Fire alarm testing Cardiff

Fire alarm testing for Cardiff buildings

Cardiff's growth in city-centre apartments and student towers means Welsh landlord rules and the new Welsh regime for higher-risk buildings both apply to many of our clients here.

A fire alarm that has not been tested is an assumption, not a safety system. Detectors drift, batteries age, sounders get painted over and rooms get partitioned without anyone thinking about the detection. Testing is how you find out before a fire does.

There are three layers of testing. The user carries out a weekly test from a different manual call point each week. A competent engineer inspects and services the system at intervals of no more than six months. Every detector, call point and sounder should be functionally tested over the course of each year. We handle the engineer visits and set you up to run the weekly test properly.

The rules that apply in Cardiff

Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and its fitness for human habitation regulations, landlords must fit a working, mains-powered smoke alarm on each storey of a rented home, interlinked with each other, and a carbon monoxide alarm where there is a combustion appliance.

What is included

One-off full system test and condition survey
Functional testing of detectors with test gas, heat and smoke
Manual call point and sounder or beacon tests
Sound level checks in bedrooms and occupied areas
Battery capacity and charger tests
Cause and effect verification (door holders, AOVs, lifts, plant)
Weekly test training and test rota for your staff
Written test report with pass, fault and variation notes

Buildings we work on in Cardiff

New building owners
Managing agents taking on a block
Landlords
Schools
Offices
Warehouses

Areas we cover from Cardiff

From Cardiff we also cover Barry (7 miles), Newport (11 miles), Pontypridd (11 miles), Bridgend (17 miles) and Merthyr Tydfil (20 miles). Elsewhere in South Glamorgan we work in Barry. If your building is not in a listed town, we still cover it: every enquiry for fire alarm testing in Wales is handled the same way.

How a job runs

Tell us about the building

Use the form or send us your fire risk assessment action plan. A few details on height, use and current systems are enough to start.

Survey or desktop review

Where we need to see the building, we visit. For some jobs, such as EWS1 scoping, we start with the documents you already hold.

Fixed quote

You get a written, fixed price with a clear scope. Nothing chargeable happens without your approval.

Work and certification

Our engineers carry out the work and leave the right certificates, photographs and logbook entries.

Records and reminders

Reports are filed by building and we remind you before the next test, inspection or review is due.

Fire alarm testing in Cardiff: questions

Do you provide fire alarm testing in Cardiff?

Yes. We carry out fire alarm testing in Cardiff and across South Glamorgan, including Barry, Newport, Pontypridd, Bridgend. Use the form to tell us about the building and we will reply within one working day.

Which fire and rescue service covers Cardiff?

Cardiff is covered by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which enforces fire safety law for non-domestic premises and the common parts of residential buildings in the area.

How often should a fire alarm be tested?

The user should test the system weekly from a different call point each time. A competent person should inspect and service it at intervals of no more than six months, so that every device is tested over the year.

How long does a fire alarm test take?

A weekly user test takes a few minutes. A six-monthly service on a small system takes a couple of hours. Large addressable systems in multi-storey buildings may take one or more full days, split across visits.

Will the alarm sound during testing?

Sounders are tested for short bursts, and we agree timings with you in advance so occupants are warned. Detector testing can usually be done with the sounders silenced.

Fire alarm testing in Cardiff