Periodic Testing and Records (NFPA 72 Ch. 14 & 7)
NFPA 72-2022 Ch. 14 · NFPA 72-2022 Table 14.3.1 · NFPA 72-2022 Table 14.4.3.2 · NFPA 72-2022 Ch. 7 (7.5 to 7.8) · NFPA 72-2022 §10.5.3 and §10.21 · Outline tasks 2.2.1, 2.2.3
What NICET expects at Level II
At Level I you are asked how often a device is tested. At Level II you are asked to plan the test (how many devices, how many days, who must be told, in what order), to judge a result against the table (a battery voltage, a sound level, a load-test time, an ohmic reading), and to keep the paperwork that proves it was done. Task 2.2.1 (periodic testing) and task 2.2.3 (documentation) both come from NFPA 72-2022 Chapter 14 and Chapter 7. Troubleshooting and impairment decisions belong to task 2.2.2 and are covered in another topic.
Planning a whole-building test
- Get the documents first (§14.2.5). The owner supplies the record of completion, the wiring diagrams and floor plans, and the current revisions of the fire alarm software and of the software of every interfaced system.
- Write the test plan (§14.2.10). It sets the scope: device counts by type, areas, what will not be tested. The plan and its results are filed with the test records.
- Notify (§14.2.4). Before testing: everyone who receives alarm, supervisory, or trouble signals, and the occupants. The owner and the service personnel also coordinate so that critical building systems are not interrupted (§14.2.4.3). After testing: tell the same people that testing has concluded.
- Use qualified people (§10.5.3). For releasing systems (§14.2.6) the tester must also know the suppression arrangement; the suppression system is secured against actuation and nothing is discharged.
- Work in a logical order: control unit and power, circuits, initiating devices, notification appliances, interfaces. Silent testing is acceptable (A.14.4.3): prove every input at the control unit, then operate the appliances and interfaces once at the end. Restore every disabled interface or relay (Table 14.4.3.2, item 24).
- Close out: panel normal, notifications made, uncorrected deficiencies reported in writing within 24 hours (§14.2.2.3), simulated operations noted on the form (§14.6.4), and devices that were not tested documented with the test plan.
If an automatic function must be out of service for a test and no manual means or compensating measure is available, that part of the system is impaired and Section 10.21 applies until it is restored (§14.2.2.2).
Sizing a test day: count devices by type from the as-built list, divide by the devices a team completes per productive hour times the productive hours, and round up.
Methods and numbers you must be able to apply (Table 14.4.3.2)
| Item | Frequency | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| 3(1) trouble signals | Annual | Also verify the ring-back feature if the silence switch needs resetting |
| 8 secondary power | Annual | 5 min in alarm (15 min voice); verify rated capacity exceeds demand with the safety margin |
| 9 VRLA batteries | Semiannual; 3 years | Temperature: replace if more than 18°F (10°C) above cabinet ambient. Charger: 2.265 V ± 0.015 V per cell at 77°F if adjustable. Cell/unit: replace below 13.26 V. Ohmic: replace at 30% (conductance) or 40% (resistance/impedance) from baseline. 3-year load test: replace at 80% or less; at the next interval if below 85% |
| 15(5) circuit integrity | Initial/reacceptance; periodic each circuit | Open one connection at not less than 10% of devices on every circuit (initial and reacceptance only); periodic: test each circuit for correct indication at the control unit |
| 17(4)(a) restorable heat | Annual (14.4.4.5) | Two or more per circuit per year, different ones each year, every detector within 5 years, owner keeps records |
| 17(7)(d) air sampling | Annual | Without listed airflow supervision, test at the end port of each pipe run and verify airflow at the others |
| 17(7)(h) control outputs | Annual | Control capability stays operable even if all devices on the circuit are in alarm |
| 17(10) supervisory | Control valve switch semiannual; others annual | Valve: signal within 2 revolutions or 1/5 of travel, and OS&Y switches must not reset during full travel. Steam: before 110% of minimum pressure |
| 17(12) multi-sensor | Annual | Test each sensor, or the primary sensor if they cannot be separated |
| 18 special hazard | Annual | Cross-zone: one detector per zone, first then second. Squib: AGI flashbulb or test light. Supervise by opening circuits |
| 22 notification | Annual | SPL (Type 2 meter, FAST) only at initial/reacceptance; periodic = verify operation, strobes flash. If low levels are suspected, tell the owner in writing (annex) |
| 11 remote annunciators | Annual | Correct operation and identification; operation under a fault condition if provided |
| 20 interface equipment | Frequency of the standard for the supervised equipment (§14.4.4.4) | A monitor module is not a supervisory device; pump controller phase reversal is tested annually |
| 26(1) alarm verification | Annual | Verify the time delay (60 s maximum, §23.8.5.4) and the alarm response |
Reacceptance (§14.4.2) in one table
| Change | Test |
|---|---|
| Device or appliance added | Functionally test it (14.4.2.1) |
| Control unit hardware modified or repaired | Items 2(1) and 2(4) of Table 14.4.3.2 (14.4.2.3) |
| Site-specific software | 100% of affected functions plus 10% of unaffected initiating devices, maximum 50; revised record of completion (14.4.2.4) |
| Executive software | 10% functional test with at least one device on each input and output circuit (14.4.2.5) |
| Like-for-like replacement, same-rating fuse | Test what was replaced or the circuit served (A.14.4.2); no 10% test |
Traps. (1) Rounding down a 10% count; "not less than" means round up. (2) Applying the 50-device cap to executive software; the cap is written only in 14.4.2.4. (3) Calling a canned-aerosol functional test a sensitivity test (§14.4.4.3.6). (4) Measuring SPL at every annual test. (5) Looking for a separate frequency table such as Table 14.4.5; in the 2022 edition the frequencies are the Periodic Frequency column of Table 14.3.1 and Table 14.4.3.2. (6) Stretching a test interval on your own authority. The extensions Chapter 14 writes are specific: 18 months for devices that are inaccessible for safety reasons and tested at approved shutdowns (§14.4.4.1), annual manual testing when a listed control unit tests automatically at least weekly (§14.4.4.2), and sensitivity intervals of up to 5 years under §14.4.4.3.3.
