The schedule at a glance
| How often | What | Who | BS 5839-1:2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Operate a manual call point (a different one each week) to prove the panel receives the signal and sounds the alarm, and that any alarm receiving centre gets it | The premises (the responsible person or their staff) | 42.1 |
| Monthly | Run any standby generator on load for at least an hour; look over any vented batteries | The premises, if they have that equipment | 42.2 |
| Quarterly | Examine vented (wet-cell) batteries and top up electrolyte | A person competent with batteries | 43.1 |
| About every 6 months (5 to 7 months) | Full inspection and service, with a certificate | A competent fire alarm engineer | 43.2 |
| Across every 12 months | Every call point, detector and sounder tested, spread over the visits | A competent fire alarm engineer | 43.3 |
Why six months, and what "5 to 7 months" means
Clause 43.2 asks for successive inspection and servicing visits at intervals of approximately six months. The standard then gives a tolerance: a visit carried out any time from five to seven months after the previous one is acceptable. The clock starts from the date the system was accepted, not from the date it was installed.
In practice this means a slipped visit is not automatically a problem, but a gap of eight or nine months is. If your last certificate is more than seven months old, the system is overdue.
What happens at a six-monthly service
The engineer's list in clause 43.2 is specific. In summary, a service should include:
- Reading the logbook and chasing any faults that were recorded but not dealt with.
- Walking the building to spot changes that affect the system: blocked call points, new exits without a call point, partitions built too close to a detector, storage stacked near the ceiling.
- Recording the false alarm rate over the previous 12 months and investigating where it is too high (clause 31; see our false alarm guide).
- Checking the batteries and power supply: charge voltage, a load test, and the output with the batteries disconnected and the alarms running.
- Testing at least one detector or call point on every circuit, and noting which devices were used in the logbook.
- Checking the panel's controls, indicators and fault signals, and any link to an alarm receiving centre.
- Testing ancillary functions such as door releases and plant shutdowns.
When the work is complete, the engineer should issue an inspection and servicing certificate, the one known as a G6 after its model in Annex G. Any defects left outstanding should be written on the certificate and in the logbook.
Every device, every year
Two visits a year does not mean only a sample is ever tested. Clause 43.3 lists work to be completed over each 12-month period, which can be split between the visits. It includes testing the switch of every manual call point, functionally testing every automatic detector with a method suited to its type (heat, smoke, beam, aspirating, carbon monoxide, flame or multi-sensor), checking every sounder and visual alarm device operates, and checking the cause and effect programme.
A well-run service record will show that every device has been tested within the last year, not that the same easy-to-reach detectors are tested every visit.
The weekly test is the premises' job
Clause 42.1 asks the premises to operate a manual call point every week, at about the same time, and to use a different call point each week so that all of them are tested in rotation. The alarm should sound for at least five seconds and not normally more than a minute. Any alarm receiving centre should be told before and after. The call point used and the result go in the logbook. Missing the odd week, or running a few days late, is not treated as a failure.
Where some staff only work outside the usual test time, the standard suggests an extra test at least monthly so they hear the alarm too.
Who counts as "competent"
The standard expects servicing to be done by someone with specialist knowledge of fire alarm systems, including the causes of false alarms, with enough information about the system and access to spares. It notes that one way to show an organisation is competent is third-party certification under a UKAS-accredited scheme, such as BAFE SP203-1.
Why it matters legally
Under Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must make sure fire safety equipment is maintained in efficient working order and good repair. BS 5839-1 is the recognised way to show that for a fire alarm. A run of certificates at the right intervals, and a logbook with the weekly tests filled in, is the evidence an enforcing authority or insurer will ask for.
Common questions
How often should a fire alarm be serviced in the UK?
In non-domestic premises, BS 5839-1:2025 recommends an inspection and service by a competent person about every six months. Any visit between 5 and 7 months after the previous one is acceptable (clause 43.2).
Is an annual fire alarm service enough?
Not for a system designed to BS 5839-1. The standard recommends two visits a year, about six months apart. Some tests may be spread across the two visits, but a single annual visit would leave the system overdue for part of every year.
How often should a fire alarm be tested?
Every week, by the premises, using a different manual call point each time (clause 42.1). The result goes in the logbook.
Does every smoke detector have to be tested every year?
Yes. Clause 43.3 recommends that every automatic detector is functionally tested within each 12-month period, which can be split across the service visits.
What certificate should I get after a fire alarm service?
An inspection and servicing certificate, modelled on Annex G of BS 5839-1:2025 and often called a G6. It should list any defects still outstanding.
FireCompliance Pro schedules every service inside the 5 to 7 month window, issues the certificate the moment the engineer signs off, and gives your client a live portal showing exactly where each building stands.
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