Automated Opening Vents and smoke control dampers are active life safety systems in residential buildings. If they don't operate when fire strikes, smoke fills escape routes in minutes. BS 7346-8 requires 6-monthly specialist testing — we make that simple.
An AOV (Automated Opening Vent) is a mechanical vent at the head of a stairwell or roof level that opens automatically to clear smoke from escape routes. Smoke dampers are motorised dampers inside smoke shafts and ductwork, controlled by the fire alarm panel. Both are active systems — they rely on batteries, actuators, control panels and detectors working together, first time, in an emergency.
Any residential building with a mechanical smoke ventilation system. This includes apartment blocks, student accommodation, sheltered housing, housing association properties, and mixed-use buildings with residential above commercial.
RESIDENTIAL BLOCKSBS 7346-8:2013 and BS 9991:2024 require 6-monthly specialist testing of all smoke control systems. This is more frequent than fire damper testing because AOVs are active systems with more failure points.
EVERY 6 MONTHSThe Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — typically the building owner, managing agent, or freeholder — has a legal duty to ensure smoke control systems are maintained and tested.
LEGAL DUTY OF CAREBS 7346-8:2013 is the British Standard for the testing and maintenance of smoke control systems. BS 9991:2024 (fire safety in residential buildings) mandates 6-monthly testing. BS EN 12101 covers the product standards for individual components. Together, these standards ensure that every component in the smoke control chain works when it's needed.
The AOV control panel is checked for fault indicators, and standby batteries are tested under load to confirm they'll power the system if mains fails during a fire.
Every AOV vent and smoke damper is physically actuated to confirm it opens and closes correctly. Seized or slow actuators are flagged for remediation.
Manual call points and smoke detectors tied into the smoke control system are tested to confirm they trigger the correct zone response on the panel.
A complete test report is produced for every component — pass or fail — with remediation recommendations. This is your legal proof of compliance for fire authorities and insurers.
We start at the control panel — checking for faults, testing batteries under load, and mapping all connected devices across the building.
Every AOV vent, smoke damper, manual call point, and detector is physically tested. Each actuation is recorded in real time against the panel log.
We confirm that automatic triggers from the fire detection system activate the correct vents in the correct fire zones — not just that components work in isolation.
Defects are documented with photos and a remediation schedule. Compliance certification is issued on completion, ready for your fire safety file.
Fire dampers are passive — a fusible link melts at 72C and the damper snaps shut to stop fire spreading through ductwork. Smoke dampers are active — they're motorised and controlled by the fire alarm panel, opening or closing based on which fire zone is triggered. AOVs are vents that open to clear smoke from escape routes. Both need testing, but to different standards and different frequencies.
Yes. Most apartment blocks have both fire dampers in the ductwork and AOV/smoke control systems. We test both in a single visit — one engineer, one report, full fire and smoke compartmentation compliance together. That's the most efficient way to handle it.
A small block with one stairwell and a single roof AOV typically takes 2-3 hours. A large multi-core building with 20+ AOVs and smoke dampers could take a full day. We'll provide a time estimate when we survey your site.
Common failures like dead batteries can often be replaced on the spot. For seized actuators or faulty panels, we provide a written remediation quote and interim risk management advice. The failed component is logged in the report with a recommended action date.
Start with us. We'll survey the building, identify all AOV and smoke control components, map them to the control panel, and create a full asset register as part of the first test. Many buildings we visit have incomplete or outdated system documentation — we build it from scratch.
Don't wait for a fire risk assessment to flag your smoke control system as overdue. BS 7346-8 requires 6-monthly testing — get compliant now with full documentation.
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