Smoke control panels have a finite service life. The panel installed when your building was completed 15 or 20 years ago is probably still switching when tested, but it may not comply with current standards, may no longer have spare parts available, and almost certainly does not meet the Golden Thread documentation requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022.
Replacing the panel is the most common refurbishment project we see in UK smoke ventilation. Done properly, a panel replacement extends the life of the wider system by another 15+ years and brings the installation into current compliance. Done badly, it introduces new faults, breaks cause and effect logic, and leaves the building in a worse position than before.
This guide covers what to check before, during and after a smoke control panel replacement.
Why Replace the Panel?
There are four common triggers for a panel replacement:
1. The panel has reached end of life. Most legacy panels were designed for 10–15 years of service. Electrolytic capacitors in power supplies dry out. Relays wear. Displays fail. Panels from the early 2000s are now well past their intended lifespan.
2. Spare parts are no longer available. When a manufacturer discontinues a product line, spare PCBs, displays and configuration modules disappear from the supply chain. A single fault that would have been a £200 component swap becomes a complete panel replacement by necessity.
3. The panel cannot meet current standards. Older panels may not comply with the current revision of BS EN 12101-10 for power supplies, or with BS ISO 21927-9 for control equipment. (BS EN 12101-9, the European mirror standard for control equipment, remains in draft as prEN 12101-9.) If a fire risk assessment flags non-compliance, replacement is the only compliant fix.
4. The Golden Thread cannot be established. For higher-risk buildings, the Building Safety Regulator expects documented configuration, secure change control, and a complete audit trail. Dip-switch panels with handwritten logbooks do not meet this requirement. Replacement with a modern panel is often the simplest route to compliance.
Before You Replace: What to Check
A panel replacement is not just a product swap. The panel controls a wider system of actuators, dampers, fans, detectors and interfaces. Every one of those components needs to be assessed before the new panel is specified.
Inspect the existing installation
Walk the system from end to end. Document what you find before anyone starts disconnecting anything. Specifically:
- Every AOV and its actuator. Does each vent open fully? Does the actuator have a manufacturer’s label? Is the voltage (24V or 230V) documented?
- Every damper. Does each damper operate through its full stroke? Is the fire rating (typically E60 for residential smoke shafts, E120 where specified by the fire engineer) evidenced in the asset register?
- Every fan. Does the motor start, reach speed, and extract as specified? Is the high-temperature rating (300°C/60 min or 400°C/120 min) documented?
- Wiring. Is the cabling fit for purpose, fire-resistant where required, correctly specified for the load, and terminated in accessible locations?
- The fire alarm interface. Is the connection from the fire alarm to the smoke control panel monitored, tested, and documented?
- The firefighter override switch. Does it operate the system independently of the fire alarm?
If any of these components are faulty, undocumented, or not properly certified, the scope of the refurbishment expands beyond the panel. Better to identify this now than to discover it during commissioning.
Understand the existing cause and effect
The existing panel is executing cause and effect logic, which zones are connected to which detectors, which vents open in which sequence, which dampers close when a specific trigger fires. If the panel has been in service for years without documented configuration changes, this logic may not match what was originally commissioned.
Before you remove the panel, record:
- The current zone-to-detector mapping
- The current zone-to-output mapping (which vents, dampers, and fans operate for each zone)
- Any timed sequences or delays
- Any lockout or priority logic (see primary zone lockout)
If the existing panel uses dip switches and the settings do not match the original design documents, you need a new cause and effect schedule before you can configure the replacement panel.
Check certification dates
Every component in a smoke ventilation system should have a current Declaration of Performance (DoP) evidencing certification to the relevant part of BS EN 12101. Look at:
- The AOV vent’s DoP certificate (BS EN 12101-2)
- Each damper’s DoP (BS EN 12101-8)
- Each fan’s DoP (BS EN 12101-3)
If any certificate has been withdrawn or superseded, that component needs to be assessed for continued compliance. Sometimes the product remains certified under the new revision. Sometimes it does not. This is the kind of detail that separates a competent installer from a risky one.
Specifying the Replacement Panel
Once you know what is in the building and what state it is in, the replacement panel specification becomes much clearer.
Match the zone count
A single-stairwell installation needs a single-zone panel. A residential tower with corridor smoke ventilation on every floor needs a panel that can handle one zone per floor. The O Range 7 scales from a single zone to 60 networked zones, so a single panel platform can replace anything from a simple installation to a complex multi-storey system.
Check current and voltage requirements
Calculate the total current draw of all connected actuators and fans in worst-case operation. The replacement panel must have sufficient output capacity. Underspecifying the panel’s power supply is one of the most common causes of post-commissioning failures.
