--- title: "Fire Safety FAQs | Alarms, HMOs, EICR & Emergency Lighting | AS Fire" description: "Answers to common fire safety questions: BS 5839 grades and categories, HMO alarm requirements, servicing intervals, EICRs, emergency lighting testing and call-out cover in South Wales." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization", "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd", "alternateName": "AS Fire", "url": "https://asfire.co.uk", "logo": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png", "image": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png", "telephone": "+447360538643", "email": "asmith@asfire.co.uk", "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+447360538643", "contactType": "customer service", "areaServed": "GB", "availableLanguage": "en" }, { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+441443572076", "contactType": "customer service", "areaServed": "GB", "availableLanguage": "en" } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam", "addressLocality": "Aberbargoed, Bargoed", "postalCode": "CF81 9EP", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "areaServed": [ "Cardiff", "Newport", "Swansea", "Bristol", "Pontypridd", "Merthyr Tydfil", "Bridgend", "Gloucester", "Cwmbran" ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-fire-services-ltd/", "https://www.instagram.com/as_fire_services/", "https://www.facebook.com/ASFireServices" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#website", "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd", "url": "https://asfire.co.uk", "publisher": { "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "FAQs", "item": "https://asfire.co.uk/faq" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What areas does AS Fire Services Ltd cover?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "We are based in Bargoed in the Rhymney Valley and cover Caerphilly County Borough, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bridgend, Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbran and Torfaen, Chepstow and Monmouthshire, and across the Severn into Bristol and Gloucester." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How quickly can you attend?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Contract clients receive same-day reactive attendance across most of South Wales, with a four-hour window written into Cardiff service agreements. Areas further out, such as Gloucester and Chepstow, are typically attended the next working day unless a contract specifies otherwise." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are you available for emergency call-outs?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, we operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Out-of-hours emergency attendance is provided on annual maintenance contracts and includes fault diagnosis, panel reset, and either a first-visit repair or a written plan the same day to return the system to service." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are you insured?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. We hold Public Liability and Employers' Liability insurance. Certificates are available on request and are routinely supplied to letting agents, managing agents and commercial clients as part of contractor onboarding." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you publish fixed prices?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Every property differs in size, grade, category, device count and access, so a published rate card would be misleading. We carry out a site survey and return an itemised written quote the same day, setting out the specification so you can compare like for like." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How quickly do you turn quotes around?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Same day. Once an engineer has surveyed the property, you receive a written, itemised quote that day rather than waiting several days for a figure." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between Grade A and Grade D fire alarm systems?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Grade A is a full BS 5839-1 style system built around a control panel, with mains-powered detectors, manual call points, sounders and a standby power supply. Grade D is a system of mains-powered interlinked detectors with integral battery back-up and no panel. Licensable shared housing and larger conversions usually require Grade A; smaller, lower-risk properties may be adequately covered by Grade D. The correct grade follows the property's layout, storeys and occupancy, not a preference." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What do LD1, LD2 and LD3 mean?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "They describe detection coverage. LD3 covers escape routes only. LD2 covers escape routes plus rooms presenting a higher fire risk, typically kitchens and living rooms, and in shared housing each sleeping room. LD1 covers all circulation spaces and all rooms. Most licensable shared houses land on Grade A LD2, with LD1 specified where the risk assessment calls for it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often should a fire alarm system be serviced?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "BS 5839-1 recommends a competent-person inspection and service at intervals not exceeding six months for a Grade A system. Between services, the responsible person should carry out weekly call point tests and record them in the system log book. Grade D domestic systems should be tested regularly and serviced annually." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does a fire alarm installation take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A typical three to six bedroom shared house is usually a one to two day installation. Larger conversions, commercial premises and addressable systems take longer, and buildings requiring interfaces to door retainers, smoke ventilation or sprinklers need commissioning time on top. We confirm the expected duration in the written quote." