Fire doors protect anyone in a commercial building from fire and other hazards. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has outlined standards to ensure the safety of everyone working in and visiting commercial facilities.
NFPA-80 section covers a range of safety standards and practices for fire doors. These requirements are essential for protecting your building and those inside it. Let’s explore fire door drop tests and what you can expect from your door inspection.
What Is a Fire Door Drop Test?
NFPA-80 requires annual testing for all fire doors to ensure their safety and operation. A professional must perform the inspection — this way, you know how well your door is working and that it meets all fire and safety standards. All rolling fire and smoke doors must follow this testing and all testing needs thorough documentation.
The door drop test follows NFPA standards to assess the door’s automatic closure system. In a fire, the door should automatically close at the correct speed without issue. Before the actual drop test, a visual inspection will check for things like:
- Malfunctioning operating mechanisms.
- Damages to the door components.
- Holes.
Fire Door Drop Test Requirements
The Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) testing standards lay out the fire door drop test procedure and requirements in form TDS #271. To pass inspection, the door must be:
- Free of debris and grease.
- At a safe distance from anything flammable.
- Free of damaged parts.
Once it passes inspection, you’ll close the door and monitor the closing speed. The pace must be between 6 and 24 inches per second. This speed check ensures the door can close fast enough to contain any fire or smoke but not so quickly that it hurts anyone trying to get out.
How to Test a Drop-Down Fire Door
The drop test will include two steps:
- Step one: The inspector will activate your drop-down fire door to ensure it closes within the correct speed range and fully closes at the bottom.
- Step two: The inspector will test your door again to ensure the automatic closing devices reset when the door closed.
If your door fails to pass the test, you can make repairs and test again. However, if the door fails to pass the drop test after repairs, you should consider replacing it.
Why Is a Fire Door Drop Test Important?
A fire door drop test is essential to maintaining your facility’s safety and security. A door that fails one or both test sections is not a reliable safety measure. A door that closes too quickly, too slowly or incompletely risks the safety of everyone on-site. If a fire, a malfunctioning door could do more harm than good.
Get Support From Quality Overhead Door
Failing a fire door drop test can be a frustrating inconvenience. Instead of worrying about whether your fire doors meet drop test standards, trust Quality Overhead Door to get your fire doors up to snuff.
First, get a complete Quality Overhead Door inspection to ensure the safety and function of your fire doors. Our thorough inspections check your doors for faults and prepare them to pass a drop test. Adding fire door inspections to your regular maintenance schedule can help you catch minor issues before they become big problems and save you from significant repair headaches.
If your fire door has already failed its drop test, you can call our expert team for fast and reliable repairs. A failed drop test can happen unexpectedly, leaving you needing professional assistance urgently. Once you call, we’ll work quickly to get your safe, full-function doors back as soon as possible.
At Quality Overhead Door, we’ve been serving the Toledo area since 1982. We provide a wide range of residential and commercial services, including the installation, repair and service of garage doors, front doors, fire doors and more. We have a huge selection of products for you to choose from, and we also offer the most experienced, knowledgeable team of technicians in the area. When you need help with overhead doors or fire doors at your business, Quality Overhead Door offers services that can’t be beat.
Contact us online about your upcoming fire door drop test, or request an estimate today.
Additional Resources on Commercial Doors:
- How to Choose the Right Commercial Door for Your Business
- What Is a Fire-Rated Commercial Garage Door?
- Commercial Garage Door Sizes
- Types of Commercial Overhead Doors