Plan the interface to the fire alarm
The replacement panel needs a compatible interface to the existing fire alarm system. This is usually a volt-free relay contact or a monitored input, but the specific wiring and signalling method needs to be verified during design, not during commissioning.
Plan for the Golden Thread
For higher-risk buildings, or any building where compliance documentation will be scrutinised, specify a panel with secure configuration and a complete audit trail. Dip-switch panels should not be specified for new installations in 2026. The O Range uses software configuration with an authenticated audit trail, exactly what the Building Safety Regulator is asking for.
During the Replacement
Panel replacements happen in occupied buildings. The smoke ventilation system must remain operational for as much of the process as possible, and the building’s Responsible Person must be notified of any planned downtime in advance.
Isolation and notification
Before any cabling is disturbed:
- Notify the building’s Responsible Person
- Notify the fire alarm monitoring company if the system is monitored
- Notify residents or building users in writing
- Agree a clear start and end time for the isolation window
- Confirm that fire watch or alternative measures are in place during the outage
Swap sequence
A clean panel swap follows a consistent sequence:
- Isolate the existing panel and record the final battery voltage
- Label every cable before disconnection, do not rely on the original installer’s labelling
- Remove the old panel, photograph the wiring, and retain it for reference
- Install the new panel per manufacturer’s instructions
- Re-terminate each cable into the new panel per the documented cause and effect schedule
- Install new batteries to the correct specification
- Restore mains power and verify power-on self-test completes without faults
Configure and commission
With the panel physically installed, the cause and effect configuration is loaded, either manually or by restoring a backup file. Every input and output must then be tested:
- Each detector and its expected response
- Each vent and damper through full open and close cycles
- Each fan through start, run, and stop
- The fire alarm interface under test conditions
- The firefighter override switch
Commissioning is not “it powered up OK.” Commissioning is a documented test of every function against the design specification, with results recorded for the building’s fire safety file. See Commissioning Best Practices for Smoke Ventilation Systems for the full process.
After the Replacement
The job is not finished when the new panel is powered up.
Update the asset register
Every asset register entry for the old panel needs to be superseded. The new panel’s serial number, DoP reference, configuration version, and installation date should be recorded, along with a link to the commissioning certificate.
Update the Golden Thread
For higher-risk buildings, the building safety case must be updated to reflect the replacement. This includes:
- The new panel’s certification
- The updated cause and effect schedule
- The commissioning record
- The updated maintenance programme
Update the maintenance schedule
The new panel may have different testing requirements from the old one. A modern panel with self-diagnostic fault monitoring may need less frequent physical inspection, but the documented maintenance programme must still meet the requirements of BS 7346-8 and the building’s fire strategy.
For ongoing schedules see Smoke Control Inspection Schedules: The Complete Guide from Daily to Annual.
Issue the handover documentation
The building’s Responsible Person should receive a complete handover pack:
- Commissioning certificate
- New panel operation manual
- Updated cause and effect schedule
- Updated asset register entries
- Revised maintenance instructions
- Updated firefighter instructions at the override switch
Without this pack, the Responsible Person cannot discharge their legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. See Who Is Responsible for Smoke Ventilation Maintenance? for the full legal position.
Common Pitfalls in Panel Replacements
After decades doing these, the same problems come up again and again:
Replacing the panel without upgrading the cabling. Legacy installations sometimes used cabling that does not meet current fire-resistance requirements. A new panel on old cable is only as good as the cable.
Assuming the existing cause and effect was correct. Over 15 years, modifications creep in. The documented cause and effect may not match what is actually wired. Always verify before reconnecting.
Skipping the fire alarm interface test. A panel can be commissioned and tested internally without ever verifying that a real fire alarm signal triggers the correct response. Test the full chain, under real conditions, before signing off.
Leaving the old panel on site. The old panel contains batteries, PCBs, and sometimes hazardous materials. Dispose of it through a compliant WEEE route, do not leave it in the plant room.
Not updating the logbook. The building’s fire safety logbook is the primary record the Responsible Person will rely on. If the replacement is not recorded, it effectively did not happen from a compliance perspective.
Ready to Plan a Panel Replacement?
Vent Trade supplies the O Range 7 smoke control panel for UK retrofit projects, single stairwell to 60 networked zones. The control equipment is certified to BS ISO 21927-9 and the power supply to BS EN 12101-10, designed specifically to meet the Golden Thread requirements of the Building Safety Act.
- Call our technical team: 01202 725 689
- Email: info@vent-trade.co.uk
- Request a site survey: Our engineers can attend site and specify a compliant replacement for your existing installation
- Browse smoke control panels
All Ventec products are manufactured in the UK, held in stock for next-day delivery, and designed for long-term service in UK buildings.
