London and the South East
AHU Cleaning in Reading
Wherever you are in Reading, we can help with AHU cleaning. A fixed quote before we start, and a 24/7 emergency line.
Towns we cover in Reading
Cleaning of air handling units, including filters, coils, drain trays, fans and internal surfaces. Pick your town below to see the details for your area, or get in touch for a quick quote.
Largest places
More services in Reading
- Canopy and hood cleaning
- Commercial kitchen deep cleaning
- Kitchen extract cleaning
- Ventilation duct cleaning
- Extract fan repair and replacement
- Grease filter exchange
- TR19 inspections and grease testing
- Extract fan cleaning
- Ductwork cleaning
- Fire damper testing
- Grease trap cleaning
Postcodes in Reading
Our AHU cleaning service in Reading
Our AHU cleans for sites in Reading cover the parts that collect dirt: filters, coils, drain trays, fans and the internal panels. You get a TR19® certificate and a photo report showing the unit before and after. The work covers filter sections, internal panels and drain trays, and common reasons people get in touch are air handling units due a clean after building work and units that have only ever had filter changes.
Night work is normal for us. Evenings, nights and weekends are when much of our work happens, so the site can open as normal afterwards. On site, the work takes a single shift for a typical unit, longer for large or heavily soiled ones.
- We survey the unit from pictures or on site and agree what’s included.
- With your site team, the unit is switched off and isolated, then the area around it protected.
- Filters, coils, fan section and casing are cleaned in turn.
- Drain trays are cleared and cleaned and the outlet checked.
- We close up the unit and send the certificate and before and after pictures.
How we quote
One small site or a whole estate, we price it on the same basis: what needs doing, how we get to it and when. You’ll have a fixed price before any work starts.
Why choose Duct Doctor
- Fully insured
- Photo reports with every job
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- A fixed price before any work starts
Get a fixed 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.
Around Caversham
Around Caversham, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Eldon Square, Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre and Chiltern Nursery Nurse Training School, among other places. You will also find The Hill Primary School (under half a mile north-east), Grace Church (under half a mile east) and The White Horse pub (under half a mile north). Caversham’s nearest station is Reading station, about 1.3 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Royal Berkshire Hospital (1.9 miles south) and Broad Street Mall (1.6 miles south). The countryside around Caversham includes South Lake and Sonning Hill.
AHU cleaning around Reading
Our AHU cleaning work across Reading takes in places such as Caversham, Norcot and West Reading and well beyond. Every place on our Reading list (34 in all) is covered, with work planned out of hours where buildings stay in use.
Much of our work across London and the South East happens in the evening, overnight or at weekends, so sites across Reading do not have to lose a day.
Caversham: Healthcare buildings such as Royal Berkshire Hospital, about 1.9 miles south, depend on their ventilation; if you manage a surgery, clinic or care home near Caversham, yours matters too. For schools like The Hill Primary School, the holidays are the usual time to inspect and clean ventilation.
Leave it or put it right?
Leave an AHU uncleaned and the dirt does not stay put. It’s carried through the ductwork and out of the grilles, so cleaning the ducts without the unit only goes so far.
Questions to ask before booking
- How areas they can’t reach will be recorded
- Whether the quote shows VAT
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
- Proof of insurance
Why it fails
Most units live out of sight on roofs, in plant rooms or in ceiling voids and are rarely seen by anyone but maintenance staff. Months can pass without anyone looking inside.
Any of these means the system needs a check-up:
- Plant that needs cleaning after a refit
- Air handling units with blocked filters
- Plant that has been serviced but not cleaned
- Dirty coils holding back the airflow
What AHU cleaning cannot fix
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Coils that are corroded or leaking and need replacing
- Mechanical faults with motors, belts or bearings
- Ventilation that was badly designed in the first place
Different parts, different methods
Drain trays
Condensate from the coil drips into a tray beneath it. We clear standing water, clean out slime and check the outlet is draining.
Rooftop and plant room units
Smaller units in ceiling voids are part of the work as well. The space underneath is protected with sheeting first.
Looking after it afterwards
No system stays clean for ever, but care slows the build-up. A few tips:
- Watch for drips or damp patches near the plant
- Change filters on schedule and log each change
- Flag stale or damp smells in the supply air
- Diary the inspection date recommended in the report
Restart the unit with your site team or maintenance contractor once we have finished. Keep an eye on the condensate drain over the next few days to make sure it stays clear.
Regular inspection under TR19® Air shows when cleaning is due, rather than waiting for a problem.
Reading questions
How often should an air handling unit be cleaned?
Under TR19® Air, cleaning is led by inspection and risk rather than a set calendar. We recommend a next date in each report.
What happens if you can’t reach some of it?
They’re marked on the report. Often the fix is extra access, such as new panels in ductwork, and we can fit those.
Do you do ventilation duct cleaning too?
Yes, supply and extract ducts, grilles and diffusers. The survey shows whether the ducts need cleaning now.
Will we get paperwork for the AHU clean?
Yes. You receive a certificate and a report showing each section before and after, including anything we think needs attention.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. You deal with one contact for every site in our area, and visits can be set on a regular cycle.
Can you clean without disrupting the building?
Yes. We time the work to fit the building’s hours. In hospitals and care homes, we agree timings with the site team.
How long does an AHU clean take?
As a guide, it takes anything from half a day for one small unit to several shifts for a plant room full of them. We plan the shutdown around that, including evenings or weekends.