Greater London · Air handling unit cleaning
Eltham AHU cleaning
Need AHU cleaning in Eltham? We survey first, give you a fixed quote and work around your opening hours, finishing with a written report and pictures.
- Dirty fans and fan housings
- Leaves and litter drawn into the unit
- Odours coming through the supply air
About our AHU cleaning in Eltham
We clean air handling units for buildings in Eltham and across Greater London, working to TR19® Air, in offices, schools, hospitals, care homes and retail. The work is timed around when the system can be switched off, including evenings, nights and weekends. Typical jobs include drain trays holding standing water and air handling units with blocked filters, on drain trays, internal panels and filter sections.
London buildings tend to keep their plant on the roof or below ground, so ventilation cleaning in Eltham is normally planned out of hours. Parking and loading are agreed with the building in advance.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, and we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we carry full insurance.
- Where
- Eltham (SE9, SE12, DA15, BR7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Reporting
- Photo report after every visit
- Quote
- Fixed quote, typically within a working day
- Working hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
What AHU cleaning can’t fix
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Leaking heating or cooling coils
- Breakdowns that need a mechanical engineer
- Ventilation that was badly designed in the first place
If in doubt, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we will say what we think.
What we work on in Eltham
- Filter sections
- Heating and cooling coils
- Internal panels
- Drain trays
- Dampers and louvres
- Supply and extract fans
Aftercare tips
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. Our tips:
- Watch for drips or damp patches near the plant
- Plan the next inspection before the last report gets filed away
- Clear leaves and litter away from the intake
- Check the drain tray is emptying during routine visits
The ducts served by the unit may need attention too. Cleaning the unit and ducts together gives the best result, and we can survey both.
Make the drain tray part of every maintenance visit. A drain that is cleared early never gets to the slime stage.
What affects the cost of AHU cleaning
Every site gets its own quote. This is what makes a difference:
- How easy every part is to reach
- Site rules, permits and inductions
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
Kitchens, offices, schools and hospitals are all priced the same way: how much there is, how we reach it, what state it’s in and when we can work. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
Helping us quote
Many jobs can be priced from pictures and some basics. Useful things to send:
- Wide photos of the system and the area around it
- Your last certificate, test record or report
- The times we could work without disrupting the site
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, you get a fixed price before we start.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
If your staff spot something between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We can diagnose it and quote.
Staff cleaning and specialist work are not the same thing. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Towns and villages near Eltham
Also in Eltham
AHU cleaning around Eltham
Food Standards Agency records list about 34 schools, colleges and universities and about 33 caring premises (care homes, nurseries and hospitals) registered as food businesses within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Eltham. Buildings like these often rely on mechanical ventilation, which TR19® Air covers. Many London buildings have had their ductwork altered through several fit-outs, so an inspection comes first. The nearest hospital to Eltham is Eltham Community Hospital, about under half a mile north. If you run a surgery, clinic or care home, your ventilation deserves the same care as a hospital’s, on a smaller scale.
Classrooms and halls at schools such as St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School are easiest to work in when pupils are away. Healthcare ventilation, from large hospitals like Eltham Community Hospital (about under half a mile north) to small clinics, depends on clean filters, coils and ducts.
Eltham is about 7 miles west of Dartford, in Greater London. Sites in Eltham get the same service as everywhere we cover: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with pictures. Our Greater London coverage runs to 764 places, and Eltham is one of them. Our London page covers sites nearby, about 8 miles away.
Postcode districts we cover here for AHU cleaning: SE9, SE12, DA15 and BR7. If you need AHU cleaning at premises on Eltham High Street, Tarnwood Park and Elmslie Court or a nearby road, our technicians can take on the work. Main roads around Eltham include the A20 and B263, which makes travel easy for evening and night visits. Nearby, we also carry out AHU cleaning in Middle Park (1 mile west), New Eltham (1 mile south-east), Well Hall (1 mile north), Coldharbour (1 mile south) and Avery Hill (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (12 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
What’s near Eltham
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Horn Park, Eltham Church of England Primary School and The Greyhound Public House. There’s a railway station in Eltham itself: Mottingham station. A little further out are Eltham Community Hospital (under half a mile north) and Metropolitan Police Museum (2.1 miles east). Not far away are The Tarn and Summer Hill.
Leave it or put it right?
If people in a building in Eltham complain about stuffy or smelly air, the AHU is worth looking at. Cleaning it deals with the cause rather than the symptom. For a site in Eltham, fitting the work in overnight now is far easier than closing at short notice later.
Leaving it longer rarely makes the work cheaper. Problems in a system tend to grow, which can make the next visit longer. If you are unsure, call 0345 646 2711 or email us for straight advice and a fixed quote.
What you get with us
- Trading since 2009
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- A fixed price before any work starts
Common questions in Eltham
Do you work overnight in Eltham?
Yes. We work evenings, overnight and at weekends. It means the site in Eltham keeps running as normal. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
Does London parking affect a job in Eltham?
We plan it in advance, so let us know about loading bays, permits and access rules at the building. Where restrictions apply in the day, an evening or overnight visit typically gets round them.
Does the AHU have to be shut down for cleaning?
Yes. The unit has to be shut down and isolated before it’s opened. The shutdown is planned with whoever runs the building.
How long does an AHU clean take?
It takes anything from half a day for one small unit to several shifts for a plant room full of them. Size, layout and how dirty it is decide the rest, and the quote will give you a clear idea.
Which parts of an air handling unit do you clean?
Filters, coils, drain trays, the fan and the internal surfaces are all covered. Filters are cleaned or changed as agreed in the quote.
What’s TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extract systems and TR19® Air for general ventilation. It isn’t legislation, but it’s the standard people check against.
Where does the waste go?
We take it away at the end of the visit. During the work, it’s contained so the area stays clean.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. You deal with one contact for every site across London and the South East, and visits can be set on a regular cycle.
How it works
We turn up at the time agreed with you, which is often after service, overnight or at a weekend. Equipment that has to be off is switched off and allowed to cool before work begins, and the area around the work is covered and protected. On site, it takes anything from half a day for one small unit to several shifts for a plant room full of them. A name and number for whoever controls access to the building in Eltham saves time on the night.
- First the unit is surveyed, from pictures or a visit, and the scope agreed.
- We arrange the shutdown with your staff and sheet the area.
- We clean or change the filters as agreed, then clean the coils, fan and internal panels.
- We clean out the drain tray and make sure it drains.
- We close up the unit and send the certificate and before and after photos.
Before we arrive
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
- Let us know about parking and loading
Ask for a quote
Want a quote for AHU cleaning? Please phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and tell us about the site. We’ll talk you through the work and give you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Related advice
What we are called out for in Eltham
Cooling coils create condensation, and that water has to go somewhere. If the drain tray outlet blocks or the tray doesn’t fall properly, water stands in it, and that is where slime and odours start.
It’s time to book a visit if you see:
- Coils clogged with dust and debris
- Drain trays holding standing water
- Plant that needs cleaning after a refit
- Debris and leaves in the fresh air intake
If you run an office near Mottingham station, its supply ductwork can gather dust for years before anyone looks inside.
Comparing quotes
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or photos
- What records you will receive afterwards
- Whether the figure could change on the day