Fire dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers are inspected and tested one year after their acceptance test and then every four years. In a building that contains a hospital, the interval after that first test is six years. NFPA 80, the Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, sets that schedule for fire dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers. NFPA 105, the Standard for Smoke Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives, sets the same schedule for smoke dampers outside smoke control systems; those in smoke control systems follow NFPA 92. Each test has to move the damper through its full travel and back, and each one is documented with the damper's location, the date, the inspector's name, and the deficiencies found.
Section numbers below are from the 2022 editions of NFPA 80 and NFPA 105. Confirm the editions enforced by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) before you build a checklist or a proposal around them.
What fire dampers, smoke dampers, and combination dampers do
Dampers protect certain duct and air transfer openings in fire and smoke barriers. The adopted building code and other applicable codes decide where they are required.
- Fire dampers go in ducts and air openings at shaft walls, fire barriers, floor/ceiling assemblies, and other fire resistance-rated partitions. NFPA 80 defines one as a device that closes automatically when it detects heat, to stop airflow and restrict the passage of flame. Many are held open by a fusible link and close by spring or gravity once it lets go. A damper for a dynamic system, where air keeps moving in a fire, is rated to close under airflow. Fire dampers are listed to UL 555.
- Smoke dampers go in ducts and openings at smoke barriers, shafts, corridors, and other partitions built to resist the spread of smoke. They close through a factory-installed actuator, typically on a signal from a smoke detector or a control system. Smoke dampers are listed to UL 555S.
- Combination fire/smoke dampers meet the requirements for both types and are listed to both UL 555 and UL 555S.
The building code and other applicable codes decide where a damper goes, and NFPA 80 Chapter 19 and NFPA 105 Chapter 7 cover its installation, testing, and maintenance. The building owner is responsible for getting it done.
The inspection and testing schedule
Both standards run on the same clock, and it starts at the acceptance test.
| When | Fire and combination dampers (NFPA 80) | Smoke dampers outside smoke control systems (NFPA 105) |
|---|---|---|
| After installation | Operational test (19.3), then an acceptance test by a qualified person (19.4) | Operational test once the HVAC system is balanced (7.4), then an acceptance test (7.5.1) |
| First periodic test | 1 year after acceptance testing (19.5.1.1) | 1 year after acceptance testing is complete (7.5.2.2.1) |
| After that | Every 4 years (19.5.1.2) | Every 4 years (7.5.2.2.2) |
| Buildings containing a hospital | Every 6 years (19.5.1.2) | Every 6 years (7.5.2.2.2) |
| After a repair | Tested again under 19.5 (19.6.4) | Tested again under 7.5.2 (7.6.4) |
Combination and corridor dampers fall under both standards: NFPA 105 sends their periodic testing to NFPA 80 (7.5.2.1.2), and NFPA 80 applies NFPA 105's maintenance rules to them (19.6.6). Smoke dampers in a smoke control system are inspected and tested under NFPA 92 instead (NFPA 105 7.5.2.1.1). NFPA 105 also has smoke damper actuators cycled at the interval their manufacturer recommends (7.6.5).
Ask the AHJ whether it permits a rolling program before staggering inspections, and keep each damper within its required interval.
What the periodic test involves
The damper has to move, and testers wear personal protective equipment (NFPA 80 19.5.2.1, NFPA 105 7.5.2.3.1.1). The method depends on whether the damper uses a fusible link.
Fire dampers with a fusible link
NFPA 80 Section 19.5.2.2 sets out the steps:
- Before. Links and other moving parts must not be painted or coated unless the testing agency listed them that way. The fan can be shut off for the test.
- Release. With the damper fully open, the link is removed or activated. The annex says to keep hands and anything else clear of the blade path first, and that a link does not have to be released by heat to test a damper.
- Closure. The damper has to close completely without assistance. Where it has a latch to hold it closed, the latch has to work.
- Reset. The damper goes back to fully open, and the link is reinstalled or replaced. A link that looks damaged is replaced with a functionally equivalent listed link. The damper is then confirmed unobstructed and fully operational.
Smoke, combination, and other dampers without a fusible link
NFPA 80 (19.5.2.3) and NFPA 105 (7.5.2.3) use the same method. The fans stay on, so the damper is tested under airflow. Annex A.19.5.2.3.1 discusses shutting fans down for static dampers in systems designed to shut down on fire detection. That is explanatory guidance, so confirm the procedure with the AHJ before departing from the fans-running requirement. The visual method has three steps:
- Confirm by sight that the damper is in its normal position, open or closed, as the system design requires.
- Command it to the opposite position and confirm by sight that it gets there.
- Restore it to its normal position and confirm that by sight too.
The NFPA 105 annex says the periodic test does not have to set off the smoke detector or other device that triggers the damper. The damper can be cycled during the NFPA 72 detector test, but that test alone does not meet NFPA 105.
Both editions also allow a remote method for these dampers (NFPA 80 19.5.2.3.3, NFPA 105 7.5.2.3.3). The damper has to positively indicate fully open and fully closed, and the first remote inspection includes a visual check that the indication matches the blades. After that, the same three steps run through the position indicator, and a failed remote check means a visual inspection. Position indication can be added to an existing damper if its accuracy is confirmed the same way (NFPA 80 19.7.2, NFPA 105 7.7.2).