Records and documentation (task 2.2.3)
| Record | Kept by / how long | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection, testing, and maintenance records, with the test plan | Until the next test and 1 year thereafter | §14.6.2.1, §14.2.10 |
| Record of impairments | Owner or designated representative, 1 year from the date the impairment is corrected | §10.21.2 |
| Supervising station signal, test, and operation records | Not less than 1 year | §7.7.1.3 |
| As-built drawings, manuals, written sequence of operation | Life of the system (owner) | §14.6.1, §7.7.1.4 |
| Heat detector sample records | Owner records which detectors were tested; kept for the 5 years of testing and 1 year thereafter | §14.4.4.5.3, §14.6.2.2 |
| Original record of completion cannot be found | New record that documents the system as discovered in the current project | §7.5.6.6.3 |
| Simulated operation of a device, circuit, function, or interface | Noted on the inspection and testing form | §14.6.4 |
| Nuisance alarm trend records (extended sensitivity interval) | Maintained; increases trigger calibration | §14.4.4.3.3 |
| CO test signals | Recorded with date and time | §14.4.4 |
- Forms (§7.6.6, §7.8.2): Figure 7.8.2(g) System Record of Inspection and Testing, with supplements (h) notification appliances, (i) initiating devices, (j) mass notification, (k) emergency communications, (l) interface components. Figures (a) to (f) document completion. An alternative record is acceptable if it contains all the applicable information.
- Changes: modifications are recorded on a revised version of the original completion documents with a revision date (§7.5.6.6), and kept with the original design documents (§7.7.1.6). The revision is a supplement to the original, unaltered documents. A site-specific software change also requires a revised record of completion.
- Electronic records: archiving by any means is permitted if hard copies can be provided promptly (§7.7.1.2); an electronic record of completion must be accessible with standard software and backed up (§7.5.6.7); the medium must survive the retention period (§14.6.2.3).
- Deficiency, recall, observation reports: an uncorrected deficiency is reported to the owner in writing within 24 hours, with no business-day allowance; recalled equipment is reported in writing; observations may be communicated, and the owner need not act on them.
Finding it in your printed books
Tab Table 14.3.1 (inspection) and the first page of Table 14.4.3.2, then add tabs at items 9, 15, 17, 18, and 22. Tab 14.4.2 (reacceptance), 14.4.4 (frequency, sensitivity, heat detector sample), 14.6 (records), 7.6.6 with the forms in 7.8.2, and 10.21 (impairments). Index terms to look up: Reacceptance testing, Sensitivity testing, Batteries, Records, Test plan, Observation, Impairments. Every section number begins with its chapter number, and an asterisk (*) beside a section means Annex A has explanatory text (for example A.14.4.2 and A.14.4.3.2). The notes at the foot of Table 14.4.3.2 carry real requirements (charger voltage, automated battery tests, secondary power of transmission equipment), so read them.
