Hampshire · Fire damper testing
Fire damper inspection in Winchester
Fire damper testing for commercial sites in Winchester and across Hampshire. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- Smoke dampers with no recent test
- Buildings with no damper register
- Fire dampers that fail to drop shut
Winchester buildings and fire safety
Going by the FSA’s register, there are about 15 schools, colleges and universities, about 37 caring premises (care homes, nurseries and hospitals) and about 5 hotels and B&Bs serving food within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Winchester. Schools, care settings and hotels are the kind of buildings where fire dampers are commonly found. Fire safety in Winchester falls to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces and other non-domestic buildings, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. St John's Rooms And Chapel is the nearest hospital, about less than half a mile east of Winchester. Hospitals are a good example of a building with fire dampers across many floors and departments.
If you look after a building near Winchester station with a fire risk assessment due, a damper test with a full record is worth having first. Healthcare buildings such as St John's Rooms And Chapel (about under half a mile east) rely on fire compartments, and the dampers in them need testing at least annually.
Winchester is in Hampshire. Every kind of commercial site in Winchester, fire damper testing is something we can help with. We can work out of hours so the site keeps running. Our area takes in 683 places across Hampshire, large and small. We also work in Southampton, about 10 miles from Winchester.
Work in SO22, SO23, SO32 and SO21 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. Whether your site is on The Square, Market Street and Market Lane or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. Being close to the A31 and A32, Winchester is simple for us to get to for fire damper testing. If your site is just outside Winchester, we cover Bar End (1 mile south-east), Highcliffe (1 mile east), Hyde (1 mile north), St Cross (1 mile south) and Stanmore (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Eastleigh (6 miles south), Fareham (15 miles south), Andover (13 miles north-west), Totton (13 miles south-west), Chandler's Ford (6 miles south-west) and Hedge End (10 miles south). As one of the bigger places in Hampshire, Winchester has a wide mix of commercial premises, and we cover all of them for fire damper testing.
Landmarks near Winchester
Typical jobs here are in premises near Peter Symonds College, The Green Man pub and Leigh House Hospital and the streets around them. Winchester’s nearest station is Winchester station, about 0.6 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Winchester City Museum (within half a mile north-east) and St John's Rooms And Chapel (under half a mile east). Not far away are Winnall Moors and Twyford Down.
Fire damper testing in Winchester
Ductwork can carry fire and smoke between compartments, and the damper is what stops it. A damper only does its job if the blade can drop fully. Annual drop testing is how you know in each part of the building. If you are dealing with dirty dampers that may not close and gaps in the fire damper test log, we can put it right, from offices and schools, riser dampers and hospitals and care homes onwards.
In a place as big as Winchester, there are offices, hotels, schools and flats, and buildings like these often have ducted ventilation passing through fire-resisting walls and floors. Each damper at those crossings needs testing at least annually under BESA guidance.
Good records are part of the job. Each visit is written up with photos, listing what was done, anything we couldn’t reach and when the next visit is due. Keep it with your fire safety records so it’s ready for an insurer, fire officer or EHO.
How we price fire damper testing
Every site gets its own quote. This is what makes a difference:
- Whether several sites go on one quote
- The times the site is available
- The scale of the work
- What state the system is in
The cost depends on the size of the system, the condition it’s in and how easy it is to reach. You get a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
What to send for a quote
A few details help us quote accurately. With your enquiry, please include:
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
- Your last certificate, test record or report
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
To get a fixed quote, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us and tell us the type of site, your opening hours and roughly what the system looks like. Photos and the last report, if you have one, make the quote quicker. We typically come back within one working day.
Looking after it afterwards
Simple habits between visits make a real difference. We recommend:
- Warn anyone working in ceiling voids about the dampers
- Close off damper faults promptly
- Keep to at least yearly testing
- Store test records alongside the fire risk assessment
When we finish, we send a report covering every damper on the visit, with where it is and whether it passed. Keep it with the building’s fire safety records so it’s to hand for assessors and insurers.
The simplest way to avoid failures is to test on time, every year. A blade that is just starting to stick is easier to deal with than a seized one.
What we are called out for in Winchester
Building work often happens right next to dampers. Cables get run through them, links get knocked and blades get wedged open, and any of those can stop a damper closing.
What we’re most often called out for:
- Dampers hidden with no access panel or hatch
- Dampers clogged with dust or grease
- Fire damper items raised by an assessor
- Gaps in the fire damper test log
School buildings such as St Bede Church of England Primary School are typically tested in the holidays, wherever they have dampers.
What to look for in a quote
- If they look at the system before pricing
- When they can work, and whether that is outside your opening hours
- What paperwork you get at the end
- How VAT is shown on the quote
How it works
Your staff do not need to do much on the day. Someone lets us in at the agreed time and shows us where everything is, and the rest is down to us. Before we leave, the area is tidied and the paperwork follows. We’ll ask where we can park in Winchester and how to get equipment to the system, as those shape the visit.
- We start with whatever records exist: registers, drawings or old reports.
- Each damper is located and reached through its access panel.
- Fire dampers are drop tested and smoke dampers are run through their controls.
- Each one that passes is reset, ready to work.
- The results go into a report, with failed dampers and remedials listed.
Getting ready for the visit
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
- Let us know about parking and loading
Ask for a quote
Photos are the quickest way to a quote: 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 many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Advice
What your team can do, and what needs us
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. Wiping filters daily and washing them weekly keeps the visible parts in order, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Keep a record of what your team does. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
Managing agents and facilities teams in Winchester
Facilities teams in offices, schools and healthcare sites book us too in Winchester and across Hampshire. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
We work for landlords, managing agents and facilities managers as well as the people running the site. Shared systems, like a riser serving several units, need a clear agreement on who books the work, and we are happy to quote for all of it.
What fire damper testing can’t fix
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work will not fix:
- Fire alarm or control system faults behind a smoke damper
- Sign-off of the whole building’s fire safety
- Missing dampers that a designer needs to specify
Not sure which it is? You can give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will tell you honestly before booking.
What the work covers
- Riser dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Hospitals and care homes
- Offices and schools
- Motorised smoke dampers
Nearby places to Winchester
Also in Winchester
Common questions in Winchester
Can you come to Winchester after we close?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. Your customers, staff or residents in Winchester needn’t be disturbed. Just phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email with your opening times and we’ll plan around them.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in Winchester?
That is Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. If a fire safety officer audits the building, they may ask for the latest damper test records.
How often does BESA say fire dampers should be tested?
At least once a year, under BESA guidance, plus a test when the damper is first installed. Your fire risk assessment may call for some dampers to be tested more often.
Are you fully insured?
Yes, fully. We also hold CHAS and SafeContractor, for sites that check contractor safety.
Whose job is it to make sure fire dampers are tested?
The duty falls on the responsible person for the premises. Depending on the building, that can be the employer, owner, landlord or whoever manages it. Our part is the testing and the records that show it’s been done.
Do you work with multi-site operators?
Yes. Tell us the addresses and what each needs and we’ll quote them together.
Can you test motorised smoke dampers?
Yes, as well as drop testing fire dampers. The results go into the same report, so you have one record.
Which sectors do you work in?
All kinds of commercial and public premises: from restaurants, pubs and hotels to schools, hospitals, care homes, offices, shops and food production sites. Work is timed around how each site runs.