Hampshire · Fire damper testing
North Boarhunt fire damper testing
Fire damper testing across North Boarhunt and nearby, timed so the site keeps working and finished with a written report and photos.
- Dampers flagged on a fire risk assessment
- Dampers that stick or will not close fully
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
The process
Everything the job needs comes with us, 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 anything from a couple of hours for a handful of dampers to a full day for a large building. In a small place like North Boarhunt, the journey is planned ahead and the visit arranged around the site’s hours.
- We plan access and timing with you first, including any out-of-hours work.
- We open up ceilings and hatches and take off each access panel.
- We release each blade and check it shuts all the way.
- We reset it and record any dirt, corrosion or damage.
- Panels and tiles go back, and the results are written up.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Move anything stored near the system
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
How to get a quote
Photos are the quickest way to a quote: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Advice
Fire damper testing in North Boarhunt, done properly
Wherever a duct crosses a fire-resisting wall or floor, there should be a fire damper inside it. Most are held open by a fusible link that melts at a set temperature, letting the blade drop and close the duct. A drop test shows that the damper still does that when it matters, and every result is written down, damper by damper. Typical jobs include dampers that can’t be reached without an access panel and dampers affected by leaks or condensation, across wall and floor dampers, hospitals and care homes and motorised smoke dampers.
In rural areas, conversions, country hotels and care homes can have ductwork crossing fire-resisting walls, where the dampers are easy to overlook. The first visit starts by locating each damper.
We’ve been trading since 2009, and we’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we carry full insurance.
- Location
- North Boarhunt (PO17)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Reporting
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
Multi-site and managed buildings
From a single site to a large estate, you get the same standard: the system surveyed, the price fixed, the visit fitted around trading and everything written up afterwards.
We work for landlords, managing agents and facilities managers as well as the people running the site. 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.
Part by part
Fusible link fire dampers
A damaged or painted link can stop a damper doing its job. We check its condition during the test and any problems go on the report.
Offices and retail
Each new fit-out brings a risk of damaged or covered dampers. Testing after a fit-out shows whether anything was disturbed.
Fire damper testing around North Boarhunt
Food Standards Agency records list about 3 care, childcare and hospital premises registered as food businesses within about 1.5 miles of central North Boarhunt. Schools, care settings and hotels are the kind of buildings where fire dampers are commonly found. Knowle Hospital is the nearest hospital, about 2.8 miles west of North Boarhunt. Smaller healthcare sites, from surgeries to care homes, need the same annual damper test as a hospital. North Boarhunt is covered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight 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.
Site managers at schools such as Newtown Soberton Infant School normally find the summer break the easiest time for ceiling work like damper testing.
North Boarhunt is about 4 miles north-east of Fareham, in Hampshire. For fire damper testing in and around North Boarhunt, please phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos for a fixed quote. Our area covers London and the South East, including North Boarhunt. We cover 683 places across Hampshire, from busy centres to quieter spots. For sites nearby, see our Portsmouth page, about 7 miles away.
We cover every part of the PO17 postcode area for fire damper testing and the streets around it. We cover sites on Trampers Lane and Bere Farm Lane and nearby roads. We also cover the places around North Boarhunt: Hundred Acres (1 mile north-west), Wickham Common (1 mile west), Boarhunt (2 miles south), Crockerhill (2 miles south-west) and Southwick (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Winchester (14 miles north-west), Gosport (6 miles south), Havant (7 miles east), Eastleigh (10 miles north-west), Fareham (4 miles south-west) and Horndean (6 miles east).
Local landmarks in North Boarhunt
The nearest railway station is Portchester station, roughly 3.3 miles south. A little further out are Fareham Shopping Centre (3.2 miles south-west) and Portchester Castle (4.2 miles south). The countryside around North Boarhunt includes Portsdown Hill and St Clair's Meadow.
Questions from North Boarhunt
Do you work at weekends in North Boarhunt?
Yes, we can come after you close and finish before you open. The work in North Boarhunt can fit around your hours. When you ring 0345 646 2711 or email us, mention when the site is quiet.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in North Boarhunt?
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service for North Boarhunt. BESA guidance is that every fire damper is tested at least once a year, so an officer or insurer may expect a report less than a year old.
What information do you need?
The site address, the type of premises and your opening hours, along with a few pictures and any previous report.
Which sectors do you work in?
We work for restaurants, pubs, hotels, schools, colleges, hospitals, care homes, offices and shops, as well as food production and leisure sites.
What if a damper has no access panel?
We record it as not tested and explain why. We can fit an access panel so it’s tested on the next visit.
Do you cover North Boarhunt?
Yes. We work in North Boarhunt and across Hampshire, within our South East and London area. To book, call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance plans are part of what we do, with visits at the interval your system needs. Each report recommends when the next visit should be.
Is a quote from photos possible?
Usually, yes. Send a few wide pictures plus close-ups of panels, filters or grilles, and we typically come back within one working day. If pictures are not enough, we’ll survey first.
What we’re called out for in North Boarhunt
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.
What we are most often called out for:
- Motorised smoke dampers due for testing
- Dust or grease build-up on damper blades
- Fire dampers that haven’t been tested for over a year
- Fire damper items raised by an assessor
Healthcare buildings such as Knowle Hospital (about 2.8 miles west) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- Whether a written report and photos are included
- What’s included in the scope, part by part
- Whether VAT is included
Towns and villages near North Boarhunt
Other services in North Boarhunt
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
A few tasks are always specialist work: entering ducts, working on fans, testing dampers and taking grease readings need training, the right equipment and safe access. That’s our job.
Your own staff can handle the daily basics: wiping down canopy surfaces, cleaning filters and keeping a simple log. Inside the ducts, risers and fan is specialist work, which is where we come in.
Looking after it afterwards
So the system stays in good health:
- Report leaks or condensation near ductwork quickly
- Diary the annual test well ahead
- Tell contractors where dampers are before they start work
- Never wedge or tie a damper open
Put the next test in the diary within twelve months. BESA guidance is at least annual testing, so it helps to book it before the date slips.
Good access is half the battle. Where there’s no hatch, an access panel makes testing possible ahead of the next visit.
What happens if it’s left?
When something goes wrong, people ask what checks were in place. A damper test log helps show the responsible person kept on top of things, and they only exist if the testing happened. If the system at a site near North Boarhunt fails, there may be nowhere nearby to move to.
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Problems in a system tend to grow, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you are not sure what’s needed, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us and we’ll give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
Why choose Duct Doctor in North Boarhunt
- Fully insured
- Each visit written up, with photos
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
Read our cost guide and our accreditations and certificates.