West Sussex · Fire damper testing
Fire damper inspection in Somerley
Fire damper testing for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Somerley. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- Fire dampers with no recent test record
- Dampers clogged with dust or grease
- Corroded dampers in damp risers and plant rooms
Fire damper testing for kitchens and businesses in Somerley
The point of testing is to find dampers that fail. When one sticks, has a damaged link or is corroded, we report it and offer remedials, so the fault does not just sit on a list. The work covers offices and schools, fusible link fire dampers and motorised smoke dampers, and people most often call us about fire dampers that fail to drop shut and dampers overdue for their annual drop test.
For a building in or near Somerley, the visit is planned ahead, with access agreed in advance, and the test itself is the same as in any city building.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: a written report, dated and illustrated with photos, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. It shows what was done and what, if anything, couldn’t be reached.
- Place
- Somerley (PO20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Paperwork
- Photo report after each visit
- Price
- A fixed price before work begins
- When we work
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Somerley: your questions answered
Is fire damper testing any different in a coastal place like Somerley?
It can. Being within about 2 miles of the sea means more corrosion on metalwork in Somerley than inland. If corrosion is stopping a blade, the report says so and remedial work can be quoted.
Can fire dampers in schools around Somerley be tested in the holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. Around Somerley, the Food Standards Agency lists about 2 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.
Does the law say we must follow TR19?
No. TR19® is BESA’s specification, not legislation. 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.
Do you certify fire dampers?
You get a test report recording every damper we tested, showing where it is, whether it passed and what we found. It belongs in your fire safety log.
Do you carry out smoke damper testing?
Yes. We operate each smoke damper from its controls and check it opens and closes fully. If someone else looks after the controls, we plan the timing with you.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. Tell us the addresses and what each needs and you’ll get one fixed quote.
How much notice do you need?
Earlier is better, particularly for night and weekend visits. Quotes usually come back within one working day, and emergencies are covered by our 24/7 line.
What if a fire damper won’t close?
We note the failure and what we found. A repair or a replacement can follow as a remedial job with a fresh test at the end.
For landlords and multi-site operators
We regularly work with managing agents. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements, and we’ll send a fixed quote.
Whether it’s one building or many, the standard is the same: diagnosis, a fixed price, work booked around your hours and a written report with pictures.
Places near Somerley
Also in Somerley
Why act early in Somerley
Leaving damper testing for another year doesn’t make the dampers any more likely to work. BESA guidance is to test at least annually, so a missed year leaves a gap in the record too. With notice, the visit to Somerley can be fitted around your bookings and events.
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is can all change the price. Each of those is built into the quote, and the price is fixed before any work starts.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Somerley
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- Trading since 2009
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- A written report with photos after each visit
Signs you need fire damper testing in Somerley
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person has a duty to keep fire safety measures working, and dampers are part of those measures. Whoever that is, whether employer, owner, landlord, facilities manager or managing agent, needs to be able to show the dampers work.
Most sites get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Fire dampers that fail to drop shut
- Dampers flagged on a fire risk assessment
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
- Motorised smoke dampers due for testing
Site managers at schools such as Birdham CE Primary School normally find the summer break the easiest time for ceiling work like damper testing.
Questions to ask before booking
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
- What hours they’ll be on site
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach
- If the quote is a fixed price or an estimate
How the job changes from site to site
Smoke dampers
A smoke damper that doesn’t respond to its controls is recorded as a fault, with a note of what we found.
Fusible link fire dampers
For dampers closed by a spring, BESA guidance is annual testing as a minimum. A weak spring or a sticking blade shows up when the damper is dropped.
What fire damper testing can’t fix
Before you book, it helps to know what’s not included:
- Holes around ductwork in fire-resisting walls
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
- Fire risk assessments, which need a fire risk assessor
Not sure which it is? You can call 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Offices and schools
- Hospitals and care homes
- Riser dampers
Somerley buildings and fire safety
The coast is only about 2 miles from Somerley. A damper that has corroded can stay open when it should close, which is why coastal sites are worth testing carefully. Going by the FSA’s register, there are about 3 care, childcare and hospital premises serving food across Somerley and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Many buildings of this kind have ductwork through fire-resisting walls and floors, and the dampers at those points need testing at least annually. The nearest hospital to Somerley is St Richard's Hospital, about 5.2 miles north-east. A hospital is the kind of building where dampers sit on every floor, and clinics, surgeries and care homes need the same annual testing for any they have.
Healthcare buildings such as St Richard's Hospital (about 5.2 miles north-east) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Somerley is about 4 miles north-west of Selsey, in West Sussex. Every kind of commercial site in Somerley, fire damper testing is something we can help with. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so trading is not interrupted. Our area takes in 371 places across West Sussex, large and small. We also work in Portsmouth, around 10 miles away.
All of PO20 is within our area for fire damper testing, from busy streets to back roads. If you need fire damper testing at premises on Bell Lane and Hundredsteddle Lane or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. We also cover Almodington (1 mile south-east), Birdham (1 mile north-east), Shipton Green (1 mile north-west), Earnley (1 mile south) and East Wittering (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Bognor Regis (7 miles east), Chichester (5 miles north-east), Selsey (4 miles south-east), Littlehampton (14 miles east), Emsworth (6 miles north-west) and Rustington (15 miles east).
Near you in Somerley
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around The Birdham Public House, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Fishbourne station, about 4 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Chichester Castle (4.9 miles north-east) and St Richard's Hospital (5.2 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Pilsey Island.
What we do, step by step
The first job on site is protection: floors, worktops and anything near the work are covered. After that, the system is made safe and the work begins. It takes from an hour or two in a small building to several visits on a large estate, and we clear up before we go. Visits to a village like Somerley are booked in advance, at a time that suits whoever runs the site.
- We go through the damper schedule and any previous faults.
- Each damper is found and checked for access.
- Fire dampers are drop tested, and smoke dampers are tested through their controls.
- Dampers that pass are reset, and failures are logged with what we found.
- We report the results and offer remedials on failed dampers.
Before we arrive
- Name a contact who can let us in at the agreed time
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
Getting a quote
To get a fixed quote, call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line with the site type, your trading hours and a short description of the system. Photos and the last report, if you have one, make the quote quicker. We usually come back within one working day.
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Between visits
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. Our tips:
- Store test records alongside the fire risk assessment
- Tell contractors where dampers are before they start work
- Don’t let hatches get painted shut or boarded over
- Keep the damper register up to date after any building work
Dampers we couldn’t reach are listed with the reason, for example a missing panel or a covered hatch. Access panels can be fitted so those dampers are tested on the next visit.
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.