Oxfordshire · Fire damper testing
Fire and smoke damper testing in St Clement's
Fire damper testing for commercial sites in St Clement's and across Oxfordshire. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and fully insured.
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Fire damper items raised by an assessor
- Fire dampers that fail to drop shut
About our fire damper testing in St Clement's
Testing finds the dampers that will not close. When one sticks, has a damaged link or is corroded, we report it and offer remedials, so the fault doesn’t just sit on a list. We’re often asked to deal with dampers that stick or won’t close fully and gaps in the fire damper test log, on wall and floor dampers, riser dampers and motorised smoke dampers.
Buildings around St Clement's may have just a handful of dampers, but each one still needs drop testing at least once a year, with a record of every result.
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers all look at records. So every job comes with a written report and pictures, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Where
- St Clement's (OX4, OX1, OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Records
- Photo report after every visit
- Quote
- A fixed price before any work starts
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Between visits
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. Our tips:
- Add new dampers to the register as they’re fitted
- Fix water leaks in plant rooms and risers promptly
- Keep cables and fixings away from damper blades
- Book the next test before the year runs out
Failed dampers are set out separately, each with the fault we found, and we can quote for remedials. After a repair, we retest the damper and update the record.
Clean ductwork means less dust and grease reaching the dampers. It makes sense to plan duct cleaning and damper testing together.
How the job changes from site to site
Schools, hospitals and care homes
In schools and colleges, testing fits well into holidays and weekends, when ceilings can be opened without disturbing lessons.
Fusible link fire dampers
A damaged or painted link can stop a damper doing its job. Each link is looked at as part of the test and note anything that isn’t right.
Your questions about fire damper testing in St Clement's
Do you test dampers in schools in St Clement's during the holidays?
Yes, and it’s the easiest time to do it. Food Standards Agency records list about 79 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of St Clement's. Send us your term dates when you give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos, and we will fit the work in.
Which fire service covers St Clement's?
It’s Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, which covers St Clement's. 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.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
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 TR19® is the benchmark for showing that grease in the extract is under control.
How far ahead should we book?
The more notice, the better, particularly for night and weekend visits. We typically quote within one working day, and emergencies are covered by our 24/7 line.
Do you carry out smoke damper testing?
Yes. Every smoke damper is driven through its controls and checked for full movement. If someone else looks after the controls, we plan the timing with you.
What happens if a damper fails its test?
The failure goes on the report, along with what caused it, such as a sticking blade, corrosion or a damaged link. We offer remedials to repair or replace it, and test it again afterwards.
How much time does a damper test visit need?
As a guide, it takes a morning or an afternoon for a small number of dampers, longer where there are many. The number of dampers and how they’re reached decide the rest.
Which accreditations do you hold?
BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, plus CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001. We have been trading since 2009 and we’re fully insured.
What happens on the day
We start by comparing what we find with the survey or your photos. Anything unexpected is raised with you before we go further. After that, the work takes a morning or an afternoon for a small number of dampers, longer where there are many. In a place like St Clement's, we fit the visit around your hours.
- First we look at any damper register, drawings or earlier test reports.
- We find every damper and open it up through the access panel.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
Getting 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. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and we can price many jobs without a visit.
Advice
Fire dampers in St Clement's buildings
The FSA’s food hygiene register lists about 79 schools, colleges and universities, about 25 caring premises (care homes, nurseries and hospitals) and about 16 hotels and guest houses with registered kitchens or food service within about 1.5 miles of central St Clement's. Buildings like these often have ducted ventilation, and wherever a duct crosses a fire-resisting wall or floor there should be a damper, tested at least once a year. For St Clement's, the closest hospital is Warneford Hospital, roughly 0.8 miles 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. St Clement's sits within the area of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. When a fire safety officer audits a non-domestic building, maintenance of systems like dampers can come up.
School buildings such as East Oxford Primary School are usually tested in the holidays, wherever they have dampers. Historic houses near St Clement's, with Holywell Manor about 0.5 miles north-west, are a reminder that older buildings can hold dampers in unexpected places. The nearest hospital, Warneford Hospital, is about 0.8 miles east; healthcare buildings like it are a reminder that dampers protect people who cannot move quickly.
St Clement's is about 1 mile west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. St Clement's gets the same approach as every site we work on: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with pictures. Our area takes in 443 places across Oxfordshire, from busy centres to quieter spots.
All of OX4, OX1 and OX3 is covered for fire damper testing, from the main roads to the quietest streets. That includes premises on Rose Lane, Alma Lane and Avenue Lane and nearby roads. We also cover the places around St Clement's: Oxford (1 mile east), Headington Hill (1 mile north-east), St. Ebbes (1 mile west), New Marston (1 mile north) and Donnington (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Didcot (10 miles south), Bicester (11 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (5 miles south), Witney (11 miles west), Carterton (15 miles west) and Thame (12 miles east).
Around St Clement's
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Cheney School, Alexander Library of Ornithology and Oxford Media & Business School, among other places. You will also find Headington Hill Park (under half a mile north-east) and Oxford Coach & Horses pub (less than half a mile east). For rail, the closest station is Oxford station, roughly 1.3 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Oxford Castle (0.9 miles west) and Frank Cooper Marmalade Museum (under half a mile west). Green spaces nearby include CS Lewis Nature Reserve and Headington Hill.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
If your staff spot something between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, they should report it rather than try to fix it. We will take a look and give you a fixed quote.
When something else is needed
To be straight with you, some problems need a different fix:
- Gaps in the wall or floor around the damper
- Dampers that were never installed where they’re needed
- Control wiring problems outside the damper itself
If you’re not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we’ll give you a straight answer.
What we work on in St Clement's
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Riser dampers
- Offices and schools
- Wall and floor dampers
- Motorised smoke dampers
Leave it or put it right?
Fire risk assessors and insurers may ask to see damper test records. Having a current report ready for a building in St Clement's saves a scramble when the question comes. Systems on quieter sites still build up dirt and wear, just more slowly.
Kitchens, offices, schools and hospitals are all priced the same way: the size of the job, access, condition and working hours. Ask for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
What you get with us
- BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Every job surveyed first
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
Read what affects the cost and our accreditations and certificates.
Nearby places to St Clement's
Other services in St Clement's
What affects the cost of fire damper testing
Before we fix a price, we need to know a few things. We check:
- Parking and loading at the site
- The size of the system
- Whether several sites go on one quote
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Problems in a system tend to grow, which can make the next visit longer. If you’re unsure, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we’ll give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
Asking for a quote
To help us quote quickly, send us:
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- The site address and the type of premises
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
Some systems can be priced from photos; others need a survey. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in photos, get a survey first. Either way, the quote is fixed before any work is booked.