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you take over servicing a system you did not install?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, provided the system is compliant or can be brought to compliance. We inspect it on the first visit, record any defects in writing and quote remedial work separately before issuing a service certificate. We do not certify a system we consider unsafe." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why does my fire alarm keep going off with no fire?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The usual causes are detector type or siting, most often an optical or ionisation detector too close to cooking or a bathroom, dust and insect ingress in older heads, vaping, and end-of-life devices. The fix is normally re-siting, changing to heat or multi-criteria detection in kitchens, and replacing aged heads, rather than repeatedly silencing the panel." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What fire alarm system does an HMO need?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In most licensable shared houses, a system designed to BS 5839-6 at Grade A and category LD2 is expected, with detection in escape routes and each sleeping room, heat detection in kitchens, and a control panel. Requirements vary with the number of storeys and occupants, and your local authority may state its own standard, so the specification should follow a survey of the actual property." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are interlinked mains smoke alarms enough for a shared house?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually not. Interlinked mains alarms are a Grade D arrangement and are commonly assumed to satisfy licensing requirements when they do not. If the property is licensable, expect a panel-based Grade A system to be required. We will survey and tell you plainly which applies." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you have experience with HMO licensing requirements?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. We are experienced in HMO fire safety requirements and work regularly with landlords and agents across Cardiff, Caerphilly, Newport, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan. We supply certification in the format council housing and licensing teams expect, which reduces the chance of a re-submission." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How far ahead of an inspection should I book?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Around six weeks is comfortable for a full installation and certification on a typical shared house. Tighter timescales are often achievable, but we will tell you in writing whether your date is realistic before you commit rather than discovering a problem partway through." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What paperwork will I receive?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A design, installation and commissioning certificate as applicable, a device and zone schedule, a system log book, and, where we have carried out the work, emergency lighting and electrical certification. That pack is what a licensing officer, an insurer or a prospective purchaser will ask to see." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often is emergency lighting tested?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "BS 5266 expects a short monthly functional test and a full-duration annual test, both recorded. Many of our clients handle their own monthly checks in-house and use us for the annual test and certification, which is usually the most cost-effective arrangement." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often does a rental property need an EICR?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "An electrical installation condition report is normally carried out at least every five years for rented residential property, or on change of tenancy where the landlord's own policy or licence conditions require it. Any items coded C1 or C2 need remedial work before the report can be considered satisfactory." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens if my EICR is unsatisfactory?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The report will list coded observations. C1 items are dangerous and need attention immediately; C2 items are potentially dangerous and require remedial work for the report to become satisfactory. We quote remedial work in writing so you can see the cost before instructing it, and we re-issue the certificate once the work is complete." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you carry out PAT testing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Portable appliance testing is regular work on furnished rentals, shared houses, holiday lets and commercial premises, and it is usually most efficient bundled into the same visit as alarm servicing or an EICR." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you carry out several services in one visit?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, and for rental property that is normally the sensible approach. Combining alarm servicing, emergency lighting testing, an EICR and PAT testing into a single planned visit reduces cost per property and cuts the number of times tenants have to provide access." