East Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Lewes
Fire damper testing for Lewes, with a survey first and a report with photos at the end. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- Corroded dampers in damp risers and plant rooms
- Fire damper items raised by an assessor
- Motorised smoke dampers due for testing
Fire damper testing for kitchens and businesses in Lewes
Under BESA guidance, every fire damper is tested on completion of installation and then at least once a year. Spring-operated dampers need testing every year as a minimum. We carry out fire damper testing for buildings in Lewes and give you the records to show it’s been done. If you are dealing with damper actions from a fire risk assessment and dampers overdue for their annual drop test, we can help.
In a town like Lewes, the buildings with fire dampers tend to be schools, offices, surgeries, care homes, hotels and blocks of flats. Wherever a duct crosses a fire-resisting wall or floor, the damper there needs testing at least once a year.
A written report with pictures follows each visit, 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
- Lewes (BN7, BN8, BN6, RH15)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Paperwork
- Written report with pictures
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- Hours
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
What affects the quote in Lewes
The quote reflects the site in front of us. We consider:
- The size of the system
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- What state the system is in
- Site rules, permits and inductions
Several systems or sites on one quote can make for a more efficient booking. Mention every system or site you need covered, and you will get one fixed quote.
What to send for a quote
Before you ask for a quote, gather:
- A few general shots of the system
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- Problems your staff have spotted
For fire damper testing in Lewes, call 0345 646 2711, or email photos. Tell us what kind of premises it is and when it’s open, plus pictures or the previous report if they’re to hand. A fixed quote typically follows within one working day.
Managing agents and facilities teams in Lewes
Running several sites is easier with one contractor. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept on a regular cycle.
Landlords, managing agents and facilities managers book us, not only the businesses that use the systems. Where a system serves more than one tenant, such as a shared riser, it helps to agree who arranges the work, and we are happy to quote for all of it.
Nearby places to Lewes
Also in Lewes
Do you need fire damper testing in Lewes?
Fusible links and springs don’t last for ever. Damaged or painted links and weak springs mean the blade may stop short, which only shows up when the damper is dropped.
It’s time to book a visit if you see:
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Fire dampers with no recent test record
- Corroded dampers in damp risers and plant rooms
- Fire damper items raised by an assessor
If you manage a care home or clinic near Lewes, the testing that a hospital like Lewes Victoria Hospital (about 0.5 miles west) relies on applies to your dampers too.
What your quote should include
- Whether they recommend a next date
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or photos
- If the quote is a fixed price or an estimate
- When they can work, and whether that is outside your opening hours
When it’s something else
We will always give you a straight diagnosis, so here’s what this work can’t put right:
- Fire alarm or control system faults behind a smoke damper
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
- Designing the building’s fire compartments
Not sure which it is? You can ring 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
What we work on in Lewes
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Riser dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Offices and schools
What we do, step by step
Your trading hours come first. We book the visit for a time the area is closed, whether that’s an evening, overnight or a weekend. Once we’re in, the area is sheeted and anything that has to be off is turned off and cooled, and the work takes anything from a couple of hours for a handful of dampers to a full day for a large building. Three things shape a visit in Lewes: when you are closed, where we can park and how we get to the system.
- Before the visit, we agree access, timings and any areas with restrictions.
- 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.
Getting ready for the visit
- Move anything stored near the system
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
How to get a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to send pictures: wide shots of the system, close-ups of anything that worries you and how we’d get to it. Add the site type and your opening hours, and we can price many jobs without a visit.
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How the job changes from site to site
Fusible link fire dampers
Spring-operated fire dampers need testing at least once a year. Dropping the blade reveals springs that are tired and blades that drag.
Offices and retail
Fit-outs and tenant changes are hard on dampers. Testing after a fit-out shows whether anything was disturbed.
Your questions about fire damper testing in Lewes
Can fire dampers in schools around Lewes be tested in the holidays?
Yes. The holidays are the usual time for school work. Food Standards Agency records list about 7 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of Lewes. You can ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos with the dates the site is empty.
Do you work overnight in Lewes?
Yes. We work evenings, overnight and at weekends. The work in Lewes can fit around your hours. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
Is TR19 cleaning required by law?
No. TR19® itself isn’t law; it’s a BESA specification. The legal duty comes from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, and cleaning to TR19® is the recognised way to show grease is under control.
How much 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 use the quote form with the site type, opening hours and a few photos.
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.
Can you come out in an emergency?
Yes, 24/7. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, with the emergency line covering every other hour.
What’s TR19?
TR19® is the BESA specification for keeping ventilation systems clean. TR19® Grease, a standalone specification since 2019, covers grease in kitchen extract systems, while TR19® Air covers other supply and extract ductwork.
What information do you need?
Some pictures and a quick description of the system, with the address and opening hours. If we need more, we will ask.
Fire damper testing in Lewes: local notes
Food Standards Agency data includes about 7 schools, colleges and universities and about 4 hospitals, care homes and childcare premises within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Lewes. Many buildings of this kind have ductwork through fire-resisting walls and floors, and the dampers at those points need testing at least annually. About 0.5 miles west of Lewes is Lewes Victoria Hospital, the nearest hospital. Healthcare buildings rely on fire compartments to protect people who cannot easily move, and dampers keep those compartments sealed. Lewes is covered by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. When a fire safety officer audits a non-domestic building, maintenance of systems like dampers can come up.
If you manage an older building converted to a hotel or venue, like many historic houses in the area (Anne of Cleves House is about 0.6 miles south), finding every damper is the first job. If you manage a school site such as Lewes Old Grammar School, any fire dampers can be tested in the holidays.
Lewes is about 7 miles north-east of Brighton, in East Sussex. Sites in Lewes get the same service as everywhere we cover: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with photos. Across East Sussex, we cover 289 places, Lewes among them. For sites nearby, see our Brighton page, about 7 miles away.
Work in BN7, BN8, BN6 and RH15 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover sites on Market Lane, Market Street and High Street and the roads around them. Lewes sits on or near the A26 and A275, which makes travel easy for evening and night visits. We also cover South Malling (1 mile north-east), Southover (1 mile south-east), Cliffe (1 mile east), Offham (1 mile north-west) and Hamsey (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Eastbourne (14 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south-east), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (14 miles north-east), Uckfield (8 miles north-east) and Newhaven (6 miles south). Being one of East Sussex’s larger places, Lewes has commercial sites of every size, and we cover all of them for fire damper testing.
Near you in Lewes
Typical jobs here are in premises near Priory School, St Pancras Catholic Primary School and Railway Land and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Lewes station, about 0.6 miles south-east. Nearby you will also find Lewes Victoria Hospital (0.5 miles west) and Museum of Agricultural Bygones (3.9 miles east). For a walk, there’s Offham Hill and Malling Down.
What your team can do, and what needs us
A few tasks are always specialist work: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease need training, the right equipment and safe access. That’s our job.
Staff cleaning and specialist work are not 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. That part needs specialist access and equipment.