Hampshire · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Appleshaw
Fire damper testing across Appleshaw and nearby, timed so the site keeps working and finished with a written report and pictures.
- Dampers affected by leaks or condensation
- Missing or out-of-date damper records
- Motorised smoke dampers due for testing
How the job changes from site to site
Schools, hospitals and care homes
In schools and colleges, testing fits well into holidays and weekends, with no classes to work around.
Fusible link fire dampers
The common fire damper uses a link that holds the blade open. Heat melts the link and the blade falls shut across the duct. We release the blade, check it closes fully and reset it.
About our fire damper testing in Appleshaw
For every damper, we record where it is, whether it passed and the state it’s in. Dampers that pass are reset and left open, ready to operate, while failures are flagged with what we found. That record belongs with the building’s fire safety paperwork. The work covers wall and floor dampers, motorised smoke dampers and offices and schools, and people most often call us about dampers clogged with dust or grease and dampers overdue for their annual drop test.
In rural areas, conversions, country hotels and care homes can have ductwork crossing fire-resisting walls, where the dampers are easy to overlook. A first test usually starts with finding them all.
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers all look at records. That is why every job is written up in a report with photos, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Appleshaw (SP11)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Paperwork
- Written report with photos
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
Places near Appleshaw
What else we do in Appleshaw
Common questions in Appleshaw
Do you cover smaller places like Appleshaw?
Yes, we work in villages as well as towns, and Appleshaw is covered. Photos of the system and directions to the site help us plan the visit.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in Appleshaw?
Appleshaw is in the area of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. Keep each damper test report with the fire risk assessment and the building’s log book, ready to show.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes, of course. Tell us what you have and how it’s used, and we will suggest a schedule and quote for it.
Do you offer emergency callouts?
Yes, day and night, every day of the year. Our office is open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, with the emergency line covering every other hour.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
No. TR19® is BESA’s specification, not legislation. The legal duty comes from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, and cleaning to TR19® is the recognised way to show grease is under control.
What’s TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It isn’t legislation, but it’s the standard people check against.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
With sheeting and covers, before anything else happens. We keep the work contained and clean down when we finish.
Which kinds of sites do you work on?
Any site with a kitchen or a ventilation system to look after, from a single café to a large school. We work with hotels, schools, care homes, offices, retail and leisure sites.
Why act early in Appleshaw
Fire risk assessors and insurers may ask to see damper test records. Having a current report ready for a building in Appleshaw saves a scramble when the question comes. In a place like Appleshaw, ductwork and fans are easy to forget until something goes wrong.
Combining work into one visit or one programme can make for a more efficient booking. Tell us about everything you’d like looked at and we will price it together.
What you get with us
- Trading since 2009
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- One contact for all your sites in London and the South East
- Work around your opening hours, with 24/7 emergency cover
Take a look at what affects the cost or our accreditations.
How the visit works
We start by comparing what we find with the survey or your pictures. If anything is different, we talk it through with the person on site before carrying on. After that, the work takes from an hour or two in a small building to several visits on a large estate. Rural roads and tight entrances are worth telling us about before a visit to Appleshaw.
- We plan access and timing with you first, including any out-of-hours work.
- Ceiling tiles and hatches are opened and each damper’s access panel removed.
- The blade is released and watched to make sure it closes fully.
- The damper is reset and its condition noted.
- We close everything up and send the results in a report.
Before we arrive
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
- Dig out any earlier paperwork for the system
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
How to get a quote
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in pictures, get a survey first. Either way, you get a fixed price before work begins.
Advice
What staff can safely do
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: keeping grilles clear, noting unusual noise or smells and logging filter changes. Cleaning inside ducts and units is specialist work.
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. Wiping filters daily and washing them weekly keeps the visible parts in order, but they do not reach the grease that builds up further in. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Appleshaw buildings and fire safety
Appleshaw is covered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. When a fire safety officer audits a non-domestic building, maintenance of systems like dampers can come up. About 3.2 miles south-east of Appleshaw is Andover War Memorial Hospital, the nearest hospital. Healthcare buildings rely on fire compartments to protect people who can’t easily move, and dampers keep those compartments sealed.
Healthcare buildings such as Andover War Memorial Hospital (about 3.2 miles south-east) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Appleshaw is about 4 miles north-west of Andover, in Hampshire. Every kind of commercial site in Appleshaw, we can take on fire damper testing. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so trading is not interrupted. Appleshaw is one of 683 towns, villages and districts in Hampshire we cover for commercial clients. We also work in Southampton, about 23 miles from Appleshaw.
All of SP11 is within our area for fire damper testing, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Greensey and West Park, all of which we cover for fire damper testing. Neighbouring places we cover for fire damper testing include Redenham (1 mile north-west), Clanville (1 mile north-east), Faberstown (1 mile west), Weyhill (1 mile south) and Fyfield (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Andover (4 miles south-east), Tidworth (4 miles west), Weeke (15 miles south-east), Ludgershall (3 miles north-west), Whitchurch (10 miles east) and East Anton (4 miles east).
Landmarks near Appleshaw
Typical jobs here are in premises near Walnut Tree Inn and the streets around them. The closest station to Appleshaw is Andover station, about 3.4 miles south-east. Nearby you will also find Andover War Memorial Hospital (3.2 miles south-east) and Ludgershall Castle (3.1 miles north-west). Not far away are Quarley Hill and Mill Lake.
Signs you need fire damper testing in Appleshaw
The law puts a duty on the responsible person to keep fire safety systems, dampers included, in working order. Employers, owners, landlords and managing agents all need evidence that the dampers have been checked.
What we’re most often called out for:
- Dampers affected by leaks or condensation
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
- Blades that jam part-way when released
School buildings such as Appleshaw St Peter's CofE Primary School are typically tested in the holidays, wherever they have dampers.
What your quote should include
- Whether a written report and pictures are included
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- Exactly which parts of the system are covered
- How areas they cannot reach will be recorded
What affects the cost of fire damper testing
Your quote is based on your site. We consider:
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- Site rules, permits and inductions
- What state the system is in
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
Kitchens, offices, schools and hospitals are all priced the same way: the size of the job, access, condition and working hours. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll explain each part.
Helping us quote
To help us quote quickly, please include:
- Wide pictures of the system and the area around it
- The postcode and the type of business
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
Every quote begins with a look at the system, from your pictures and details or, where that isn’t enough, a survey on site. After that, you get a fixed price for the work so you know the cost before any work starts.
When something else is needed
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- Control wiring problems outside the damper itself
- Designing the building’s fire compartments
- Holes around ductwork in fire-resisting walls
If in doubt, call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us and we’ll say what we think.
What the work covers
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Offices and schools
- Hospitals and care homes
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Riser dampers