What to tab in your books
| Section | Why |
|---|---|
| NFPA 72 §14.2.4 | Notification before and after testing; coordination with the owner (14.2.4.3) |
| NFPA 72 §14.2.5 | Documentation the owner provides to service personnel, including software revisions |
| NFPA 72 §14.2.10 | Written test plan; plan and results filed with the test records |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.3.1 | Visual inspection frequencies and methods |
| NFPA 72 §14.4.2 and A.14.4.2 | Reacceptance: hardware, site-specific and executive software, remote changes, like-for-like replacement |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.4.3.2 items 2-4 | Control unit, trouble signals (ring-back), transmission equipment and its note |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.4.3.2 items 8-9 and notes d-f | Secondary power, VRLA battery tests, charger voltage, automated load tests |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.4.3.2 item 15 | Conductors: circuit integrity at 10% of devices for initial and reacceptance |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.4.3.2 item 17 | Initiating devices: smoke, heat, duct, beam, aspirating, multi-sensor, supervisory, waterflow |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.4.3.2 item 18 | Special hazard equipment: abort, cross-zone, solenoid, squib |
| NFPA 72 Table 14.4.3.2 items 22 and 24 | Notification appliances (SPL, candela marking) and emergency control function interfaces |
| NFPA 72 §14.4.4 | Frequency, 18-month cap for shutdown testing, sensitivity, heat detector sample, CO records |
| NFPA 72 §14.6 | Permanent records and inspection, testing, and maintenance records |
| NFPA 72 §7.6.6 and Fig. 7.8.2 | Record of Inspection and Testing and its supplementary forms |
| NFPA 72 §7.7 | Record maintenance, supervising station records, documentation cabinet |
| NFPA 72 §10.21 | Impairments: owner notification, record kept 1 year after correction |
| NFPA 72 §10.5.3 | Qualifications of inspection, testing, and service personnel |
| NFPA 72 A.14.4.3 and A.14.4.3.2 | Annex: silent testing, ohmic baseline and battery capacity formula, owner notice of suspected low SPL, documenting devices not tested |
| NFPA 72 §14.6.4, §14.6.2.2 and §7.5.6.6 | Simulated-operation note, heat sample record retention, revised and replacement records of completion |
Chapter vocabulary
- Reacceptance testing
- Testing after a system is added to, changed, or repaired, to verify that the affected parts work and that unaffected parts still do (14.4.2).
- Periodic testing
- Recurring testing at the Table 14.4.3.2 frequency, whose purpose is to assure operational reliability.
- Site-specific software
- The program, separate from the executive software, that defines inputs, outputs, and sequences for one installation.
- Executive software
- The control program (firmware) that runs the control unit and all other programs.
- Deficiency
- A condition that keeps the system from working as intended; it must be corrected, or reported in writing within 24 hours if left uncorrected.
- Observation
- A suggested correction, improvement, or enhancement that is neither an impairment nor a deficiency; the owner need not act on it.
- Impairment
- A condition in which a system or part of it is out of order or out of service; the owner is notified and a record is kept.
- Test plan
- Written document that establishes the scope of a test; it is filed with the test results (14.2.10).
- Ohmic test
- Battery test measuring conductance or resistance/impedance and comparing it with a recorded baseline value.
- Baseline ohmic value
- The reading recorded on each battery cell/unit when installed (or supplied by the manufacturer) and used for later comparison.
- KT (temperature factor)
- Correction used in the battery load-test capacity calculation; 1.0 at 77°F (25°C).
- Ring-back
- Control unit feature that signals again when a trouble-silence switch is left in the silenced position.
- Type 2 sound level meter
- Meter class required for SPL measurement at initial and reacceptance tests, set to time-weighting F (FAST).
- Public mode
- Audible signaling intended for the general occupants; requires 15 dB above average ambient or 5 dB above the maximum level lasting 60 s, whichever is greater.
- Record of completion
- Form (Figure 7.8.2(a)) that documents the installed system; revised versions record later modifications.
- Record of Inspection and Testing
- Figure 7.8.2(g) with supplements (h) to (l), or an alternative record with all the applicable information.
- Sequence of operation
- Input/output matrix or narrative that states what each input must cause; a permanent record kept for the life of the system.
- Documentation cabinet
- Labeled cabinet at the premises that holds the record documents; they are not stored inside the control unit.
- Control capability
- Ability of a detector with a control output to operate its relay even when other devices on the same circuit are in alarm.
- Squib
- Explosive-type actuator on some suppression releasing circuits; tested with an approved flashbulb or test light.
- Silent testing
- Proving every input at the control unit without sounding the appliances, then operating the appliances and interfaces once at the end (annex to 14.4.3).
- Simulated operation
- A test in which a device, circuit, function, or interface is made to look operated without actually operating it; the test form must say so (14.6.4).
46 practice questions cover this chapter, each with an explanation and the code section. Get lifetime access or try the free practice exam.
More Level II study guides
- 10-week study plan
- Power, Loading and Circuits
- Detector and Notification Layout
- Control Functions, Interfaces and Commissioning
- Periodic Testing and Records
- Impairments, Deficiencies and Troubleshooting
- IBC 2021 and Building Context
- Work Plans, Contracts and Coordination
- Level II tabbing guide for your printed code books
- Strategy with printed code books
- Key numbers (NFPA 72 · NEC · OSHA)
- Formulas and conversions
- Fire alarm glossary for the NICET exams