Oxfordshire · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Kencot
One call covers fire damper drop testing and smoke damper testing, with a record for each damper in Kencot, from survey to sign-off. CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, ISO 9001 and fully insured.
- Gaps in the fire damper test log
- Fire dampers with no recent test record
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
How we handle fire damper testing in Kencot
Not every damper relies on heat. Smoke dampers are motorised and are opened and closed by a control system, so we test them by operating them through those controls and confirming every blade travels fully and comes back. We’re often asked to deal with motorised smoke dampers due for testing and damper actions from a fire risk assessment, on riser dampers, wall and floor dampers and offices and schools.
Somewhere as small as Kencot, fire dampers are normally found in a school, a care home, a hotel or a converted building, wherever there is one. Wherever there are dampers, each one needs testing at least annually.
Every visit ends with a written report and pictures, so there’s a dated record of the work. Kitchen extract cleaning to TR19® Grease is certificated through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Kencot (OX18)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Records
- Written report with pictures
- Price
- A fixed price before we start
- When we work
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Common problems we fix in Kencot
In most buildings, Kencot included, dampers are out of sight in ceiling voids, risers and service shafts. If there’s no hatch to reach them, they slip off everyone’s list, and one that can’t be reached can’t be tested.
What we’re most often called out for:
- Gaps in the fire damper test log
- Dampers that stick or won’t close fully
- Dampers overdue for their annual drop test
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
If you manage a school site such as St Peter's Church of England School, any fire dampers can be tested in the holidays.
Questions to ask before you book
- What hours they’ll be on site
- Which accreditations they hold, and whether you can check them
- Whether the price is fixed
- What insurance they carry
Why deal with it now?
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. If the system at a site near Kencot fails, there may be nowhere nearby to move to.
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 will explain each part.
What you get with us
- Trading since 2009
- We’re fully insured
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
How it works
We turn up at the time agreed with you, which is often after service, overnight or at a weekend. Equipment that has to be off is switched off and allowed to cool first, and floors and nearby surfaces are sheeted. The work itself takes a few hours for a single floor, with bigger buildings phased over more than one visit. If the van will struggle with a lane or gateway near Kencot, let us know and we’ll plan around it.
- 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.
- The blade is released and watched to make sure it closes fully.
- The damper is reset and its condition noted.
- Panels and tiles go back, and the results are written up.
Before we arrive
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Move anything stored near the system
How to get a quote
Quotes are quick. Send a few details and photos, and we normally reply with a fixed quote within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Related advice
For landlords and multi-site operators
Keeping records across a portfolio is half the battle. Every visit ends with a dated report and pictures, so you can show an insurer or inspector what was done at each site.
Managing agents often deal with us directly. Send the address, what’s needed and how access works and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
Other services in Kencot
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
Kencot buildings and fire safety
Food Standards Agency records list about 3 schools, colleges and universities registered as food businesses within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Kencot. Larger buildings like these are often divided into fire compartments, with dampers where ducts pass between them. The fire and rescue service for Kencot is Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. 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. Longworth Hospital is the nearest hospital, about 5.9 miles south of Kencot. Where patients or residents may need help to leave a building, working dampers matter all the more.
If you manage a historic building in the area (Kelmscott Manor is about 4 miles south), dampers fitted during conversions can be hard to reach and need recording. Healthcare buildings such as Longworth Hospital (about 5.9 miles south) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Kencot is about 2 miles south-west of Carterton, in Oxfordshire. From the centre of Kencot to the outskirts, we cover fire damper testing for every kind of premises, from a single unit to a large public building. Our Oxfordshire coverage runs to 443 places, and Kencot is one of them. Our Oxford page covers sites nearby (16 miles or so).
We cover every part of the OX18 postcode area for fire damper testing and the roads nearby. We also cover the places around Kencot: Alvescot (1 mile south-east), Shilton (2 miles north) and Bradwell (3 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Abingdon-on-Thames (15 miles east), Witney (6 miles north-east), Wantage (13 miles south-east), Grove (12 miles south-east), Faringdon (6 miles south) and Kidlington (15 miles east).
Near you in Kencot
In Kencot, that means kitchens and buildings near The Plough pub and Carterton Community College. Other landmarks nearby include Swinford Museum (1.9 miles west) and Longworth Hospital (5.9 miles south).
Different parts, different methods
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Where residents cannot easily get out, holding fire and smoke back matters even more. Annual damper testing is part of keeping that in place.
Smoke dampers
A smoke damper is opened and closed by a motor, not a link. We test them through their controls and check each blade travels fully.
What a clean won’t put right
In fairness, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Designing the building’s fire compartments
- Faults in the alarm or building controls that signal smoke dampers
- Gaps in the wall or floor around the damper
If in doubt, call 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we will say what we think.
Parts of the system we cover
- Offices and schools
- Riser dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Motorised smoke dampers
Your questions about fire damper testing in Kencot
Can the work in Kencot be done at night or at weekends?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. Your customers, staff or residents in Kencot needn’t be disturbed. Let us know the hours you are closed and we will book within them.
Can fire dampers in schools around Kencot be tested in the holidays?
Yes, and it’s the easiest time to do it. With about 3 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Kencot, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us with your term dates and we’ll plan around them.
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes, every time. Diagnosis comes before treatment: the survey tells us what the system needs and how to reach it and the fixed quote is built on it.
Can you set up regular visits?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance plans are part of what we do, set at the interval the system needs. The report from each visit recommends the next date.
How often does BESA say fire dampers should be tested?
According to BESA guidance, dampers should be tested when they’re installed and then at least once a year. For spring-operated dampers, once a year is the minimum.
Are you accredited?
We hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, alongside BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. Vent Hygiene Elite is run by BESCA and independently audited.
Will we have to shut during the visit?
Not normally. Out-of-hours visits keep the disruption down. Larger jobs can be phased over several visits so parts stay in use.
How much does fire damper testing cost?
There’s no set price, as it depends on the job: how big it is, what state it’s in, how we reach it and the working hours. We fix the price before any work starts.