Questions by Category
Automist
Automist® is an advanced wall mounted fire suppression system that uses high-pressure water mist to extinguish fires quickly and efficiently. Unlike traditional sprinkler systems, Automist® doesn’t rely on large amounts of water. Instead, it uses a targeted fine mist to cool the fire, reduce oxygen, and suppress flames, minimising water damage while effectively stopping the fire from spreading.
Automist® works by pairing with a smoke or heat detector for the fastest possible detection, once activated it scans the room using an Infrared sensor, its intelligent algorithm pre built with real life fire data is able to identify the location of the fire within the room and direct a jet of watermist directly at it. Likewise, in the event of smoke alarm activation without fire, its infrared sensor can analyse the room and reset itself automatically without spraying any water.
Automist® should be installed for a wide variety of reasons, namely; minimal water damage upon activation, faster more targeted response to fire, its ease of installation, its discreet design properties and its cost effectiveness.
Yes, automist does comply with the regulations and British Standard BS8458:2015. More information on compliance can be found here.
Fire Alarms
Fire alarms should ideally be installed into every property. They should be placed strategically throughout a property to ensure maximum coverage for early detection of any fire.
Fire alarms are very robust, however if you suspect that a fire alarm is not working you should test the alarm usually by pressing a test button as soon as possible. If the alarm is not working properly it should be addressed as soon as possible by contacting a professional to resolve it.
Yes, fire alarms should be maintained annually to ensure their correct operation. For businesses and landlords, it is a legal requirement under the regulatory reform order 2005.
Mistek have years of experience installing early warning fire alarms into residential and domestic properties, we are able to find the best solutions at affordable rates.
Solutions
Yes, automist® is appropriate for any domestic or residential project.
Our flexible piping means that automist® pipes can usually be installed through voids and other spaces with minimal disruption to the property.
Whilst automist® is generally only used for domestic and residential properties, sometimes automist® can be utilised in more commercial properties but usually alongside input from a fire engineer as part of an engineered strategy.
Yes, Mistek are one of the original partners of Plumis who manufacturer automist® and are the largest accredited installer in the network.
Comparison
The “best” system depends on your building’s structure and your project goals:
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Traditional Sprinklers: Often best for larger residential projects or when a high volume of water is required to meet specific legacy fire strategies. They are the “gold standard” for proven, mechanical reliability.
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Automist Smartscan: Ideal for retrofits, loft conversions, and open-plan designs. Because it connects to the water mains without needing a massive storage tank or pump, it is far less intrusive to install in existing homes.
Yes. Both systems offered by Mistek are fully compliant, though they meet different British Standards:
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Traditional Sprinklers are designed and installed to BS 9251:2021.
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Automist is designed and installed to BS 8458:2015.
Mistek handles the technical documentation for both, ensuring your Building Control officer has the necessary certification to sign off on the project
There is a significant difference in water output between the two:
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Traditional Sprinklers: Can discharge approximately 38–60 litres per minute per head. This is highly effective at dousing a fire but can result in significant secondary water damage to floors and ceilings.
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Automist: Uses roughly 90% less water (around 5.6 litres per minute). It uses high-pressure mist to cool the room and “scrub” smoke from the air, meaning you can often save the furniture and electronics that a traditional sprinkler might ruin.
Regardless of the system, an annual service is a legal and safety requirement.
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Mistek provides maintenance for both types to ensure sensors, pumps, and nozzles are clear and functional.
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Annual maintenance also validates your manufacturer’s warranty and provides the paperwork required by your home insurance provider.
Yes. Mistek can provide comparative quotes for both Traditional Sprinklers and Automist. This allows you to weigh the lower upfront installation cost of Automist (which avoids expensive water mains upgrades) against the traditional sprinkler requirements for your specific building layout. You can start by sending your floor plans to their design team for a full proposal.
Fire Risk Assessments
There is no fixed expiry date, but it is a legal requirement to keep it “up to date.” Mistek recommends a review:
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Annually: For most commercial or multi-occupancy residential buildings to ensure ongoing safety.
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Immediately: If there are significant changes to the building layout, a change in the type of occupants (e.g., vulnerable residents moving in), or after a “near miss” or fire incident.
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Every 3 years: A brand-new assessment is generally recommended even if no changes have occurred.
Yes. If you are an employer, owner, landlord, or occupier of business or non-domestic premises, you are legally required to ensure a “suitable and sufficient” fire risk assessment is carried out. This includes the common parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). If you have 5 or more employees, the findings must be recorded in writing.
