Oxfordshire · Fire damper testing
Fire damper inspection in Bicester
Fire damper testing in Bicester from ventilation hygiene specialists trading since 2009. Out-of-hours visits and 24/7 emergency callout.
- Blades that jam part-way when released
- Smoke dampers that need testing through their controls
- Missing or out-of-date damper records
Looking after it afterwards
Here’s the after-treatment advice, in brief:
- Update the register when ductwork changes
- Close off damper faults promptly
- Keep ceiling hatches and duct panels easy to open
- Never wedge or tie a damper open
Dampers we couldn’t reach are listed with the reason, such as no access panel or a blocked hatch. Access panels can be fitted so those dampers are tested on the next visit.
A simple register of every damper helps a great deal: where each damper is, what kind it is and when it was last tested. It means nothing gets forgotten when staff or contractors change.
How we handle fire damper testing in Bicester
Not every damper relies on heat. A smoke damper is driven by a motor and responds to signals from its controls, so testing means running them through their controls and confirming every blade travels fully and comes back. The work covers riser dampers, fusible link fire dampers and motorised smoke dampers, and people most often call us about fire dampers that fail to drop shut and motorised smoke dampers due for testing.
Around a town like Bicester, damper testing normally means schools, offices, care homes, hotels and flats. Wherever a duct crosses a fire-resisting wall or floor, the damper there needs testing at least once a year.
Think of the report as the system’s health record: dated, with pictures, and showing what was done. For TR19® Grease cleans, the certificate comes through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal and sits alongside the report.

- Location
- Bicester (OX26, OX27)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Paperwork
- Written report with photos
- Price
- A fixed price before work begins
- Working hours
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Before we leave, we walk the area with whoever is on site. We point out anything that couldn’t be reached or needs a follow-up, and the same goes into the written report. The visit takes a morning or an afternoon for a small number of dampers, longer where there are many. In a town like Bicester, we typically work after closing or on a quiet day, so the site opens again on time.
- We plan access and timing with you first, including any out-of-hours work.
- We open up ceilings and hatches and take off each access panel.
- We release each blade and check it shuts all the way.
- The damper is reset and its condition noted.
- We close everything up and send the results in a report.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Name a contact who can let us in at the agreed time
Get a fixed quote
Quotes are quick. Call or email with a few details and you’ll normally have a fixed price within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Related advice
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
If your staff spot something between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We will take a look and send you a fixed quote.
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Bicester questions
Can fire dampers in schools around Bicester be tested in the holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. Food Standards Agency records list about 10 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of Bicester. Booking early in the term gives the best choice of holiday dates.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in Bicester?
Bicester is in the area of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Failed dampers on a report should be followed by a record of the repair, so the file shows the problem was closed out.
What happens to the waste?
It’s contained and taken away. We collect grease, debris and waste water as we go, so it doesn’t spread.
Do you test smoke dampers as well?
Yes, as well as drop testing fire dampers. The results go into the same report, so you have one record.
Is a quote from pictures possible?
Yes, for many jobs. 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’ll say so.
What should I send you?
Only a few details: where it is, what kind of site, when it’s open and the access. Photos and any previous paperwork make it quicker. After that, simply call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us.
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.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
We start with protection: sheeting over floors, worktops and anything close to the work. We tidy up and take our waste away before we leave.
Fire damper testing around Bicester
There are about 10 schools, colleges and universities, about 7 care, childcare and hospital premises and about 5 hotels and B&Bs on the FSA’s food hygiene register within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Bicester. Larger buildings like these are often divided into fire compartments, with dampers where ducts pass between them. Fire safety in Bicester falls to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. When a fire safety officer audits a non-domestic building, maintenance of systems like dampers can come up. Bicester’s nearest hospital, Bicester Community Hospital, is about under half a mile south. Hospitals are a good example of a building with fire dampers across many floors and departments.
Bicester Community Hospital, about under half a mile south of Bicester, is the kind of building where dampers protect every compartment; smaller care sites need the same annual tests. If you manage offices, shops or flats near Bicester North station, the ductwork in them may pass through fire-resisting walls and floors, and any dampers need testing at least once a year. For schools like Brookside Primary School, damper testing is easiest in the holidays, when corridors and ceilings are clear.
Bicester is about 11 miles north of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We carry out fire damper testing for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Bicester and the rest of Oxfordshire. Across Oxfordshire, we cover 443 places, Bicester among them. We also work in Oxford, about 11 miles from Bicester.
Here we cover the OX26 and OX27 postcode area for fire damper testing. If you need fire damper testing at premises on Market Square, Market End Way and London Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Bicester sits on or near the A4095 and B4100, so getting to you is simple for fire damper testing. We also cover Bure Park (1 mile north), Caversfield (1 mile north), Bucknell (2 miles north-west), Stratton Audley (3 miles north-east) and Stoke Lyne (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (11 miles south), Banbury (14 miles north-west), Thame (13 miles south-east), Kidlington (8 miles south-west), Headington Quarry (10 miles south) and St John Street area (11 miles south-west). Being one of Oxfordshire’s larger places, Bicester has a wide mix of commercial premises, all within our area for fire damper testing.
Local landmarks in Bicester
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Bicester Technology Studio and The Plough pub. There’s a railway station in Bicester itself: Bicester North station. Nearby you will also find Bicester Community Hospital (under half a mile south) and Bicester Village (0.7 miles south). Open spaces near Bicester include Graven Hill and Woodsides Meadow.
Also near Bicester
More services for Bicester
For landlords and multi-site operators
Running several sites is easier with one contractor. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept to a regular schedule.
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We can quote either party and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
Leave it or put it right?
A sticking blade caught on an annual test can be a small repair. Years of corrosion and dirt can mean the whole damper needs replacing instead. Grease, dust and wear all build up with time.
You won’t find a price list here, because the cost depends on the site in front of us. For a fixed quote, ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email, and we will talk you through it.
Why Bicester businesses choose us
- BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- Every job surveyed first
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
Take a look at our cost guide and how to check a contractor.
What affects the quote in Bicester
Your quote is based on your site. We take into account:
- The number of sites or systems
- Any permits to work or inductions
- The condition of the system
- The size of the system
Whatever the type of site, the quote works the same way: how much there is, how we reach it, what state it’s in and when we can work. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Wide pictures of the system and the area around it
- The postcode and the type of business
To help us quote: the address, the type of site and when it’s open, pictures of the system and any previous report or certificate. Once you have those, call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line.
How the job changes from site to site
Access panels
If we cannot reach a damper, it goes on the report as inaccessible. Fitting a panel means it can be tested on the next visit.
Fusible link fire dampers
The link has to be in good order for the damper to work. Each link is looked at as part of the test and any problems go on the report.