Inspection and Testing of Smoke Control and Emergency Power Systems
This domain covers smoke control systems and the emergency power that supports fire protection equipment. It tests whether fans, dampers, doors, generators, and transfer switches perform under designed conditions.
Core rules and concepts
- Smoke control systems are tested annually under NFPA 92, including fans, dampers, controls, door opening forces, and pressure differences between zones.
- Dedicated systems serve only smoke control; non-dedicated systems share equipment with HVAC and require careful verification of normal and smoke-control modes.
- Emergency generators for fire protection are exercised monthly for at least 30 minutes and subjected to annual load testing under NFPA 110.
- Automatic transfer switches are tested annually for proper transfer and retransfer under load.
- Records must show actual readings, not just "tested satisfactory."
Worked example
During an annual stairwell pressurization test, the pressure difference is below design with all doors closed. Check fan operation, damper position, control sequence, and sensor calibration before adjusting anything. If the fan is running but the damper is stuck partly closed, the fix is damper service, not increasing fan speed. The reasoning is that smoke control performance depends on the whole system, not just the fan.
Traps that cost marks
- Testing smoke control with doors open and calling it acceptable.
- Exercising a generator monthly without recording load, run time, or abnormalities.
- Skipping transfer-switch testing because the generator started.
- Failing to verify non-dedicated HVAC systems in smoke-control mode.