Wet & dry riser servicing for — multi-storey buildings
Risers are a critical fire safety feature for tall buildings — giving the fire brigade water on every floor. Installation, servicing and repairs to BS 9990:2015, with twice-yearly maintenance to keep them fully operational.
Inspect every component, pressure-test against the standard, and certify the result. Twice yearly, like clockwork, for buildings tall enough that firefighters depend on it.
Pressure test to BS 9990:2015
Visual inspection of all components
Twice yearly service cycle
Certify, logbook update & documentation
What we do
Wet & dry risers — a key part of fire safety in multi-storey buildings
Many commercial, industrial and non-residential properties rely on wet and dry risers as a key part of their fire safety procedures. Both risers are designed to provide firefighters with easy access to water when tackling fires in tall buildings — helping them extinguish the fire and prevent the blaze from spreading.
Wet and dry risers do very similar jobs and it’s easy to confuse the two. The designs and functionality are almost identical, but it’s important to understand the difference between them.
At BLEC Group, we offer a whole host of building fire safety services — including the installation and maintenance of wet and dry risers. Below we explain the key differences between the two and outline their importance to commercial fire safety.
What is a wet riser?
Designed for buildings that stand taller than 50 metres, wet risers have a constant supply of water in a place that can be accessed by emergency services during a fire. Water storage tanks and pumps are used to create sufficient pressure to provide a water supply able to tackle any outbreak of fire on every floor of a high-rise building.
Wet risers can be located inside or outside a building and feature two outlets connected to water pipes, which firefighters then access to tackle a blaze.
What is a dry riser?
Unlike wet risers, dry risers are not permanently filled with water. Instead, they use an interconnected system of pipes that can swiftly provide firefighters with a supply of water in the upper floors of a building.
Dry risers are necessary for buildings taller than 18 metres, and provide easily accessible ports to which the fire brigade can hook their hoses while extinguishing a fire. As well as this, dry risers also mean that firefighters don’t have to carry additional equipment and resources into the building — helping them tackle the emergency faster.
In order for dry risers to operate successfully, pipework, external inlets and internal outlets are required. These elements need to be made to the highest possible standard and must be manufactured in line with BS 5041, BS 5306, BS 9990, and building approval regulations.
Maintenance of your wet & dry risers
Arguably, the most important element of commercial fire safety is the maintenance of your fire safety equipment. Both wet and dry risers should be serviced and tested to ensure they’re working to the best of their ability at least twice a year.
By doing this, you can rest assured that if a fire does break out, this equipment will rise to the challenge and prove to be an effective part of your building fire safety procedures. If your equipment isn’t up to scratch, the safety of everyone on your premises could be compromised — so it’s vitally important everything is working as it should be. If not, you could even face legal proceedings.
Whether you’re looking for general upkeep or to fix a problem, all of the maintenance we offer at BLEC Group complies with BS 9990:2015 regulations, guaranteeing you the highest levels of service.
How BLEC Group can help
Need fire safety services in your business or non-residential property? At BLEC Group, we offer so much more than just wet and dry riser maintenance and testing to customers throughout the South West and the surrounding areas.
From the supply of fire extinguishers to the installation and maintenance of fire alarms, our dedicated team of engineers offers a comprehensive commercial fire safety service — helping safeguard your business in every way.
Why BLEC for riser servicing
Compliant, scheduled, fire-brigade ready
Six things that come as standard on every BLEC riser service visit — for the days when firefighters need water on the 12th floor.
BS 9990:2015 compliant
All maintenance complies with the current standard for the installation and maintenance of dry and wet rising fire mains.
Twice yearly service
Scheduled service visits every 6 months — keeping your risers working to the best of their ability between visits.
Wet & dry experience
Specialist experience across both wet risers (50m+ buildings) and dry risers (18m+ buildings) — design, install, test and repair.
Hydrostatic pressure testing
Full pressure testing to the BS 9990 thresholds — verified, recorded, and signed off on every visit.
Logbook & certificates
Every service documented, certificate issued, logbook entries kept — ready for the fire brigade or your insurer.
South West coverage
Servicing across the South West and surrounding areas — local engineers familiar with the regional building stock.
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Common Questions
Wet & dry riser questions answered.
The questions we get asked most often when building owners and facilities teams set up riser servicing — or first realise their tall building needs one. If yours isn’t here, just call or drop us a line.
What's the difference between a wet and dry riser?
A wet riser is permanently charged with water, fed by storage tanks and pumps that create the pressure needed to deliver water to every floor. Required for buildings over 50m tall. A dry riser is an empty pipework system that firefighters charge with water from a fire engine pumping into a ground-level inlet. Required for buildings over 18m. Both give the fire brigade water at every floor — wet risers are always ready, dry risers need to be filled on arrival.
How often does my riser need servicing?
BS 9990:2015 requires servicing at least every 6 months — typically a visual inspection every 6 months and a full hydrostatic pressure test annually. We schedule the visits so the standard is met without you having to think about it. Missing the schedule isn’t just a compliance issue — it’s a real safety risk if the fire brigade ever needs to use the system.
What does a riser service visit actually involve?
A visual inspection of all components — inlets, outlets, valves, pressure gauges, pipework, signage — then a pressure test against the BS 9990 thresholds. For dry risers we pressurise with air or water; for wet risers we verify pump performance and outlet pressures. Anything not compliant is itemised. The logbook is updated and a service certificate issued.
What happens if my riser fails a test?
Failures are usually leaks at outlets, valves or joints, faulty pressure gauges, missing or damaged signage, or seized valves. We document the failure, quote the remedial work, and schedule repairs. The fire brigade is notified if the system is unusable and we’ll work with you on temporary measures (e.g. fire wardens, increased patrols) until the system is back in service.
Do I really need a riser if my building is only just over 18m?
Yes — Building Regulations and the fire risk assessment for your building will require it once you cross the threshold. The practical reason is straightforward: above 18m, firefighters can’t reliably extend hoses from ground level to the upper floors. A riser cuts response time dramatically. The 18m figure isn’t arbitrary — it’s tied to firefighting capability.
Can you maintain a riser you didn't install?
Yes — most of our riser service clients didn’t originally install with us. We’ll start with a baseline inspection and pressure test to establish the current state of the system, document any pre-existing issues, and quote against bringing anything non-compliant up to BS 9990:2015. From there you go onto the standard service schedule.