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "LocalBusiness", "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#localbusiness", "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd", "description": "Answers to common fire alarm, HMO compliance, emergency lighting and electrical testing questions from AS Fire Services Ltd.", "url": "https://asfire.co.uk/faq", "telephone": "+447360538643", "email": "asmith@asfire.co.uk", "image": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png", "priceRange": "££", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam", "addressLocality": "Aberbargoed, Bargoed", "postalCode": "CF81 9EP", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday", "Sunday" ], "opens": "00:00", "closes": "23:59" } ], "areaServed": [ "Cardiff", "Newport", "Swansea", "Bristol", "Pontypridd", "Merthyr Tydfil", "Bridgend", "Gloucester", "Cwmbran" ], "parentOrganization": { "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization" } } ] --- [asmith@asfire.co.uk](mailto:asmith@asfire.co.uk)South Wales Open 24/7 [07360 538643](tel:07360538643)[01443 572076](tel:01443572076) [![AS Fire Services Ltd](/assets/logo-f-VmegNh.png)](/) Services Service Areas [About](/about-us)[Our Work](/our-work)[Reviews](/reviews)[Resources](/resources)[Specials](/specials)[Contact](/contact-us) [Request Estimate](/contact-us) 1. [Home ](/) 2. FAQs Fire safety questions answered # Fire Alarm, HMO & Electrical Compliance FAQs Straight answers to the questions landlords, letting agents and business owners across South Wales ask us most, on system grades, HMO requirements, servicing intervals and electrical certification. [Request an Estimate](/contact-us) [07360 538643](tel:07360538643) General ## Working with AS Fire Services Ltd Coverage, response times, insurance and how we price work. What areas does AS Fire Services Ltd cover? We are based in Bargoed in the Rhymney Valley and cover Caerphilly County Borough, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bridgend, Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbran and Torfaen, Chepstow and Monmouthshire, and across the Severn into Bristol and Gloucester. How quickly can you attend? Contract clients receive same-day reactive attendance across most of South Wales, with a four-hour window written into Cardiff service agreements. Areas further out, such as Gloucester and Chepstow, are typically attended the next working day unless a contract specifies otherwise. Are you available for emergency call-outs? Yes, we operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Out-of-hours emergency attendance is provided on annual maintenance contracts and includes fault diagnosis, panel reset, and either a first-visit repair or a written plan the same day to return the system to service. Are you insured? Yes. We hold Public Liability and Employers' Liability insurance. Certificates are available on request and are routinely supplied to letting agents, managing agents and commercial clients as part of contractor onboarding. Do you publish fixed prices? No. Every property differs in size, grade, category, device count and access, so a published rate card would be misleading. We carry out a site survey and return an itemised written quote the same day, setting out the specification so you can compare like for like. How quickly do you turn quotes around? Same day. Once an engineer has surveyed the property, you receive a written, itemised quote that day rather than waiting several days for a figure. Fire alarms ## Fire alarm systems, grades and servicing What the BS 5839 grades and categories mean in practice, and how often systems need attention. What is the difference between Grade A and Grade D fire alarm systems? Grade A is a full BS 5839-1 style system built around a control panel, with mains-powered detectors, manual call points, sounders and a standby power supply. Grade D is a system of mains-powered interlinked detectors with integral battery back-up and no panel. Licensable shared housing and larger conversions usually require Grade A; smaller, lower-risk properties may be adequately covered by Grade D. The correct grade follows the property's layout, storeys and occupancy, not a preference. What do LD1, LD2 and LD3 mean? They describe detection coverage. LD3 covers escape routes only. LD2 covers escape routes plus rooms presenting a higher fire risk, typically kitchens and living rooms, and in shared housing each sleeping room. LD1 covers all circulation spaces and all rooms. Most licensable shared houses land on Grade A LD2, with LD1 specified where the risk assessment calls for it. How often should a fire alarm system be serviced? BS 5839-1 recommends a competent-person inspection and service at intervals not exceeding six months for a Grade A system. Between services, the responsible person should carry out weekly call point tests and record them in the system log book. Grade D domestic systems should be tested regularly and serviced annually. How long does a fire alarm installation take? A typical three to six bedroom shared house is usually a one to two day installation. Larger conversions, commercial premises and addressable systems take longer, and buildings requiring interfaces to door retainers, smoke ventilation or sprinklers need commissioning time on top. We confirm the expected duration in the written quote. Can you take over servicing a system you did not install? Yes, provided the system is compliant or can be brought to compliance. We inspect it on the first visit, record any defects in writing and quote remedial work separately before issuing a service certificate. We do not certify a system we consider unsafe. Why does my fire alarm keep going off with no fire? The usual causes are detector type or siting, most often an optical or ionisation detector too close to cooking or a bathroom, dust and insect ingress in older heads, vaping, and end-of-life devices. The fix is normally re-siting, changing to heat or multi-criteria detection in kitchens, and replacing aged heads, rather than repeatedly silencing the panel. HMOs & landlords ## HMO and shared housing compliance What licensable shared housing typically requires and what documentation you should expect. What fire alarm system does an HMO need? In most licensable shared houses, a system designed to BS 5839-6 at Grade A and category LD2 is expected, with detection in escape routes and each sleeping room, heat