East Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Blackboys
Professional fire damper testing in and around Blackboys, booked around your opening hours and signed off in writing with photos.
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Gaps in the fire damper test log
- Fire damper items raised by an assessor
How we handle fire damper testing in Blackboys
The point of testing is to find dampers that fail. When one sticks, has a damaged link or is corroded, we report it and offer remedials, so the fault does not just sit on a list. If you have fire dampers nobody can get to and dampers flagged on a fire risk assessment, we can put it right.
Rural buildings that have been converted or extended can have ducts passing through fire-resisting walls, where the dampers are easy to overlook. The first visit starts by locating each damper.
We’ve been trading since 2009, and we’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we carry full insurance.
- Where
- Blackboys (TN22)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Reporting
- Written report with photos
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
How the visit works
Night work is normal for us. Evenings, nights and weekends are when much of our work happens, so the site can open as normal afterwards. On site, the work takes a morning or an afternoon for a small number of dampers, longer where there are many. A quick note on how to find the site and where to park makes a visit to Blackboys run smoothly.
- Before the visit, we agree access, timings and any areas with restrictions.
- 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.
Getting ready for the visit
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
Ask for a quote
Some systems can be priced from photos; others need a survey. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, the quote is fixed before any work is booked.
Advice
What happens if it’s left?
Leaving damper testing for another year does not make the dampers any more likely to work. BESA guidance is to test at least annually, and a skipped year leaves a hole in your records as well. It’s simpler to plan the work at Blackboys now than to arrange it in a hurry later.
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 will explain each part.
Why us?
- We diagnose before we treat
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
Read what affects the cost and our accreditations.
Looking after it afterwards
Here’s the after-treatment advice, in brief:
- Update the register when ductwork changes
- Brief other trades about dampers in ceilings and risers
- Close off damper faults promptly
- Never wedge or tie a damper open
The next test should be no more than a year away. BESA guidance is at least annual testing, and booking the same month each year keeps it simple.
Make sure every damper can be reached. Where there’s no hatch, an access panel makes testing possible before the next test.
Your questions about fire damper testing in Blackboys
Do you do school damper testing in Blackboys in the summer holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. There are about 2 schools, colleges and universities on the FSA’s food hygiene register within about 1.5 miles of Blackboys. Just phone us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line with your term dates and we’ll plan around them.
Do you work overnight in Blackboys?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. The work in Blackboys can fit around your hours. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
Can you price the work without visiting?
Yes, where the pictures show enough. Otherwise, we book a survey at a time that suits the site, and the quote follows that.
What does fire damper testing cost?
We don’t publish prices, because the cost depends on the job: how big it is, what state it’s in, how we reach it and the working hours. You get a fixed price before any work starts.
How often do fire dampers need drop testing?
BESA guidance calls for testing by a competent person at least once a year. A test on completion of installation comes first.
What should I send you?
A short description and a few photos, with the address and opening hours. We will ask for anything else we need.
How much notice should we give?
The more notice, the better, especially for out-of-hours work. We normally quote within one working day, and emergencies are covered by our 24/7 line.
Do you certify fire dampers?
You get a test report recording every damper we tested, showing where it is, whether it passed and what we found. It belongs in your fire safety log.
How the job changes from site to site
Ceiling voids and risers
Where ductwork runs up through a building, there are often dampers at every floor. Testing goes floor by floor so each one is accounted for.
Offices and retail
Fit-outs and tenant changes are hard on dampers. A test after the works shows the dampers still close.
When it’s something else
Fire damper testing cannot fix everything, and we’ll tell you before any work starts. It will not put right:
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
- Fire alarm or control system faults behind a smoke damper
- Fire-stopping gaps around the duct where it passes through the wall
Not sure which it is? You can give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
Where we work
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Offices and schools
- Hospitals and care homes
- Wall and floor dampers
- Riser dampers
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Keep a record of what your team does. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
Good housekeeping makes our visits easier, not unnecessary. Clean filters and tidy surfaces slow the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
Nearby places to Blackboys
More services for Blackboys
Managing agents and facilities teams in Blackboys
We work for landlords, managing agents and facilities managers as well as the people running the site. Where a system serves more than one tenant, such as a shared riser, it helps to agree who arranges the work, and we can quote for the whole system.
If you look after several sites, we can schedule visits across all of them on one quote. Every building has its own written report, so records stay tidy.
Blackboys buildings and fire safety
We cover Blackboys, about 39 miles from central London, as part of our work across London and the South East. The visit is fixed around your opening hours, not ours. About 2.6 miles west of Blackboys is Uckfield Community Hospital, the nearest hospital. A hospital is the kind of building where dampers sit on every floor, and clinics, surgeries and care homes need the same annual testing for any they have.
Uckfield Community Hospital, about 2.6 miles west of Blackboys, is the kind of building where dampers protect every compartment; smaller care sites need the same annual tests. If you manage a school site such as Blackboys Church of England Primary School, any fire dampers can be tested in the holidays.
Blackboys is about 3 miles east of Uckfield, in East Sussex. Wherever you are in the TN22 postcode area, we can take on fire damper testing. We cover 289 places across East Sussex, from busy centres to quieter spots. For sites nearby, see our Brighton page, about 16 miles away.
Work in TN22 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. You will find streets such as High Street, Mount Pleasant and Gun Road, and we cover them all for fire damper testing. Blackboys is on the B2102, so it’s easy for us to get to for out-of-hours visits. We also cover the places around Blackboys: Etchingwood (1 mile north-west), Framfield (1 mile west), Potter's Green (2 miles north-west), Buxted (2 miles north-west) and Hadlow Down (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (13 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (15 miles south-east), Seaford (13 miles south), Lewes (9 miles south-west), Hailsham (8 miles south-east) and Crowborough (6 miles north).
Local landmarks in Blackboys
Typical jobs here are in premises near Blackboys Inn and Passingworth Park, among other places. The closest station to Blackboys is Buxted station, roughly 2.3 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Uckfield Community Hospital (2.6 miles west) and Sussex Farm Museum (3.9 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Selwyns Wood.