The “Responsible Person” is typically the employer, the building owner, or the managing agent/landlord. They have the ultimate legal duty to ensure the safety of the people in the building. While they can appoint a “competent person” like Mistek to carry out the technical assessment, the legal liability for ensuring the assessment is done and the recommendations are followed stays with the Responsible Person.
An FRA doesn’t really “pass” or “fail” in a binary way; instead, it identifies “Significant Findings” or “Actions.”
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If your building has high-risk areas, the assessor will provide a prioritised list of remedial actions (e.g., “Install Automist in open-plan areas” or “Replace non-fire-rated doors”).
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Failure to act on these findings can lead to enforcement notices from the Fire Authority, heavy fines, or in extreme cases, the closure of the building and imprisonment of the Responsible Person.
Often, yes. Insurance companies view a professional, up-to-date FRA as evidence that you are proactively managing risk. By implementing the fire suppression systems Mistek installs (like Automist or Sprinklers) as recommended in an FRA, you reduce the “Estimated Maximum Loss” for the insurer. Many clients find that demonstrating high-level fire protection leads to more competitive premiums and ensures that claims are not invalidated due to negligence.
Fire Strategy
A Fire Strategy is typically required during the design and planning stage of a new build, a major refurbishment, or a change of use (e.g., converting an office into flats). It is a vital document for Building Control approval to demonstrate that the building will meet “Part B” of the Building Regulations. You also need one if your building design “deviates” from standard guidance – for example, if you want an open-plan layout that requires an Automist system instead of traditional fire doors.
While they sound similar, they serve different stages of a building’s life:
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Fire Strategy: A “blueprint” for fire safety. It is created before or during construction. It outlines how the building is designed to protect people (escape routes, fire ratings of walls, and suppression systems like Automist).
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Fire Risk Assessment (FRA): An “operational” check. It is carried out after the building is occupied to ensure the strategy is being maintained and to identify hazards caused by the occupants (e.g., blocked fire exits or faulty alarms).
Yes. Mistek works closely with architects and developers to ensure the Fire Strategy is robust. We provide the technical specifications and performance data for the systems we install (Traditional Sprinklers or Automist) to satisfy Building Control or Approved Inspectors. By involving us early, we can often help you gain approval for creative designs that would otherwise be rejected.
Absolutely. This is often called a “Retrospective Fire Strategy.” If you have purchased an older building with no safety records, or if you are planning a renovation (like a loft conversion), a strategy is developed to map out the current safety levels and identify what upgrades are needed to meet modern standards.
The Fire Strategy tells you how the building is meant to work in a fire (the “theory”). The Fire Risk Assessment tells you if it is actually working on a day-to-day basis (the “practice”). The Strategy is about the building’s fabric and hardware, while the Assessment is more about the building’s management and usage.
AOV
To comply with BS 9999, AOVs require a rigorous testing schedule:
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Weekly: A simple “actuation test” (opening and closing) to ensure the mechanisms haven’t seized.
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Monthly: A visual check of the system’s battery backup and control panels.
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Annually: A full professional service by a specialist like Mistek. This includes testing the sensors, checking the “free area” remains unobstructed, and issuing a certificate of compliance for your fire safety records.
Yes. Mistek specialises in retrofitting AOV systems into existing structures. In many older buildings, “natural” smoke ventilation is often inadequate. We can replace existing windows with automated actuators or install roof vents with minimal structural disruption, bringing the building up to modern safety standards and often satisfying new insurance requirements.
Yes, if specified correctly. Many of our AOV systems are “dual-purpose.” They can be linked to temperature sensors or manual switches to provide natural cooling and fresh air on warm days. However, the system is designed with a “fire priority” logic—meaning if the smoke detectors are triggered, the system will override any manual settings to ensure the vents are in the correct position for smoke extraction.
The “Free Area” is the actual geometric space available for smoke to escape. Building Regulations (Approved Document B) typically require:
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1.0m² of free area for vents at the head of a stairwell.
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1.5m² for vents located within common corridors or lobbies. Mistek’s design team calculates these exact requirements based on your floor plans to ensure the physical opening of the window or louvre provides enough “aerodynamic free area” to meet the law.
General
Automist® is usually installed in one day, larger projects can take longer and this is usually agreed on a project by project basis.
For a standard home with a means of escape issue, an automist® installation usually costs in the region of two thousand pounds. If you provide us with floor plans we can provide an accurate estimation usually within 24 hours.
Yes!
We have completed over 2,000 installations.