detection in kitchens, and a control panel. Requirements vary with the number of storeys and occupants, and your local authority may state its own standard, so the specification should follow a survey of the actual property. Are interlinked mains smoke alarms enough for a shared house? Usually not. Interlinked mains alarms are a Grade D arrangement and are commonly assumed to satisfy licensing requirements when they do not. If the property is licensable, expect a panel-based Grade A system to be required. We will survey and tell you plainly which applies. Do you have experience with HMO licensing requirements? Yes. We are experienced in HMO fire safety requirements and work regularly with landlords and agents across Cardiff, Caerphilly, Newport, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan. We supply certification in the format council housing and licensing teams expect, which reduces the chance of a re-submission. How far ahead of an inspection should I book? Around six weeks is comfortable for a full installation and certification on a typical shared house. Tighter timescales are often achievable, but we will tell you in writing whether your date is realistic before you commit rather than discovering a problem partway through. What paperwork will I receive? A design, installation and commissioning certificate as applicable, a device and zone schedule, a system log book, and, where we have carried out the work, emergency lighting and electrical certification. That pack is what a licensing officer, an insurer or a prospective purchaser will ask to see. Electrical compliance ## Emergency lighting, EICRs and PAT testing Testing intervals, unsatisfactory reports and combining visits to reduce disruption. How often is emergency lighting tested? BS 5266 expects a short monthly functional test and a full-duration annual test, both recorded. Many of our clients handle their own monthly checks in-house and use us for the annual test and certification, which is usually the most cost-effective arrangement. How often does a rental property need an EICR? An electrical installation condition report is normally carried out at least every five years for rented residential property, or on change of tenancy where the landlord's own policy or licence conditions require it. Any items coded C1 or C2 need remedial work before the report can be considered satisfactory. What happens if my EICR is unsatisfactory? The report will list coded observations. C1 items are dangerous and need attention immediately; C2 items are potentially dangerous and require remedial work for the report to become satisfactory. We quote remedial work in writing so you can see the cost before instructing it, and we re-issue the certificate once the work is complete. Do you carry out PAT testing? Yes. Portable appliance testing is regular work on furnished rentals, shared houses, holiday lets and commercial premises, and it is usually most efficient bundled into the same visit as alarm servicing or an EICR. Can you carry out several services in one visit? Yes, and for rental property that is normally the sensible approach. Combining alarm servicing, emergency lighting testing, an EICR and PAT testing into a single planned visit reduces cost per property and cuts the number of times tenants have to provide access. ## Read more For longer guides on servicing frequency, system grades, fire risk assessment types and HMO requirements, see our [resources and guides](/resources). To see what we cover, browse our [services](/services) or find your [local service area](/service-areas). ## Still have a question? Speak to an engineer. [Request Estimate](/contact-us) [07360 538643](tel:07360538643) ![AS Fire Services Ltd](/assets/logo-f-VmegNh.png) BS 5839 compliant fire alarm installation, servicing and certification across South Wales and the West. Trusted by HMO landlords, developers and letting agents. - Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam, Aberbargoed, Bargoed CF81 9EP - [07360 538643](tel:07360538643) - [01443 572076](tel:01443572076) - [asmith@asfire.co.uk](mailto:asmith@asfire.co.uk) - 24 hours, Monday – Sunday [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-fire-services-ltd/)[](https://www.instagram.com/as_fire_services/)[](https://www.facebook.com/ASFireServices) ## Services - [Fire Alarm Installation](/services/fire-alarm-installation) - [Fire Alarm Servicing](/services/fire-alarm-servicing) - [Fire Alarm Maintenance](/services/fire-alarm-maintenance) - [HMO Fire Alarms](/services/hmo-fire-alarms) - [Emergency Lighting](/services/emergency-lighting) - [PAT Testing](/services/pat-testing) - [EICR](/services/eicr) - [Fire Risk Assessments](/services/fire-risk-assessments) - [Fire Extinguishers](/services/fire-extinguishers) - [All fire safety services →](/services) ## Service Areas - [Fire alarm engineers in Cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff) - [Fire alarm engineers in Swansea](/service-areas/swansea) - [Fire alarm engineers in Newport](/service-areas/newport) - [Fire alarm engineers in Bristol](/service-areas/bristol) - [Fire alarm engineers in Pontypridd](/service-areas/pontypridd) - [Fire alarm engineers in Merthyr](/service-areas/merthyr) - [Fire alarm engineers in Bridgend](/service-areas/bridgend) - [Fire alarm engineers in Gloucester](/service-areas/gloucester) - [Fire alarm engineers in Cwmbran](/service-areas/cwmbran) - [All service areas →](/service-areas) ## Company - [About AS Fire Services](/about-us) - [Our Work](/our-work) - [Customer Reviews](/reviews) - [Accreditations & Standards](/accreditations) - [Fire Safety Resources](/resources) - [Fire Safety FAQs](/faq) - [Free HMO Compliance Audit](/specials) - [Contact Us](/contact-us) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy) - [Cookie Policy](/cookie-policy) - [Terms & Conditions](/terms-conditions) © 2026 AS Fire Services Ltd. 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