You've had the service visit, and all you got back was a tick sheet and some numbers

It sounds like the visit happened, the certificate arrived, and you still can't say whether the system would work on the day. That's a common place to be, and an uncomfortable one when you're the person who answers for the system. A tick sheet records that a visit took place. It doesn't tell you what the numbers mean, what is at risk, or what to do next.

What you can look for in the report you have

  1. When the system last ran on its batteries, with the mains switched off. Batteries lose capacity without raising a fault. They are sized to run the system for 24 hours and then broadcast the evacuate message for 30 minutes (BS 5839-8:2023, Clause 25.3.5), and only a test on batteries shows whether yours still can.
  2. The date the batteries were fitted. Servicing should check it against the battery's recommended life (Clause 40.1).
  3. Anything about the amplifiers and the controller. One failed amplifier can silence several zones at once, and the standard's commentary on servicing says amplifier failures should be investigated (commentary to Clause 40).
  4. Whether the numbers have anything to compare with. A reading on its own says little. At the annual service every loudspeaker circuit's impedance should be compared with the previous year's (Clause 40.2 i)).
  5. The list of outstanding defects. It should be reported to you after the service (Clause 40.3), with what each one means for the building.

Questions you can put to whoever did the visit

  • What on this sheet would worry you if it were your building?
  • Which of these numbers has changed since last year, and by how much?
  • How would I know if the batteries could no longer carry the system?
  • If the budget only covered one thing, what would you fix first?

If the answers don't come

If you're wary that a specialist will read the report and find a reason to sell you something, that's fair. It may well say the system is fine, and then that's what you'll hear. Initial guidance is free of charge.

Would it be a bad idea to have someone read it with you before anything else is spent? Email the report to contactus@proaudium.com, or send a note first.

Send the reportOr call 01273 034 630.

Ten questions give you the full list of what a year of maintenance should include for your system, and a way to check the report you have against it: your Maintenance Proposal.