Hampshire · Fire damper testing
Charter Alley fire damper testing
Fire damper testing for Charter Alley and the surrounding area: diagnosis first, then a fixed quote, the work and a report with pictures. Call for a fixed quote.
- Dampers overdue for their annual drop test
- Smoke dampers that need testing through their controls
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
How we price fire damper testing
A fixed price needs a few facts first. We look at:
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- Travel, parking and unloading
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
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 go through it with you.
What we need to know
To speed up the quote, send us:
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- Problems your staff have spotted
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
Want a quote for fire damper testing? Please call 0345 646 2711 or email us with a few details about the site. We’ll talk you through the work and give you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Fire damper testing in Charter Alley
Each damper we test gets a location, a result and a note of its condition. Passes are reset and left ready to work, and any that fail are listed with the reason. That record belongs with the building’s fire safety paperwork. The work covers motorised smoke dampers, fusible link fire dampers and offices and schools, and people most often call us about gaps in the fire damper test log and dust or grease build-up on damper blades.
Testing in a small place like Charter Alley is planned around the journey and access, and every damper is drop tested, reset and recorded, the same as anywhere.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: a written report, dated and illustrated with pictures, plus a certificate through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal when the work is a TR19® Grease clean. Any parts we couldn’t reach are recorded on it too.
- Place
- Charter Alley (RG26)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Reporting
- Report and pictures after the visit
- Price
- Fixed quote, typically within a working day
- Hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
How the job changes from site to site
Access panels
A damper can only be tested if it can be reached. That typically means an access panel in the duct, plus a way through the ceiling or wall.
Offices and retail
In shared buildings, some dampers sit inside tenants’ space. We agree access with the managing agent before the visit.
Fire dampers in Charter Alley buildings
Charter Alley, about 47 miles from central London, is within our usual area. Visits are booked around your hours, evenings and weekends included. Charter Alley sits within the area of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. Its fire safety officers enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic buildings, and that covers fire safety systems such as dampers.
The nearest hospital, Park Prewett Hospital, is about 2.7 miles south-east; healthcare buildings like it are a reminder that dampers protect people who can’t move quickly. For schools like The Priory Primary School, damper testing is easiest in the holidays, when corridors and ceilings are clear.
Charter Alley is about 3 miles south of Tadley, in Hampshire. Anywhere in RG26, we can take on fire damper testing. Across Hampshire, we cover 683 places, Charter Alley among them. Reading is in our area too, around 12 miles away.
All of RG26 is within our area for fire damper testing, from busy streets to back roads. Whether your site is on Old Chapel Lane, Sand Martin Close and White Hart Lane or a nearby road, we can help. Close by, we work in Ramsdell (1 mile west), West Heath (1 mile north-west), Pamber End (1 mile north-east), Monk Sherborne (1 mile south-east) and Salters Heath (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns such as Basingstoke (4 miles south-east), Fleet (14 miles east), Alton (14 miles south-east), Yateley (14 miles east), Tadley (3 miles north) and Hook (8 miles east).
Near you in Charter Alley
The nearest railway station is Bramley (Hants) station, about 3.8 miles east. A little further out are Park Prewett Hospital (2.7 miles south-east) and Calleva Museum (3.4 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Daneshill Park Woods.
Looking after it afterwards
Simple habits between visits make a real difference. We recommend:
- Close off damper faults promptly
- Add new dampers to the register as they’re fitted
- Do not let hatches get painted shut or boarded over
- Diary the annual test well ahead
Dampers we couldn’t reach are listed with the reason, for example a missing panel or a covered hatch. Access panels can be fitted so those dampers are tested on the next visit.
Keep a damper register: where each damper is, what kind it is and when it was last tested. It means nothing gets forgotten when staff or contractors change.
Common problems we fix in Charter Alley
Other trades work around dampers all the time. A cable run through the blade path, a knocked link or a wedged blade is enough to stop a damper closing.
It’s time to book a visit if you see:
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Fire dampers nobody can get to
- Rusted damper blades and springs
- Fire dampers with no recent test record
Historic houses near Charter Alley, with The Vyne about 2.6 miles east, are a reminder that older buildings can hold dampers in unexpected places.
What to look for in a quote
- How areas they cannot reach will be recorded
- What paperwork you get at the end
- What hours they’ll be on site
- Whether the price is fixed
Charter Alley questions
Can the work in Charter Alley be done at night or at weekends?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. The work in Charter Alley can fit around your hours. When you call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos, mention when the site is quiet.
Do you test dampers in schools in Charter Alley during the holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. Food Standards Agency records list about 2 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of Charter Alley. You can phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form with the dates the site is empty.
Which kinds of sites do you work on?
Any site with a kitchen or a ventilation system to look after, from a small pub to a hospital. We work with hotels, schools, care homes, offices, retail and leisure sites.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
We start with protection: floor sheeting and covers over nearby surfaces and equipment. We tidy up and take our waste away before we leave.
How much notice do you need?
For planned work, earlier is better, particularly if your next visit is nearly due. For emergencies, we take calls 24/7.
Where does the waste go?
We take it away when we go. While we work, it’s kept contained so the area stays clean.
Does the law say we must follow TR19?
No, not in itself. TR19® is the benchmark insurers, fire officers and EHOs check against, and many insurance policies ask for proof of TR19® cleaning. The legal duty sits in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which applies in England and Wales.
How often should fire dampers be tested?
The guidance from BESA is at least annually, by a competent person. A test on completion of installation comes first.
What a clean won’t put right
We will always give you a straight diagnosis, so here’s what this work cannot put right:
- Holes around ductwork in fire-resisting walls
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
- Designing the building’s fire compartments
If you are not sure, just call 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will give you a straight answer.
What the work covers
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Wall and floor dampers
- Offices and schools
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Riser dampers
Also near Charter Alley
Also in Charter Alley
Leave it or put it right?
Until a damper has been dropped, you cannot say whether it works. A test gives you a clear answer, and we can offer remedials for any that fail, and that’s something you can plan around. Rural sites cannot always move to another kitchen or room when something fails.
The cost depends on the size of the system, the condition it’s in and access to every part of it. We give you a fixed price before work begins, so you know where you stand.
Why Charter Alley businesses choose us
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
- Fully insured
- Trading since 2009
- One number for every site across the South East and London
What happens on the day
Our technicians bring everything the work needs, including protection sheets, the right tools and access kit. You only need to give us clear access and switch off what needs to be off. The visit takes a couple of hours for a few dampers, and a day or more across a big site. Photos of the system and how to reach it help us plan a visit to Charter Alley.
- First we check the schedule and the last set of results.
- Each damper is found and checked for access.
- 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.
- We report the results and offer remedials on failed dampers.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
Ask for a quote
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. We look at your system first, from pictures or on a visit, and then give you a fixed quote. To get going, ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos.