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Compliance · Fire and life safety

How often should dry risers and wet risers be tested?

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  • 7sources
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The short answer

Inspect rising mains every six months and have them tested once a year, as BS 9990 recommends. In high-rise residential buildings the law also requires a monthly routine check of riser inlets and outlets.

The tasks

What to do, and how often

Task How often Who Basis
Inspection of the fire main, including outlets, landing valves, padlocks and straps Every 6 months Responsible person or riser contractor British Standard BS 9990 recommends that fire mains are inspected every six months, as stated in the government-hosted flats guide and in fire and rescue service guidance. SourcesS1S2
Annual test of the rising main (a pressure test for dry risers) Every year Specialist riser contractor British Standard BS 9990 recommends that fire mains are tested every 12 months. Testing involves pressurising the main and normally needs a specialist contractor. SourcesS1S2
Monthly routine check of rising main inlets and outlets Applies to: High-rise residential buildings only: at least 18 metres or 7 storeys, with 2 or more homes Every month Responsible person Law Regulation 7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires monthly routine checks of key fire-fighting equipment, which includes inlets and outlets for dry and wet rising mains. SourcesS3S4

Where a row says who or what it applies to, the task is for that case only.

The law

Article 38 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires facilities provided for the use or protection of fire-fighters, such as rising mains, to be kept under a suitable system of maintenance and in efficient working order. It sets no interval. In high-rise residential buildings, regulation 7 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires monthly routine checks and the reporting of faults that cannot be fixed within 24 hours to the fire and rescue service.

The standard

BS 9990 (non-automatic fire-fighting systems in buildings). The current edition is BS 9990:2015.

Records to keep

  • Six-monthly inspection records
  • Annual test certificate
  • In high-rise residential buildings: the record of monthly checks, kept available to residents
  • Fault reports sent to the fire and rescue service

Notes

The six-monthly and annual intervals are British Standard recommendations. The government-hosted flats guide that states them dates from 2011 and cites the 2006 edition of BS 9990; an Avon Fire and Rescue Service log book published in 2024 gives the same periods.

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Quick answers

Questions people ask

Dry and wet rising mains: which tasks are legal requirements?

1 task on this page rests on legislation: monthly routine check of rising main inlets and outlets (every month; high-rise residential buildings only: at least 18 metres or 7 storeys, with 2 or more homes). The other 2 tasks are recommended by a British Standard, and are not legal requirements in themselves.

Dry and wet rising mains: who should carry out each task?

Responsible person or riser contractor: inspection of the fire main, including outlets, landing valves, padlocks and straps. Specialist riser contractor: annual test of the rising main (a pressure test for dry risers). Responsible person: monthly routine check of rising main inlets and outlets.

Dry and wet rising mains: what records should you keep?

Keep these records: six-monthly inspection records; annual test certificate; in high-rise residential buildings: the record of monthly checks, kept available to residents; fault reports sent to the fire and rescue service.

Checked on

Sources

Every task and legal statement is supported by at least one source fetched over HTTPS and read on the date shown. Quotes are verbatim and 25 words or fewer. A second, independent verification pass re-fetched every source and re-read the legislation on 5 October 2026. Intervals taken from British Standards were checked against published summaries of those standards by trade bodies and government guidance, because the standards themselves are paid publications.

  1. Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats ↗

    Local Government Association, hosted by the Home Office (GOV.UK) · Written 2011; GOV.UK page last updated 2 December 2024. The Home Office says it is no longer comprehensive and is being revised · read on

    “Fire mains need to be inspected every six months and tested every 12 months.”

    Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats, Local Government Association, hosted by the Home Office (GOV.UK)

    Supports: Six-monthly inspection and annual test of fire mains; cites BS 9990

  2. Fire Safety Log Book: Non-Domestic Commercial Premises ↗

    Avon Fire and Rescue Service · 2024 edition · read on

    “6 months for inspection”

    Fire Safety Log Book: Non-Domestic Commercial Premises, Avon Fire and Rescue Service

    Supports: A fire and rescue service log book gives the same periods and cites BS 9990

  3. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · In force 23 January 2023 · read on

    “must undertake monthly routine checks of lifts for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment within the building”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Monthly routine checks of essential fire-fighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings

  4. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 6: Floor plans and building plan ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · In force 23 January 2023 · read on

    “(c) outlets for dry-rising mains; (d) outlets for wet-rising mains; (e) smoke control systems; (f) suppression systems”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 6: Floor plans and building plan, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Key fire-fighting equipment includes rising main inlets and outlets

  5. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · In force 23 January 2023 · read on

    “cannot be rectified within a 24-hour period beginning with the time the fault is identified”

    Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, regulation 7: Lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Faults that cannot be fixed within 24 hours must be reported to the fire and rescue service

  6. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 38: Maintenance of measures provided for protection of fire-fighters ↗

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · Revised text as shown on 5 October 2026 · read on

    “provided in respect of the premises for the use by or protection of fire-fighters”

    Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 38: Maintenance of measures provided for protection of fire-fighters, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

    Supports: Legal duty to maintain facilities provided for fire-fighters

  7. Advice on inspections of high-rise residential buildings ↗

    Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service · July 2023 · read on

    “BS 9990:2015 Non automatic fire-fighting systems in buildings. Code of practice”

    Advice on inspections of high-rise residential buildings, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

    Supports: Confirms BS 9990:2015 as the current edition

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