West Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Codmore Hill
Fire damper drop testing and smoke damper testing, with a record for each damper in Codmore Hill, surveyed first and signed off with a written report and photos. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- Fire dampers with no recent test record
- Dampers flagged on a fire risk assessment
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
What the work involves, part by part
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. Testing means dropping the blade, checking the full close and resetting it.
Offices and retail
In shared buildings, some dampers sit inside tenants’ space. We agree access with the managing agent before the visit.
Fire damper testing in Codmore Hill
Responsible persons, facilities managers and managing agents call us when damper testing falls due in Codmore Hill. Send us the damper schedule or the drawings if you have them, and we’ll plan the visit around the building’s hours. The work covers offices and schools, riser dampers and motorised smoke dampers, and people most often call us about blades that jam part-way when released and rusted damper blades and springs.
In a village or hamlet like Codmore Hill, there may be only a few buildings with fire dampers. Each damper still needs testing at least once a year.
Each visit ends with a written report and photos, so there’s a dated record of the work. Where the work is a TR19® Grease clean, the certificate is issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Where
- Codmore Hill (RH20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Reporting
- Written report with pictures
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- Working hours
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
What happens on the day
There are three stages on the day: set-up, the treatment itself and the sign-off. Set-up means sheeting and making equipment safe, and the sign-off is a written report with photos. The middle part takes longest, and that takes a morning or an afternoon for a small number of dampers, longer where there are many. If you can send photos, we can arrive in Codmore Hill knowing what to expect.
- We go through the damper schedule and any previous faults.
- Each damper is found and checked for access.
- We test fire dampers by dropping them and smoke dampers by operating them through the controls.
- Passes are reset and any failures recorded with the reason.
- The report sets out the results, and we can quote to repair or replace failed dampers.
How to prepare
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
How to get a quote
To get a fixed quote, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and tell us the type of site, your opening hours and roughly what the system looks like. A few photos and your last certificate or report help a lot. We usually come back within one working day.
Related advice
What a clean will not put right
Before you book, it helps to know what’s not included:
- Gaps in the wall or floor around the damper
- Designing the building’s fire compartments
- Fire alarm or control system faults behind a smoke damper
If you are not sure, just call 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before you book.
What the work covers
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Offices and schools
- Riser dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
Also near Codmore Hill
What else we do in Codmore Hill
Leave it or put it right?
Sites in Codmore Hill tested every year build up a history for each damper so repeat problems show up early. A damper that was slow last year and sticks this year tells you something before it becomes a failure. A fault that closes a site in a village like Codmore Hill affects everyone who depends on it.
A single site or a whole portfolio, we price it on the same basis: what needs doing, how we get to it and when. The price is fixed before any work starts.
Why us?
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- Every job surveyed first
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
Read our cost guide or our accreditations.
Do you need fire damper testing in Codmore Hill?
Dampers are hidden above ceilings, inside risers and behind boxing. If there’s no hatch to reach them, they slip off everyone’s list, and one that cannot be reached can’t be tested.
Common reasons sites call us are:
- Dampers overdue for their annual drop test
- Dirty dampers that may not close
- Dampers that stick or will not close fully
- Corroded dampers in damp risers and plant rooms
School buildings such as St Mary's Church of England Primary School are typically tested in the holidays, wherever they have dampers.
Comparing quotes
- Whether they recommend a next date
- Exactly which parts of the system are covered
- When they can work, and whether that is outside your opening hours
- What records you will receive afterwards
Questions from Codmore Hill
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Codmore Hill?
It’s West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Codmore Hill. If a fire safety officer audits the building, they may ask for the latest damper test records.
Do you work overnight in Codmore Hill?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. That way a site in Codmore Hill doesn’t have to lose a day’s trading. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
How often does BESA say fire dampers should be tested?
At least once a year, under BESA guidance, plus a test when the damper is first installed. Some sites choose to test more often where the risk is higher.
Is TR19 cleaning required by law?
No. The law sets the duty, and TR19® is the recognised benchmark for meeting it. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person has to manage fire risk, and many insurers can refuse or reduce a claim without proof of cleaning.
What accreditations do you have?
Our accreditations are CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. Vent Hygiene Elite is run by BESCA and independently audited.
Do you carry out smoke damper testing?
Yes. Every smoke damper is driven through its controls and checked for full movement. Where a controls contractor needs to be involved, we arrange it with you.
Can you set up regular visits?
Yes, of course. Send details of the systems and how they’re used and we will propose a schedule with a fixed quote.
What does fire damper testing cost?
It depends on the site, so we quote each one individually. To get one, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and tell us about the site and its opening hours.
What fire damper testing looks like in Codmore Hill
Codmore Hill is covered by West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces and other non-domestic buildings, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. Codmore Hill, about 40 miles from central London, is within our usual area. Evening, overnight and weekend visits are all possible.
If you manage an older building converted to a hotel or venue, like many historic houses in the area (Old Place Manor is about 1 mile south-west), finding every damper is the first job.
Codmore Hill is about 10 miles south-west of Horsham, in West Sussex. If you need fire damper testing in Codmore Hill, please call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line for a fixed quote. We work across South East England and London, Codmore Hill included. 371 places in West Sussex are on our list, large and small. We also work in Brighton, about 19 miles from Codmore Hill.
Every address in RH20 is covered for fire damper testing, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes premises on Masons Way, Hill Farm Lane and Stane Street and nearby roads. Other places close to Codmore Hill include Broomershill (1 mile south-east), North Heath (1 mile north-east), Nutbourne (1 mile south-east), Marehill (1 mile south-east) and Gay Street (2 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Horsham (10 miles north-east), Worthing (11 miles south-east), Bognor Regis (15 miles south-west), Chichester (15 miles south-west), Littlehampton (11 miles south) and Shoreham-by-Sea (14 miles south-east).
Around Codmore Hill
Codmore Hill’s nearest station is Pulborough station, roughly 1.2 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Coates Castle (4.2 miles west). The countryside around Codmore Hill includes The Mens.
Looking after it afterwards
No system stays clean for ever, but care slows the build-up. A few tips:
- Act on failed dampers rather than leaving them on file
- Store test records alongside the fire risk assessment
- Update the register when ductwork changes
- Never wedge or tie a damper open
If we couldn’t get to a damper, the report says so and why, for example a missing panel or a covered hatch. We can fit access panels so they can be tested next time.
Keep a damper register: location, type, last test date and result. It stops dampers getting lost as the building changes.
What staff can safely do
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
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. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.