Choosing detector test equipment used to be simple. A can of test smoke, a pole and job done. Not any more.
Today’s fire detection landscape is far more varied, and the test equipment market has grown to match it. Solo alone offers aerosol dispensers, heat testers in mains and cordless variants, combination kits, access poles and removal tools. Testifire brings capsule-based, multi-stimulus testing, with the flagship Testifire XTR2 adding digital test records and auto-generated reports through DT Connect, plus automatic detector clearing. DT Connect requires a subscription after the included six-month trial.
For engineers maintaining Ajax EN54 smoke and heat detectors, the selector recommends the XTR2 fitted with AJAX-ADAP as one setup designed to cover the range.
Layer on top of that the range of detectors you might be asked to test — point smoke, heat, CO fire detectors, multi-sensor devices and aspirating smoke detection (ASD) systems – plus the practicalities of every site, from installation heights and caged detectors to whether you can even get safe mains power where you are working, and specifying the right combination of test heads, poles and consumables becomes a genuine challenge. Get it wrong and you are either carrying kit you do not need or, worse, arriving on site unable to test something.
A smarter way to build your test kit
That is exactly why we have built our new detector test kit selector, now live on the Huvo website.
Rather than trawling through product pages and datasheets, the wizard walks you through a short series of intuitive questions — the same questions our technical team would ask you over the phone:
- Which detector types do you maintain? Smoke, heat, CO, multi-sensor or a mix — and if multi-sensor, whether a CO cell is fitted, because the required stimuli depend on the detector configuration and how the system verifies each response.
- Any Ajax EN54 smoke or heat detectors on your patch? If so, the wizard routes you to the XTR2 and AJAX-ADAP setup designed to cover the range.
- Do you test ASD systems as well as point detectors? ASD systems require a suitable test method; for the routes covered by the selector, this means adding the appropriate dedicated adaptor.
- Do you need digital test records or detector clearing? Digital records point to XTR2, while the clearing requirement helps the selector choose between Solo 365, Testifire 2000 and XTR2.
- What are the site constraints? Safe mains power availability, large or caged detectors, non-flammable aerosol requirements under your health and safety policy, maximum installation height, and whether you need a compact kit that packs down for travel between city sites on public transport.
- Do you need to remove detector heads too? The selector will add the right removal tool, including the Solo 230 for Ajax heads.
Answer each question and the wizard does the specification work for you, building a recommended bill of materials — test heads, access poles and consumables — matched to the way you actually work. It leads with a practical itemised route that meets your requirements, and where a premium alternative such as the XTR2 makes sense, it sets out the trade-offs so you can make an informed choice.
Best of all, once your recommended kit is on screen, you can add the whole lot to your basket in one go. No hunting for SKUs, no cross-referencing compatibility charts, no second-guessing.
Perfect timing: summer promotional pricing on detector test equipment
There has never been a better moment to put the selector to work. Our detector tester summer promotion is running right now, with promotional pricing on products across the detector-testing range — including Solo aerosols, heat testers, combination kits, poles and accessories, plus the Testifire capsule-based range including the XTR2.
The promotion runs until 30 September 2026, so if your test kit is due an upgrade — or you have just taken on a contract with detector types you have not tested before — now is the time to specify it properly and save while you do.
Try it now
Whether you are an installer building your first kit, a service engineer adding ASD or Ajax capability, or a facilities team standardising equipment across multiple sites, the selector reduces the risk of specifying the wrong equipment.
Recommendations are based on the information entered; always check detector manufacturer instructions and specific site requirements before ordering.
And if your requirements fall outside the wizard — detectors installed above 9 metres, for example, or unusual detector models — our technical support team is only a phone call away on 01792 983 170. Support is free, and same day dispatch applies to in-stock orders placed before 2.30pm.
