Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) Installation and Maintenance Services

In a residential block, the smoke control system is the reason a fire on the third floor does not fill the only staircase with smoke. It protects the escape route and gives firefighters a fighting chance.

Yet it is one of the most neglected systems in the building: an automatic opening vent that has not moved in years, a control panel quietly sitting in fault, a vent head painted over. Estates and compliance teams often do not discover the problem until a fire, an inspection, or a fire engineer’s report makes it impossible to ignore.

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Ark ISO 9001 - British Assessment Bureau Certificate

Nationwide AOV Installation Services for Public Sector and Housing Associations

Ark Fire Protection provides nationwide AOV installation, upgrades and maintenance. We work with housing associations, local councils and FRAs, bringing extensive experience in public sector compliance, fire safety legislation and reporting standards. Our teams manage multi site portfolios, residential blocks, public buildings and commercial premises, delivering reliable systems with minimal disruption.

Every project includes detailed reporting, audit-ready documentation and long term maintenance plans, reflecting our commitment to life safety, regulatory compliance and ongoing support.

Types of AOV Systems We Install and Maintain

We install and maintain AOV systems designed for a variety of building types and risk profiles.

Natural smoke ventilation systems use roof or wall-mounted vents that automatically open to release smoke and heat. Mechanical smoke ventilation systems employ fan-assisted extraction for controlled smoke removal in larger or more complex buildings. Combined fire and smoke ventilation systems integrate with fire alarm panels and building management systems to automate operation during an emergency. Retrofit or wireless solutions are available for existing buildings where cabling or structural modifications are limited. All systems are designed, installed, commissioned and serviced in line with BS EN 12101 and Approved Document B to ensure compliance, reliability and long term performance.

Why Choose Ark Fire Protection for AOV Systems

Ark Fire Protection has extensive experience delivering life safety and smoke control solutions to housing associations, councils and FRAs. Our qualified engineers install systems fully compliant with UK fire safety legislation, Approved Document B and British Standards. We provide clear reporting and documentation to support audits and compliance, and our AOV systems integrate seamlessly with fire alarms, emergency lighting, disabled refuge systems and building management systems. Our scalable solutions are suitable for single sites or multi site portfolios and are supported with long term maintenance to ensure ongoing reliability and protection.

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Our 12 Month AOV Parts and Labour Warranty and Service Package

All newly installed AOV systems include a 12 month parts and labour warranty, reflecting our commitment to quality and accountability.

Preventative maintenance visits are scheduled to inspect vent operation, control panels and integration with fire alarms, with functional testing to ensure effective smoke extraction. An annual full system service includes inspection of all vents, mechanisms and control integration to maintain continued reliability. Emergency call out cover during the 12 month warranty ensures rapid response to any faults or operational issues, minimising disruption and maintaining fire safety across all sites.

Automatic Opening Vents As Part of a Wider Safety System

Automatic Opening Vents perform best when integrated with the rest of your fire infrastructure. We install them alongside fire alarms so they activate automatically on detection, with emergency lighting to keep cleared escape routes visible, and as part of evacuation strategies that include disabled refuge points in residential blocks.

Smoke Control Compliance: BS EN 12101 and BS 9991

Smoke and heat control systems are designed, installed and tested to the BS EN 12101 series, which covers the components and the system as a whole. The building-level design sits in BS 9991:2024 for residential buildings and BS 9999 for non-residential, with Approved Document B setting the requirement to keep common escape routes and firefighting shafts clear of smoke.

Like every life-safety system, the duty is ongoing. The Smoke Control Association’s guidance sets the commissioning and maintenance expectations, including a weekly function test of the system. The cause-and-effect with the fire detection system is critical: the vents have to open in response to the right signal, in the right sequence, every time.

BS EN 12101 series – smoke and heat control system components and performance.
BS 9991:2024 (residential) and BS 9999 (non-residential) – building-level smoke control design.
Approved Document B – smoke control of common escape routes and firefighting shafts.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – the duty to maintain the system.
Smoke Control Association guidance, commissioning, weekly testing and maintenance.

A documented cause-and-effect test and a weekly function record are the proof that the system will actually operate and the evidence most portfolios are missing.

Proving Your Smoke Control Will Work When It Has To

The recurring failures are quiet ones: vents that have not been tested, panels sitting in fault, an unknown or undocumented cause-and-effect with the detection system, no commissioning data, and heads painted shut by a decorator who did not know what they were. A smoke control system that does not open is worse than none, because everyone assumed it would.

We survey and verify against BS EN 12101 and BS 9991, set the cause and effect correctly with the fire alarm, and commission and maintain it to Smoke Control Association guidance with weekly automated testing and planned servicing. Everything is recorded digitally. Crucially, because ARK delivers passive compartmentation as well as active smoke control, the two are designed to work together, smoke control and the fire-resisting construction around it are part of the same strategy, not two contractors’ guesses.

Our Accreditations

When it comes to the safety of your premises, you need a company that you can rely on. Ark Fire Protection is proud to be accredited by the leading industry bodies – ensuring that we always meet the highest standards of quality and safety, and that our customers can always expect a first-class service.

We’re also ISO 9001 certified, meaning that our quality management systems are regularly audited and approved. So when you choose Ark Fire Protection, you can be confident that you’re making the best possible decision for your property.

Great projects start with great technology

Here at Ark Fire Protection, we use a QR Code System to create a journey of your AOV system to provide a digital log via the Onetrace App. The log covers the entire lifespan of your new AOV system including information such as specifications, data sheets, images of work completed, the installer and what was installed.

Our QR Code System gives our clients visibility on the complete lifespan of the AOV system and helps you keep on top of what work has been completed and what is required to keep up to date with the latest regulations and requirements.

Working With Leading Manufacturers

AOV Frequently Asked Questions

1. How often must AOV and smoke control systems be tested?

Smoke Control Association guidance calls for a weekly function test of the system, plus periodic servicing by a competent engineer. We hold that schedule and record every test digitally.

2. What regulations cover smoke control?

Systems are built to the BS EN 12101 series, designed at building level to BS 9991:2024 (residential) or BS 9999 (non-residential), and required by Approved Document B to protect escape routes and firefighting shafts. We design and certify all of them.

3. Does our building legally need a smoke control system?

It depends on the building’s height, use and fire strategy. Common escape routes and firefighting shafts in many residential and commercial buildings require smoke control under Approved Document B and BS 9991 / BS 9999. We assess the building and confirm what is needed.

4. Who is responsible for maintaining AOVs?

The Responsible Person under the Fire Safety Order is the building owner, freeholder or managing agent. We provide the testing and maintenance records that demonstrate the duty has been met.

5. How does smoke control link to passive fire protection?

Closely, smoke control keeps escape routes clear while compartmentation contains the fire, and they have to be designed together. Because ARK delivers both active smoke control and passive fire protection, we make sure the two parts of your fire strategy actually align.