Maintenance between tests
- Reports of abrupt changes in airflow or noise from the duct system are investigated to rule out the damper (NFPA 80 19.6.1, NFPA 105 7.6.1).
- Exposed moving parts are lubricated as the manufacturer requires, and NFPA 80 specifies dry lubrication (19.6.2; NFPA 105 7.6.2). The annexes add a check for rust and blockage, with attention to hinges and other moving parts.
- If a damper does not work, repairs begin without delay (NFPA 80 19.6.3, NFPA 105 7.6.3).
Planning healthcare inspections
Before using these 2022 requirements at a healthcare facility, confirm the applicable editions and survey requirements with the facility, its accrediting organization, and the AHJ.
A report that says 25 dampers were tested only proves something if the facility can show it has 25, so give a healthcare customer an inventory with every damper on it, and a drawing where you can.
Dampers that cannot be reached
- Access is part of the installation. NFPA 105 requires a damper with a fusible link or internal operator to have an access door of at least 12 square inches or a removable duct section (7.3.2), and unobstructed access through the ceiling or wall (7.3.2.3). Under both standards, the operational test after installation verifies full, unobstructed access to the damper and its components (NFPA 80 19.3.1.5, NFPA 105 7.4.1.4).
- The single-damper exception. In an existing, fully ducted HVAC system, one damper that cannot be reached inside a rated barrier or shaft does not need periodic testing (NFPA 80 19.5.1.3, NFPA 105 7.5.2.2.3). The annex explains that one untested damper may not pose a significant risk when the system is fully ducted. As written, the exception covers one damper and the periodic test only.
A healthcare facility should confirm with its accrediting organization and the AHJ before treating a damper as exempt. List every damper on the report, including the ones you could not reach, and say why.
Who is qualified to inspect
NFPA 105 requires all smoke damper inspection and testing to be done by a qualified person (7.5). NFPA 80 says the same for acceptance testing of fire dampers, adding that the person has to understand that type of damper and the system it serves (19.4.1), but its periodic test section does not repeat it. Both standards define a qualified person by a recognized degree, certificate, professional standing, or skill, plus the knowledge, training, and experience to handle the work (NFPA 80 3.3.99, NFPA 105 3.3.3). Neither names a license.
Confirm local testing, access, credential, and reporting requirements with the AHJ before bidding. In a hospital, plan for infection control as well, because work above a ceiling can spread dust and mold spores into patient areas.
What the record has to contain
Both standards ask for the same items on every inspection and test record (NFPA 80 19.5.3.1, NFPA 105 7.5.2.4.1 and 7.5.2.4.2):
- The location of the damper.
- The date of inspection.
- The name of the inspector.
- The deficiencies discovered.
- A space to show when and how each deficiency was corrected.
The records are kept for at least three test cycles and made available for the AHJ to review (NFPA 80 19.5.3.2, NFPA 105 7.5.2.4.3). Maintenance is documented the same way (NFPA 80 19.6.5, NFPA 105 7.6.6).
Common failures
- At the damper. Life Safety Services, in a list published by Belimo, names a screw in the track, broken or misaligned linkage, a damper bound in its tracks, rust, a damper propped open, and an actuator with a defect or no power or air.
- At the installation. Code Red Consultants reports three findings from hospital surveys: missing angle irons, unlabeled access panels, and intumescent firestopping around a fire damper.
- At the access door. NFPA 105 requires a smoke damper access panel to be labeled "Smoke Damper" in letters at least half an inch high, and insulation cannot hide an access panel unless a label on the insulation shows exactly where it is (7.3.2.2). The damper chapter of NFPA 80 has no matching rule for fire damper access doors, so check the building code the AHJ enforces. A damper nobody can find does not get tested.
Where dampers fit with the rest of the inspection work
For fire doors, see fire door inspection requirements. See also NFPA 25 and NFPA 72 inspection frequencies and life safety inspection services.
In Inspect Point, custom questions and custom inspections let a contractor build a damper checklist around the edition the AHJ enforces, and inspection series schedule the recurring visits. Deficiencies carry a severity of Non-Critical, Critical, or Impairment and a status from New to Fixed. Reports come in Joint Commission and DNV formats. The inspections page and the deficiencies page show how the pieces fit.
Common questions
How often do fire dampers need to be inspected?
One year after the acceptance test, then every four years, under NFPA 80. Smoke dampers outside smoke control systems follow the same schedule under NFPA 105; those in smoke control systems follow NFPA 92. In a building containing a hospital, the interval after the first test is six years.
Does the fusible link have to be replaced at every test?
No. The link is reinstalled or replaced at the end of the test, and a link that looks damaged is replaced with a functionally equivalent listed link (NFPA 80 19.5.2.2.6 and 19.5.2.2.7).
Can fire and smoke dampers be tested remotely?
Dampers without a fusible link can, if they positively indicate fully open and fully closed and a first visual inspection has confirmed the indication. Fusible link dampers are tested at the damper.
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