responds.
4. The damper is returned to its normal position and the access panel closed.
5. Every damper is recorded with its location, result and photos, with any faults listed.

Where the test involves the fire alarm or a smoke control system, we plan it with whoever looks after those systems, so alarms aren’t raised by mistake and everything is put back to normal afterwards.

Common faults we find

• Seized or sticking blades: often caused by dust, grease or corrosion from condensation.
• Actuator problems: a motor that doesn’t run, runs slowly or doesn’t complete its travel.
• Loose or damaged linkages: the actuator moves but the blade doesn’t follow.
• No signal: the damper works when driven locally but doesn’t respond to the system.
• No access: the damper can’t be reached or seen, so it can’t be tested.

Where we can put a fault right on the day, such as cleaning a dirty damper, we do and retest it. Other faults are listed so you can arrange repairs or, where wiring or controls are the problem, bring in the right specialist.

Who is responsible

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person must make sure fire safety systems are maintained in working order. BESA explains that this includes dampers, and that the Responsible Person may be the employer, owner, landlord, facilities manager or managing agent (BESA: fire damper testing requirements). How often smoke dampers are tested should be set out in the building’s fire strategy or maintenance plan. Many sites test them on the same visit as their fire dampers, so all the records sit together.

GOV.UK has a plain summary of fire safety responsibilities in the workplace.

Working in occupied buildings

Smoke dampers are often above ceilings in offices, corridors, hospitals, care homes, schools and hotels. We work early, late, overnight or at weekends to keep disruption down, protect the areas we work in and put ceiling tiles and panels back as we found them. Tell us about areas with restricted access when you ask for a quote and we’ll plan around them.

Before the visit, we agree a plan with you: which floors or zones we’ll work in and in what order, who needs to know, and how the test signals will be given. On the day, we keep you updated and tell you straight away if we find a damper that needs urgent attention.

What it costs

We don’t publish prices. The cost depends on how many dampers there are, how easy they are to reach, how the test signal is given and when the work can be done. Send us your damper schedule, or tell us about the building, and we’ll give you a fixed quote, usually within one working day.