West Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in Old Shoreham
Need fire damper testing in Old Shoreham? We diagnose first, fix the price and book the work around your hours, then sign off with a report and photos.
- Motorised smoke dampers due for testing
- Missing or out-of-date damper records
- Fire dampers that fail to drop shut
How the job changes from site to site
Schools, hospitals and care homes
In schools and colleges, testing fits well into holidays and weekends, with no classes to work around.
Fusible link fire dampers
The link has to be in good order for the damper to work. Each link is looked at as part of the test and note anything that is not right.
Fire damper testing in Old Shoreham
In a fire, ductwork can act as a shortcut for flame and smoke from one part of a building to the next. That depends entirely on the blade closing all the way. Annual drop testing is how you know for the dampers in your building. The work covers riser dampers, hospitals and care homes and motorised smoke dampers, and the jobs we see most are fire dampers with no recent test record and dirty dampers that may not close.
Rural buildings that have been converted or extended can have ducts passing through fire-resisting walls, where the dampers are easy to overlook. A first test usually starts with finding them all.
The report is your system’s health record: a dated account with pictures of everything we did. Grease extract cleans are also certificated to TR19® Grease through the BESCA VHE portal, ready for your insurer.
- Place
- Old Shoreham (BN43)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Records
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Nearby places to Old Shoreham
Also in Old Shoreham
What happens on the day
At the end of the visit, someone from your team can look over the work with us. We point out anything that couldn’t be reached or needs a follow-up, and it goes on the report too. All told, the work takes from an hour or two in a small building to several visits on a large estate. Visits to a village like Old Shoreham are booked in advance, at a time that suits whoever runs the site.
- We start with whatever records exist: registers, drawings or old reports.
- Dampers are located one by one and reached through their access panels.
- We release each fire damper blade and operate smoke dampers from their controls.
- Dampers that close fully are reset and left open.
- You get a report listing each damper, its result and any remedials needed.
Preparing for the visit
- Move anything stored near the system
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
Ask for a quote
Want a quote for fire damper testing? Please call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos with a few details about the site. We will talk you through the work and send you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Advice
Aftercare tips
Results last longer with the right care. We suggest:
- Keep to at least yearly testing
- Keep an eye out for damp around dampers
- File every damper report where your assessor can find it
- Warn anyone working in ceiling voids about the dampers
When we finish, we send a report covering every damper on the visit, with its location and its result. Keep it with the building’s fire safety records so it’s ready when your assessor or insurer asks.
Deal with leaks and condensation near dampers quickly. Rusted parts are one of the main reasons dampers fail to close.
When to call us in Old Shoreham
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 anything nobody can get to goes untested.
Common reasons sites call us include:
- Dampers clogged with dust or grease
- Dampers affected by leaks or condensation
- Blades that jam part-way when released
- Gaps in the fire damper test log
If you manage an older building converted to a hotel or venue, like many historic houses in the area (Portslade Manor is about 3.1 miles east), finding every damper is the first job.
Before you book anyone
- What paperwork you get at the end
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Proof of insurance
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
What affects the quote in Old Shoreham
Your quote is based on your site. We consider:
- The size of the system
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- The number of sites or systems
- Site rules, permits and inductions
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Build-up, wear and faults tend to get worse, not better, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you’re not sure what’s needed, call 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
What to send for a quote
There’s no need for technical detail. It helps if you can send:
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
- Wide pictures of the system and the area around it
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.
What fire damper testing cannot fix
In fairness, some problems need a different fix:
- Fire alarm or control system faults behind a smoke damper
- Fire risk assessments, which need a fire risk assessor
- Approving the building’s fire strategy
If you are not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we will give you a straight answer before you book.
Parts of the system we cover
- Riser dampers
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Offices and schools
- Wall and floor dampers
What staff can safely do
When your team notices a problem between visits, such as dripping grease, a noisy fan, a smell or a filter that will not come clean, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We will take a look and give you a fixed quote.
Away from the kitchen, the in-house job is mainly checking: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. Cleaning inside ducts and units is specialist work.
Old Shoreham buildings and fire safety
Old Shoreham lies within about 1 mile of the sea. Dampers close to louvres and air intakes can corrode in sea air, and a corroded blade may not drop. Food Standards Agency records list about 6 schools, colleges and universities and about 22 hospitals, care homes and childcare premises registered as food businesses in and around Old Shoreham, up to about a mile and a half out. Schools, care settings and hotels are the kind of buildings where fire dampers are commonly found. West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service covers Old Shoreham. When a fire safety officer audits a non-domestic building, maintenance of systems like dampers can come up.
For managed buildings around Shoreham-By-Sea station, damper testing can be booked out of hours so tenants are not disturbed. Southlands Hospital, about 1.4 miles east of Old Shoreham, is the kind of building where dampers protect every compartment; smaller care sites need the same annual tests.
Old Shoreham is about 1 mile west of Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex. Every kind of commercial site in Old Shoreham, we can take on fire damper testing. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so trading isn’t interrupted. Old Shoreham is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover for fire damper testing. You can also see our page for Brighton, roughly 7 miles from Old Shoreham.
Postcode districts we cover here for fire damper testing: BN43. Other places close to Old Shoreham include Shoreham-by-Sea (1 mile east), Adur (1 mile north), Kingston by Sea (2 miles east), Southwick (2 miles east) and Castle Town (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Worthing (5 miles west), Haywards Heath (14 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (11 miles north-east), Littlehampton (11 miles west), Rustington (10 miles west) and Storrington (9 miles north-west).
Near you in Old Shoreham
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Sir Robert Woodard Academy and The Amsterdam pub, among other places. The closest station to Old Shoreham is Shoreham-By-Sea station, roughly 0.7 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Southlands Hospital (1.4 miles east) and Old Castle (4.6 miles west). Not far away are Lancing Ring and Adur Estuary RSPB Reserve.
Old Shoreham: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Old Shoreham?
Yes, we work in villages as well as towns, and Old Shoreham is covered. The journey is planned ahead, so a few details about the route help.
Do you test dampers in schools in Old Shoreham during the holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. With about 6 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Old Shoreham, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
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.
What happens if a damper fails its test?
Failed dampers are reported and we can quote to repair or replace them. After the repair, we test it again so the record shows a pass.
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.
How much notice do you need?
The more notice, the better, especially for out-of-hours work. Quotes normally come back within one working day, and there’s a 24/7 line for emergencies.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. We work across South East England and London, so sites at different addresses can be planned together on one programme. Every site has its own report.
Whose job is it to make sure fire dampers are tested?
It’s the responsible person, under the Fire Safety Order 2005. Testing at least yearly and keeping the reports is how they can show it’s being done.