West Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire damper inspection in Aldwick
For fire damper testing in Aldwick, one call is all it takes, from survey to sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- Fire dampers with no recent test record
- Fire dampers nobody can get to
- Smoke dampers that need testing through their controls
Common questions in Aldwick
Do you test dampers in schools in Aldwick during the holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. The FSA’s register shows about 15 schools and colleges with food registrations within roughly a mile and a half of Aldwick. Send us your term dates when you ring 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line, and we will fit the work in.
Is fire damper testing any different in a coastal place like Aldwick?
It can, as Aldwick is within about 1 mile of the sea, where salt in the air is hard on metal. Annual testing matters even more where corrosion can build up between tests.
Do you offer emergency callouts?
Yes, day and night, every day of the year. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and the emergency line covers the rest.
Who has the legal duty for fire safety?
That depends on who controls the premises. The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty on the responsible person, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, facilities manager or managing agent.
What information do you need?
A short description and a few photos, with the address and opening hours. If we need more, we’ll ask.
Where does the waste go?
It’s contained and taken away. Grease, debris and waste water are collected as the work goes on, so it doesn’t spread.
Can you test out of hours?
Yes. Evenings, nights and weekends are all possible, so offices, shops and schools can carry on as normal. Tell us the hours that suit and we will plan around them.
Can you quote from photos?
Typically, yes. Send a few wide photos plus close-ups of panels, filters or grilles, and we typically come back within one working day. Some sites still need a visit, and we will say so.
Fire damper testing in Aldwick, done properly
Smoke dampers work differently from fire dampers. A smoke damper is driven by a motor and responds to signals from its controls, so testing means running them through their controls and checking that each blade moves fully and returns. The work covers riser dampers, hospitals and care homes and motorised smoke dampers, and people most often call us about blades that jam part-way when released and missing or out-of-date damper records.
In a smaller place like Aldwick, buildings with fire dampers are more likely to be a school, a surgery, a care home or a hotel than an office block. The law on keeping them working does not change with the size of the place.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. So every job comes with a written report and pictures, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Aldwick (PO21)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Reporting
- Photo report after every visit
- Quote
- Fixed quote, typically within a working day
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
What happens if it’s left?
After any fire, one of the first questions is what maintenance had been done. Damper test records are part of that answer, and you can only produce records for tests that took place. Booking ahead lets us plan the trip to Aldwick at a time that suits you.
Every site is different, so each one gets its own fixed quote. The size of the job, how we reach it, its condition and the working hours all play a part.
What you get with us
- CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- A written report with pictures after every visit
Read what affects the cost or our accreditations and certificates.
Places near Aldwick
What else we do in Aldwick
How the job changes from site to site
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Buildings where people sleep or need help to leave rely heavily on compartments holding fire back. Annual damper testing is part of keeping that in place.
Fusible link fire dampers
Spring-operated fire dampers need testing at least once a year. Dropping the blade reveals springs that are tired and blades that drag.
Multi-site and managed buildings
Landlords, managing agents and facilities managers book us, not only the businesses that use the systems. Shared systems, like a riser serving several units, need a clear agreement on who books the work, and we can quote for the whole system.
Whether it’s one building or many, the standard is the same: diagnosis, a fixed price, work booked around your hours and a written report with pictures.
Looking after it afterwards
Once we have finished, these simple steps help:
- Fix water leaks in plant rooms and risers promptly
- Keep to at least yearly testing
- Add new dampers to the register as they’re fitted
- Get remedials done soon after a failed test
If we couldn’t get to a damper, the report says so and why, such as no access panel or a blocked hatch. We can fit access panels so they can be tested next time.
The simplest way to avoid failures is to test on time, every year. A blade that’s just starting to stick is easier to deal with than a seized one.
What fire damper testing looks like in Aldwick
Aldwick is within about 1 mile of the coast. Dampers close to louvres and air intakes can corrode in sea air, and a corroded blade may not drop. Food Standards Agency records list about 15 schools, colleges and universities, about 29 hospitals, care homes and childcare premises and about 5 hotels, B&Bs and guest houses registered as food businesses in Aldwick and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Schools, care settings and hotels are the kind of buildings where fire dampers are commonly found. West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service covers Aldwick. When a fire safety officer audits a non-domestic building, maintenance of systems like dampers can come up.
Healthcare buildings such as Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital (about 1.5 miles north-east) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Aldwick is about 1 mile south-west of Bognor Regis, in West Sussex. Every kind of commercial site in Aldwick, we can take on fire damper testing. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so the site keeps running. Aldwick is one of 371 places in West Sussex where we work for commercial clients. Portsmouth is in our area too, about 16 miles from Aldwick.
Our technicians cover all of PO21 for fire damper testing and the roads nearby. Local streets include Fish Lane, Dark Lane and West Avenue, and we cover them all for fire damper testing. Other places close to Aldwick include Nyetimber (1 mile west), Pagham (2 miles south-west), South Mundham (2 miles north-west), Fisher (3 miles north-west) and Sidlesham (3 miles west). Further out, we also cover Worthing (14 miles east), Chichester (5 miles north-west), Selsey (5 miles south-west), Littlehampton (8 miles east), Emsworth (11 miles north-west) and Rustington (9 miles east).
Landmarks near Aldwick
In Aldwick, that means kitchens and buildings near West Park, The Regis School and The Regis School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Bognor Regis station, about 1.4 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital (1.5 miles north-east) and Bognor Regis Museum (1.2 miles east).
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Away from the kitchen, the in-house job is mainly checking: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
A few tasks are always specialist work: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease need training, the right equipment and safe access. That is our job.
How it works
Our technicians bring everything the work needs, including protection sheets, the right tools and access kit. All we need from you is clear access and the right equipment switched off. On site, the work takes anything from a couple of hours for a handful of dampers to a full day for a large building. In a place like Aldwick, we fit the visit around your hours.
- We go through the damper schedule and any previous faults.
- Each damper is found and checked for access.
- We test fire dampers by dropping them and smoke dampers by operating them through the controls.
- Passes are reset and any failures recorded with the reason.
- The report sets out the results, and we can quote to repair or replace failed dampers.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
Ask for a quote
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. We look at your system first, from photos or on a visit, then send a fixed quote. To get going, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Related advice
When to call us in Aldwick
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person has a duty to keep fire safety measures working, and dampers are part of those measures. Employers, owners, landlords and managing agents all need evidence that the dampers have been checked.
Most sites get in touch when they notice one of these:
- Blades that jam part-way when released
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Buildings with no damper register
Site managers at schools such as Nyewood CofE Junior School normally find the summer break the easiest time for ceiling work like damper testing.
Before booking anyone
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- Whether the quote shows VAT
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor