AOV Servicing & Maintenance
Certified servicing, testing and repair of automatic opening vents for facilities managers, managing agents and building owners who need their smoke ventilation to work first time, every time.
Keeping your AOVs ready for when they are needed
Automatic opening vents (AOVs) are a life-safety system. When a fire alarm activates, they must open on demand to clear smoke from stairwells, lobbies and corridors and keep escape routes usable. An AOV that sticks, a flat battery in the control panel or a failed actuator can leave a building non-compliant without anyone noticing, until it is needed.
Delta Smoke Control has designed, installed, commissioned and maintained smoke ventilation systems since 1995. Our service and maintenance team keeps AOVs and their controls working, documented and compliant across residential blocks, commercial buildings, car parks and mixed-use developments. See an example in our AOV smoke ventilation system for Fareham Live, or read about our wider smoke ventilation system maintenance service.
Independently certified AOV servicing
Delta is certified under the IFC SMR scheme (certificate IFCC 6009) for the service, maintenance and repair of smoke control systems across all four scheme categories: single stairwell, multi-zone natural, mechanical including car parks, and pressure differential systems. Certification involves ongoing annual surveillance and audits of our service engineers, so you can check our competence, not just take our word for it. Read about our SMR certification.
Our design, installation and commissioning work has held IFC Certification (SDI 19, IFCC 3212) since 2019. Both certificates can be verified on the IFC Certification website.
All major AOV brands and control systems
Many buildings have AOVs from a manufacturer whose own service arm is no longer the best fit, whether that is slow response, high costs or limited reporting. Delta maintains and repairs AOV systems from all major brands and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and all control systems, so you can change service provider without changing your equipment.
What an AOV service includes
- Full functional test of every AOV, opening on manual override
- Inspection of actuators, hinges, seals, linkages and vent openings
- Control panel checks, including batteries, charging and fault indication
- Testing of smoke detectors, break-glass and override switches linked to the system
- Fire alarm interface checks at the AOV panels to confirm the system triggers correctly
- Cleaning and adjustment of moving parts
- A clear service report for your fire safety records and Golden Thread information
- Itemised recommendations and quotes for any remedial work
How often should AOVs be serviced?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to keep fire safety systems, including smoke ventilation, maintained in efficient working order. The Smoke Control Association’s guidance on the maintenance of smoke control equipment sets out what that means in practice:
- Weekly: the system should be tested by a competent person.
- Monthly: routine checks of essential firefighting equipment in high-rise residential buildings, required under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
- Six-monthly: checks by a competent maintainer.
- Annually: a service by a certified organisation, such as Delta.
Planned maintenance and reactive repairs
- Planned maintenance contracts: scheduled visits, one point of contact and consistent reporting across single sites or whole portfolios.
- Reactive call-outs and repairs: fault-finding and repairs to actuators, control panels, detectors and vents, with replacement parts sourced for all major brands.
- Emergency call-outs for contract customers: Delta contract customers have access to our emergency call-out service. We guarantee attendance within 24 hours of a reported fault and typically respond within 4 to 6 hours.
Built for facilities managers
We already work with national and regional facilities management companies across the UK. We understand approved-supplier processes, permits, RAMS and portfolio-wide reporting, and we are happy to complete supplier pre-qualification and tender documentation.
We hold CHAS, Constructionline and SafeContractor accreditation, are certified under the IFC SDI 19 and SMR 01 schemes, and are members of FETA.
Where we work
Our engineers service AOVs across London, the South East and the Home Counties, including Hampshire, Sussex and Berkshire, as well as the East and West Midlands, Cambridge, East Anglia and the South West.
Book an AOV service or request a maintenance quote
Tell us about your building and your current system, and we will arrange a survey or service visit. If you are reviewing your current provider, we can quote against your existing schedule.
Email our service team: Service@deltasmokecontrol.co.uk
Call: 02392 863 888
AOV servicing FAQs
What is an AOV?
An automatic opening vent (AOV) is a window, roof vent or louvre that opens automatically when smoke is detected or a fire alarm activates. AOVs release smoke from stairwells, lobbies and corridors to keep escape routes clear and support firefighting.
Is AOV servicing a legal requirement?
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for a building must keep fire safety systems, including smoke ventilation, maintained and in good working order. Regular servicing by a competent person, with records kept, is the clearest way to show this.
How often should AOVs be tested?
The Smoke Control Association recommends weekly tests by a competent person, six-monthly checks by a competent maintainer and an annual service by a certified organisation. High-rise residential buildings also need monthly routine checks under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
Can you service AOVs installed by another company?
Yes. We maintain and repair AOV systems from all major brands and manufacturers, regardless of who installed them.
What happens if my AOV fails its service?
You will receive a report explaining each fault and its priority, with a quote for repairs. Safety-critical faults are flagged immediately so they can be addressed straight away.
How do I know my AOV service provider is competent?
Ask for independent certification. Delta is certified under the IFC SMR scheme (IFCC 6009) for smoke control servicing, maintenance and repair, which you can check on the IFC Certification website.
Our Customers
We’ve worked with a wide range of clients over the years – many of them subcontractors on large development projects – delivering for some of the biggest and most successful global companies.
