Brighton and Hove · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Brighton
For fire damper drop testing and smoke damper testing, with a record for each damper in Brighton, one call is all it takes, from survey to sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- Dampers overdue for their annual drop test
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
- Dampers that stick or won’t close fully
Fire damper testing for kitchens and businesses in Brighton
Smoke dampers work differently from fire dampers. A smoke damper is driven by a motor and responds to signals from its controls, so we test them by operating them through those controls and checking that each blade moves fully and returns. The work covers offices and schools, riser dampers and motorised smoke dampers, and the jobs we see most are smoke dampers with no recent test and dampers affected by leaks or condensation.
In a place as big as Brighton, there are offices, hotels, schools and flats, many of them with ductwork crossing fire-resisting walls and floors. Each damper at those crossings needs testing at least annually under BESA guidance.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: a written report, dated and illustrated with pictures, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. It shows what was done and what, if anything, couldn’t be reached.
- Location
- Brighton (BN1, BN2, BN3)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Reporting
- Report and pictures after the visit
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Fire damper testing around Brighton
The coast is only about 1 mile from Brighton. A damper that has corroded can stay open when it should close, which is why coastal sites are worth testing carefully. Food Standards Agency records list about 51 schools, colleges and universities, about 64 hospitals, care homes and childcare premises and about 44 hotels and guest houses registered as food businesses in Brighton and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Buildings like these often have ducted ventilation, and wherever a duct crosses a fire-resisting wall or floor there should be a damper, tested at least once a year. About 0.7 miles east of Brighton is Brighton General Hospital, the nearest hospital. Healthcare buildings rely on fire compartments to protect people who can’t easily move, and dampers keep those compartments sealed.
If you manage a care home or clinic near Brighton, the testing that a hospital like Brighton General Hospital (about 0.7 miles east) relies on applies to your dampers too. School buildings such as Fairlight Primary School are normally tested in the holidays, wherever they have dampers.
Brighton is in Brighton and Hove. Anywhere in BN1, we can carry out fire damper testing at your premises. Across Brighton and Hove, we cover 30 places, and Brighton is one of them.
Postcode districts we cover here for fire damper testing: BN1, BN2 and BN3. Whether your site is on London Road, Isetta Square and Pelham Square or a nearby road, we can help. Brighton is on the A23 and A259, so it’s easy for us to get to for fire damper testing. Nearby, we also carry out fire damper testing in Hanover (1 mile south), Carlton Hill (1 mile south), West Hill (1 mile west), Hollingdean (1 mile north) and Seven Dials (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover Brighton and Hove (3 miles west), Aldrington (3 miles west), Hangleton (3 miles west), Saltdean (4 miles south-east), East Saltdean (5 miles south-east) and Rottingdean (3 miles south-east). As one of the bigger places in Brighton and Hove, Brighton has a wide mix of commercial premises, all within our area for fire damper testing.
Near you in Brighton
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, William Clarke Park and Park Crescent pub and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Brighton itself: London Road (Brighton) station. Nearby you will also find Brighton General Hospital (0.7 miles east) and Old Police Cells Museum (1 mile south-west). The countryside around Brighton includes Newmarket Hill and Whitehawk Hill.
How we price fire damper testing
A fixed price needs a few facts first. We check:
- How easy every part is to reach
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- How many systems or sites are involved
- The condition of the system
We do not list prices on the website, because the cost depends on the site in front of us. Call for a fixed quote, and we will talk you through it.
What to send for a quote
Photos let us diagnose from a distance. Try to include:
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- The site address and the type of premises
The quickest way to a quote is to send pictures: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
Keep a record of what your team does. A simple log of filter washes, wipe-downs and checks shows an inspector that the system is looked after between visits, alongside our reports.
Some jobs should never be done in-house: entering ducts, working on fans, testing dampers and taking grease readings need training, the right equipment and safe access. Leave those to us.
