West Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Felbridge
Fire damper drop testing and smoke damper testing, with a record for each damper for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Felbridge. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- Buildings with no damper register
- Dampers that cannot be reached without an access panel
- Damper actions from a fire risk assessment
What a clean won’t put right
Fire damper testing cannot fix everything, and we’d rather say so up front. It will not put right:
- Holes around ductwork in fire-resisting walls
- Missing dampers that a designer needs to specify
- Deciding where dampers should be fitted
Not sure which it is? You can phone us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll tell you honestly.
Parts of the system we cover
- Wall and floor dampers
- Offices and schools
- Hospitals and care homes
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Riser dampers
How we handle fire damper testing in Felbridge
Not every damper relies on heat. 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. We are often asked to deal with dampers that can’t be reached without an access panel and fire dampers with no recent test record, across wall and floor dampers, riser dampers and fusible link fire dampers.
Somewhere as small as Felbridge, fire dampers are typically found in a school, a care home, a hotel or a converted building, wherever there is one. Each damper still needs testing at least once a year.
It’s worth checking any contractor’s accreditations. Ours are BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, plus CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we’re fully insured.
- Place
- Felbridge (RH19)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Paperwork
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Questions from Felbridge
Do you test dampers in schools in Felbridge during the holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. Around Felbridge, the Food Standards Agency lists about 5 schools and colleges with registered kitchens within a mile and a half or so. Booking early in the term gives the best choice of holiday dates.
Do you cover smaller places like Felbridge?
Yes. Villages and rural sites across the South East are part of our work, Felbridge included. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Will we have to shut during the visit?
Not usually. The area we’re working in has to be out of use while we’re there, so we book a time when it would be closed anyway.
Are you accredited?
Our accreditations are CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. Vent Hygiene Elite is run by BESCA and independently audited.
What paperwork do we get after testing?
We test, record and report, rather than certify dampers to a standard. It lists each damper, the result and any remedials needed.
Does the law say we must follow TR19?
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.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes. We always survey first, from your pictures and details, or with a visit where necessary. A fixed quote follows.
Who is responsible for fire safety on the premises?
The law calls them the responsible person. It’s normally the employer, or whoever controls the building, and where several people have control, each can have duties. If you are not sure, check your lease and fire risk assessment.
When to call us in Felbridge
Other trades work around dampers all the time. Cables get run through them, links get knocked and blades get wedged open, and any of those can stop a damper closing.
What we are most often called out for:
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Corroded dampers in damp risers and plant rooms
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Blades that jam part-way when released
Historic buildings that have had ventilation added later can hide dampers in awkward places; Saint Hill Manor, about 2.5 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the area around Felbridge.
Questions to ask before booking
- If they look at the system before pricing
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- Whether a written report and photos are included
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
Fire damper testing around Felbridge
Food Standards Agency data includes about 5 schools, colleges and universities and about 9 care, childcare and hospital premises within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Felbridge. Larger buildings like these are often divided into fire compartments, with dampers where ducts pass between them. About 2.2 miles east of Felbridge is Queen Victoria Hospital, the nearest hospital. Smaller healthcare sites, from surgeries to care homes, need the same annual damper test as a hospital. West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service covers Felbridge. Fire and rescue authorities enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic premises, and keeping dampers working is part of the responsible person’s duty.
Hospitals such as Queen Victoria Hospital, about 2.2 miles east, are a good example of buildings with dampers on many floors; if you manage a clinic, surgery or care home near Felbridge, the same annual testing applies. If you manage a school site such as Felbridge Primary School, any fire dampers can be tested in the holidays.
Felbridge is about 2 miles north-west of East Grinstead, in West Sussex. Sites in Felbridge get the same service as everywhere we cover: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with pictures. Felbridge is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover for commercial clients. You can also see our page for Brighton, about 21 miles away.
Here we cover the RH19 postcode area for fire damper testing. Whether your site is on London Road, Mciver Close and Cherry Way or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. Close by, we work in Furnace Wood (1 mile west), Domewood (1 mile west), Snow Hill (2 miles west), Newchapel (2 miles north) and Crawley Down (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Crawley (6 miles west), Horsham (13 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (10 miles south), Burgess Hill (13 miles south), Broadfield (7 miles south-west) and Bewbush (8 miles west).
Around Felbridge
In Felbridge, that means kitchens and buildings near Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts and Imberhorne School. Felbridge’s nearest station is East Grinstead station, about 1.6 miles south-east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Effingham Park Motor Museum (1.8 miles west) and Queen Victoria Hospital (2.2 miles east). For a walk, there’s Hedgecourt Lake.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
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. That’s our job.
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: keeping grilles clear, noting unusual noise or smells and logging filter changes. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
How it works
We’re used to working while the site is closed. A lot of visits happen overnight or at weekends, so the site can open as normal afterwards. The visit itself takes a couple of hours for a few dampers, and a day or more across a big site. Somewhere as small as Felbridge, the date and timings are agreed with you well before the day.
- We plan access and timing with you first, including any out-of-hours work.
- Ceiling tiles and hatches are opened and each damper’s access panel removed.
- We release each blade and check it shuts all the way.
- The damper is reset and its condition noted.
- Panels and tiles go back, and the results are written up.
Getting ready for the visit
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Let us know about parking and loading
Get a fixed quote
Photos are enough for some jobs, while others need a look on site. 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
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
Multi-let buildings may have dampers inside tenant areas. We agree access with the managing agent before the visit.
Keeping the system healthy
Aftercare is simple, and it helps at the next visit:
- Keep an eye out for damp around dampers
- Make sure access panels stay clear and usable
- Act on failed dampers rather than leaving them on file
- Keep damper test reports with the fire safety log
Share the results with your fire risk assessor so their assessment matches what was found. Outstanding faults should be dealt with, not left on file.
Where a damper sits in ductwork that collects dust or grease, keeping that ductwork clean helps. It makes sense to plan duct cleaning and damper testing together.
What affects the quote in Felbridge
Your quote is based on your site. We consider:
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
- How easy every part is to reach
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
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.
Asking for a quote
To speed up the quote, send us:
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- A few general shots of the system
- Problems your staff have spotted
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
Getting a quote does not take long. Call or email with a few details and you’ll typically have a fixed price within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.