Panel in fault for weeks. False alarms going off at 2am. Your current supplier stopped returning calls. You're not alone — and the risk is real. Every day your system is in fault or generating false alarms, your staff are being desensitised to the alarm signal. That kills people in a real fire.
SANS 10139:2021 licensed · Nationwide rapid response · Full compliance restoration
Your panel has been displaying fault indicators for days — or months. Your supplier came out, couldn't find it, and stopped answering. The fault sounder has been silenced but the problem hasn't been fixed.
Your alarm goes off for no reason — at night, during working hours, during rain. Staff roll their eyes and ignore it. Now you're worried that when a real fire happens, nobody will take the alarm seriously.
A fire inspector or DOL official has been. Your insurer is asking questions. You've discovered your system has no certificates, no as-fitted drawings, hasn't been serviced in years. You need someone to take ownership and make it right.
The moment your staff stop taking the alarm seriously is the moment your building becomes genuinely dangerous. And SANS 10139 is explicit: a system generating unacceptable false alarms is a non-compliant system.
SANS 10139 Section 9.4 lists 20 known causes of false alarms. Our technicians are trained to identify every one:
Most facilities managers only discover their fire alarm supplier was underperforming when an inspector arrives or a claim is rejected.
SANS 10139 Section 12.2.3.1 states the period between visits shall not exceed 6 months. If it has, your system is formally non-compliant right now, regardless of whether it appears to be working.
Every service visit must result in a servicing certificate and log book entry per SANS 10139 Clause 12.2.3.2(p). No certificate means no evidence the work was done — and no legal protection for you.
A system in fault may not activate in a real fire. Open circuit faults, power supply faults, and device faults must be resolved promptly — not ignored until the next service visit.
Your service records, log book and certificates should be yours. If your supplier cannot produce documentation on request, that documentation likely does not exist — and your system has no compliance history.
SANS 10139 Clause 9.1.2 requires false alarms to be recorded, categorised and investigated. A supplier who just resets the panel and leaves is not meeting the standard.
SANS 10139 Clause 12.2.4 requires every detector and every call point to be individually functionally tested every year. Most suppliers skip this entirely.
When Altrafire takes over an existing system, we follow the SANS 10139 Section 12.3 protocol for new servicing organisations — a structured, documented process that leaves nothing assumed.
When we take over a system, SANS 10139 Clause 12.3.2 requires a special inspection. We review all existing documentation — or establish that it doesn't exist. We identify all major non-compliances and document them for you.
We systematically work through every active fault. Open circuits, short circuits, device failures, wiring faults, power supply issues — traced to root cause, not just silenced at the panel. Addressable systems are interrogated device by device.
We examine the false alarm record per Clause 9.1.2 — categorising each alarm and tracing causes. We check detector contamination, environmental conditions, detector type suitability, and system configuration. We give you a written report with specific recommendations.
Faulty devices replaced with compliant equipment. Wiring faults repaired. Batteries replaced. Detectors cleaned or substituted with more appropriate types for the environment. All replacements meet SANS 7240 series requirements.
After repairs, we conduct the full periodic inspection per Clause 12.2.3 — checking every zone, standby battery capacity, ARC transmission, all ancillary functions, and the false alarm rate calculation. You know exactly where your system stands against SANS 10139.
You receive a SANS 10139 servicing certificate documenting all work done, all defects found, and all outstanding items for your action. The system log book is updated or established from scratch. You leave the visit knowing what you have — with no surprises when an inspector arrives.
Broken wiring, loose connections, corroded terminals — traced to root cause and permanently repaired.
Wiring damage, water ingress, rodent damage — isolated and permanently repaired.
Detectors, call points, sounders, relay modules — tested, diagnosed, and replaced with compliant equipment.
Failed standby batteries, PSU failures, charging circuit faults — standby capacity restored to SANS 10139 specification.
Loop faults, addressable device communication failures, panel-to-ARC transmission faults — diagnosed and restored.
Smoke chambers blocked by dust, insects or contamination — cleaned or replaced.
Root cause identified, environment assessed, detector type or siting changed, filtering measures applied.
Incorrect detector types for the environment replaced with correct types per SANS 10139 Annex D.
No certificates. We assess the system and issue the appropriate servicing and compliance documentation.
Taking over an existing system requires us to establish the truth about its current state — then systematically fix the gaps. Here is what typically changes.
Panel faults silenced but not resolved. Now every fault is traced to root cause, repaired, and documented.
SANS 10139 Clause 12.3.1(c)False alarms occurring with no investigation. Now every alarm is categorised, cause identified, and the record maintained per Clause 9.1.2.
SANS 10139 Section 9No service records or certificates on file. Now a SANS 10139 servicing certificate is issued after every visit, and the log book is current.
SANS 10139 Clause 12.2.3.2(p)Detectors never tested, only visually inspected. Now every detector is annually functionally tested with smoke, heat or appropriate test agent.
SANS 10139 Clause 12.2.4Standby battery never checked. Now battery voltage and capacity tested every service visit and replaced before failure.
SANS 10139 Clause 12.2.3.2(d–f)No zone plan at the control panel. Now a current zone plan is maintained adjacent to all CIE so fire brigade can locate fires immediately.
SANS 10139 Clause 12.2.4(q)The more specific you are, the faster we can help. We respond within one business day — or same day for emergency call-outs.
Emergency call-outs available · We respond within 1 business day · Nationwide coverage
The fault sounder can be silenced. The problem can't be. Get a technician on site and get your system working — and compliant — again.
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