Between visits
Looking after the system between visits is straightforward, and it helps at the next visit:
- Keep an eye out for damp around dampers
- Store test records alongside the fire risk assessment
- Keep to at least yearly testing
- Warn anyone working in ceiling voids about the dampers
If we couldn’t get to a damper, the report says so and why, for example a missing panel or a covered hatch. Access panels can be fitted so those dampers are tested on the next visit.
Clean ductwork means less dust and grease reaching the dampers. Duct cleaning and damper testing can be planned side by side.
Places near Brighton
What else we do in Brighton
Brighton questions
Can a school’s dampers in Brighton be tested out of term time?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. Around Brighton, the Food Standards Agency lists about 51 schools and colleges with registered kitchens within a mile and a half or so. You can give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email with the dates the site is empty.
Which fire service covers Brighton?
It’s East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Brighton. If a fire safety officer audits the building, they may ask for the latest damper test records.
What happens if a damper fails its test?
Failed dampers are reported and we can quote to repair or replace them. Once fixed, the damper is drop tested again and the record updated.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance plans are part of what we do, set at the interval the system needs. Each report recommends when the next visit should be.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
No. TR19® itself is not law; it’s a BESA specification. The law is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which makes the responsible person assess and reduce fire risk, and cleaning to TR19® is the recognised way to show grease is under control.
Can you test motorised smoke dampers?
Yes. We test smoke dampers through their control system, as they’re motor driven. We check every blade moves fully and record the outcome.
Do you cover Brighton?
Yes. We work in Brighton and across Brighton and Hove, within our South East and London area. For a fixed quote, call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form.
What types of premises do you cover?
All kinds of commercial and public premises: kitchens, offices, schools, healthcare, retail, leisure and food production. Work is timed around how each site runs.
Different parts, different methods
Schools, hospitals and care homes
In hospitals and care homes, people are there day and night. We plan the order of work with the site team so care isn’t interrupted.
Fusible link fire dampers
Most fire dampers are held open by a fusible link. Heat melts the link and the blade falls shut across the duct. We release the blade, check it closes fully and reset it.
What we are called out for in Brighton
Links and springs age like any other part. A link can be damaged, painted over or swapped for the wrong one, and a tired spring may not drive the blade home, which only shows up when the damper is dropped.
Common reasons sites call us include:
- Gaps in the fire damper test log
- Fire dampers that haven’t been tested for over a year
- Fire dampers that fail to drop shut
- Fire dampers nobody can get to
If you manage an older building converted to a hotel or venue, like many historic houses in the area (Royal Pavilion is about 0.8 miles south-west), finding every damper is the first job.
Comparing quotes
- If the quote is a fixed price or an estimate
- What hours they’ll be on site
- Whether the quote shows VAT
- Whether a written report and pictures are included
What a clean will not put right
We won’t sell you work that does not address the problem, so here are the limits:
- Fire-stopping gaps around the duct where it passes through the wall
- Deciding where dampers should be fitted
- Fire alarm or control system faults behind a smoke damper
Not sure which it is? You can give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we’ll tell you honestly.
Where we work
- Wall and floor dampers
- Offices and schools
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Riser dampers
What we do, step by step
At the end of the visit, someone from your team can look over the work with us. Anything we couldn’t reach or that needs attention is pointed out there and then, and it goes on the report too. The visit takes a morning or an afternoon for a small number of dampers, longer where there are many. Larger sites in Brighton can be done in phases, out of hours, so part of the building keeps working.
- We go through the damper schedule and any previous faults.
- We locate every damper and note any we cannot reach.
- Fire dampers are drop tested, and smoke dampers are tested through their controls.
- Dampers that pass are reset, and failures are logged with what we found.
- The report sets out the results, and we can quote to repair or replace failed dampers.
Getting ready for the visit
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Mention any parking or loading restrictions
How to get a quote
There’s no standard price list, because every site is different. Instead, we look at your site first, from photos or a survey, and then send you a fixed quote. To get going, call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us.