Dry risers need a visual inspection every six months and a full pressure test every 12 months, in line with BS 9990:2015. Arranging both visits is the Responsible Person’s duty. A specialist contractor carries out the work, but the legal responsibility for making sure it happens sits with the building owner, landlord, managing agent or facilities manager.
What is a dry riser and which buildings need one?
A dry riser is a fire main: a vertical pipe installed through a building, with an inlet connection at ground level and landing valves on each floor. The pipework stays empty in normal use. When the fire service arrives, firefighters connect their pump to the inlet and charge the system with water, which then reaches each floor through the landing valves.
Under the guidance in Approved Document B, fire mains are needed in buildings with a storey more than 18 metres above fire service vehicle access level. Where a building has a storey more than 50 metres up, wet risers are used instead, because they are permanently charged with water and do not rely on the fire service pump to deliver pressure.
The 18-metre threshold exists for practical reasons. Beyond that height, running hoses up stairwells becomes slow and unreliable, so a fixed riser gives firefighters a dependable connection point on every floor.
The duty to maintain a dry riser sits with the Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. That duty cannot be handed over simply by appointing a contractor.
How often does a dry riser need testing and inspection?
BS 9990:2015, the British Standard covering the testing and maintenance of fire mains, recommends a visual inspection every six months and a wet pressure test every 12 months.
The six-monthly visual inspection catches theft, damage and obstruction. Missing caps, stolen brass landing valves, seized connections and blocked cabinet access are common findings. The annual pressure test is different: it proves the system can actually hold water under pressure.
In high-rise residential buildings (at least 18 metres or seven storeys), the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add a further duty: dry riser inlets and outlets are listed as essential fire-fighting equipment that the Responsible Person must check every month. Faults that cannot be fixed within 24 hours must be reported to the local fire and rescue service.
Every visit should be logged. Fire risk assessors and insurers will ask to see the records, and a gap in the inspection history is one of the easiest compliance failures to spot.
What happens during the annual dry riser pressure test?
The annual test starts with a visual check of the whole system, including inlets, landing valves, cabinets, caps, signage and access routes. Once the condition check is complete, a test pump is connected to the ground-level inlet.
The system is then filled with water and pressurised, typically to 12 bar, and that pressure is held for around 15 minutes. While the system is under pressure, every inlet and outlet is checked for leaks, and any missing or faulty parts are recorded. The system is then drained down and made secure.
A failed test means the riser cannot be relied on until remedial works are complete. The building does not get a pass certificate just because the test was attempted.
What does the six-monthly visual inspection cover?
The six-monthly inspection checks the condition and security of the dry riser without introducing water. The inspector looks at inlets, landing valves, cabinets, caps, signage and access routes.
The practical failures this catches are common on commercial and residential blocks. Missing caps allow debris into the pipework. Brass landing valves are a frequent target for scrap metal theft. Seized valves may not open when the fire service needs them. Cabinets blocked by stored goods or furniture slow down firefighting.
The inspection is recorded and any defects are flagged for remedial action. A visual inspection that finds a missing cap or a seized valve should trigger a repair, not just a note on a report.
Who is responsible for dry riser compliance in a commercial building?
The Responsible Person is typically the employer, landlord, managing agent, facilities manager or business owner. That person carries the legal duty to arrange the six-monthly inspections and annual pressure tests, keep the records, and act on any defects found.
Appointing a contractor does not transfer the legal duty. The contractor carries out the testing and provides the report, but the Responsible Person remains accountable for making sure the visits happen and the system stays in working order.
The framework for this duty sits in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with the Building Safety Act 2022 adding further obligations for higher-risk buildings. The specific duties depend on the building type and occupancy, so take advice if you are unsure which apply to your premises.
Delta First can arrange dry riser testing through vetted specialist subcontractors as part of its full compliance management service, so riser visits sit in the same schedule as your other statutory checks rather than slipping between different suppliers.
What are the risks of skipping dry riser testing?
The operational risk is the most serious. A dry riser that has not been pressure tested may leak or fail when the fire service charges it, which means firefighters cannot get water to the upper floors when they need it. A system that has not been inspected may have missing caps, stolen valves or blocked cabinets that delay firefighting.
The compliance risk is also significant. Enforcement action under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 can follow a failure to maintain fire-fighting equipment, and insurers commonly expect evidence of statutory maintenance.
Missing or out-of-date certificates are one of the easiest things for an auditor, insurer or fire risk assessor to spot. A gap in the record shifts the burden onto the Responsible Person to show the system is safe.
How should dry riser test records be kept and for how long?
Each six-monthly inspection and annual pressure test should produce a report or certificate. Keep the inspection records and pressure test certificates together, so the full history of the system is available in one place.
There is no single fixed retention period for dry riser certificates, but the practical answer is simple: keep them for the life of the system, and make sure they can be produced on request for the fire service, insurers or a fire risk assessor.
A simple compliance log across electrical, fire, water and mechanical systems avoids gaps. When one log covers everything, dry riser visits sit alongside fixed wire testing, emergency lighting checks and water hygiene records without falling through the cracks.
Key takeaways
- Dry risers need a visual inspection every six months and a wet pressure test every 12 months, in line with BS 9990:2015.
- The annual test typically pressurises the system to 12 bar and holds it for around 15 minutes while every outlet is checked for leaks.
- Fire mains are needed where a storey is more than 18 metres above fire service access; above 50 metres, wet risers are used instead.
- The six-monthly inspection checks inlets, landing valves, cabinets, caps, signage and access, and needs no water.
- In high-rise residential buildings, dry riser inlets and outlets must also be checked monthly under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
- The Responsible Person carries the legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, even when a contractor is appointed.
- Keep test records for the life of the system and be ready to produce them on request.
Talk to Delta First
Delta First Building Services is a Colchester-based M&E contractor working across Essex, Suffolk and London, with commercial work in Norfolk. Our directly employed electrical team is supported by vetted specialist subcontractors where extra certification is needed, and we offer genuine 24/7 emergency cover. Get in touch to arrange a survey or quote.