West Sussex · Air handling unit cleaning
AHU Cleaning in Portfield
We cover Portfield for air handling unit cleaning. Fixed quotes, work around your opening hours and photo reports as standard.
- Dust built up on fan impellers
- Units needing a clean before a new tenant or handover
- Debris and leaves in the fresh air intake
Between visits
How long the results last depends on use and care. Here’s what we suggest:
- Flag stale or damp smells in the supply air
- Make sure the unit’s access doors open easily
- Keep filter changes on time and recorded
- Keep the certificate and photo report with the plant records
Keep filter changes on schedule between cleans, as that does more than anything to keep the unit clean. Record each change in the maintenance log.
Check drain trays and condensate drains during routine maintenance. A drain that is cleared early never gets to the slime stage.
About our AHU cleaning in Portfield
No two plant rooms are the same, whether it’s a compact unit in a ceiling void or a big unit on the roof. We look at the unit first, from pictures or a site visit, and give you a fixed quote, so you know where you stand. The work covers filter sections, drain trays and dampers and louvres, and people most often call us about blocked condensate drains and slimy trays and dirty fans and fan housings.
Around a place like Portfield, ventilation systems tend to be in schools, surgeries, care homes and workplaces. Smaller systems still gather dust and need inspecting.
We’re CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, we hold ISO 9001 and we are fully insured. On top of that, we’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we’ve been trading since 2009.
- Location
- Portfield (PO19, PO20, PO18)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Paperwork
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Also near Portfield
Also in Portfield
When it’s something else
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Building management system faults
- Ventilation that was badly designed in the first place
- Leaking heating or cooling coils
Not sure which it is? You can phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we will tell you honestly before you book.
Where we work
- Heating and cooling coils
- Dampers and louvres
- Drain trays
- Supply and extract fans
- Filter sections
- Internal panels
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we check the system against the survey or the photos you sent. Anything unexpected is raised with you before we go further. From there, it takes from a few hours for a compact unit to a day or more for a large one. For a site near Portfield, the work is booked around your opening hours, evenings and weekends included.
- The survey covers the unit, its access and how it can be shut down.
- The area is protected and the unit made safe.
- Each section is cleaned of dust, debris and slime.
- Coils and trays are cleaned and the condensate drain cleared.
- We close every panel, hand the unit back and send the report and certificate.
How to prepare
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
- Move anything stored near the system
- Tell us where we can park and unload
Get a fixed quote
The quickest way to a quote is to send photos: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and we can price many jobs without a visit.
Advice
Multi-site and managed buildings
Facilities teams in offices, schools and healthcare sites book us too across West Sussex. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
Records are where multi-site compliance often slips. Each visit produces a dated report with pictures, so you can show an insurer or inspector what was done at each site.
Fixed quotes for AHU cleaning in Portfield
Your quote is based on your site. We take into account:
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- Any permits to work or inductions
- What state the system is in
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
What you pay depends on how big the system is, the condition it’s in and access to every part of it. You get a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises.
What we need to know
We can often survey from photos. The most useful are:
- Your last certificate, test record or report
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
- A few general shots of the system
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
Quotes are quick. Call or email with a few details and you will normally have a fixed price within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
What your team can do, and what needs us
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 they do not reach the grease that builds up further in. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
Good housekeeping makes our visits easier, not unnecessary. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
What AHU cleaning looks like in Portfield
There are about 18 schools, colleges and universities, about 41 care, childcare and hospital premises and about 9 hotels and guest houses on the FSA’s food hygiene register in Portfield and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Classrooms, bedrooms and care spaces are often served by ducted air, and that ductwork collects dust over time. St Richard's Hospital is the nearest hospital, about 0.5 miles north-west of Portfield. If you run a surgery, clinic or care home, your ventilation deserves the same care as a hospital’s, on a smaller scale. Portfield, about 54 miles from central London, is within our usual area. The visit is fixed around your opening hours, not ours.
Classrooms and halls at schools such as Portfield Primary Academy are easiest to work in when pupils are away. If you manage offices or shops near Chichester station, their ventilation can be inspected and cleaned out of hours. Hospitals such as St Richard's Hospital (about 0.5 miles north-west) show how much a building can rely on clean ventilation, and smaller healthcare sites near Portfield are no different.
Portfield is about 1 mile east of Chichester, in West Sussex. Sites in Portfield get the same service as everywhere we cover: diagnosis first, a fixed price, out-of-hours working where necessary and a written report with photos. Portfield is one of 371 towns, villages and districts in West Sussex where we work for AHU cleaning. For sites nearby, see our Portsmouth page (14 miles or so).
Work in PO19, PO20 and PO18 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes premises on Kent Road, York Road and Spur Road and the roads around them. You will find Portfield on the A259 and A285, which makes it straightforward for our technicians to reach for out-of-hours visits. Neighbouring places we cover for AHU cleaning include Chichester (1 mile west), Westhampnett (1 mile north-east), Shopwyke (1 mile east), Maudlin (1 mile north-east) and North Mundham (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Bognor Regis (5 miles south-east), Selsey (7 miles south), Littlehampton (10 miles east), Emsworth (8 miles west), Rustington (11 miles east) and Storrington (15 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Portfield
In Portfield, that means kitchens and buildings near The Prebendal School, The East Gate Public House and Chichester High School For Girls, among other places. The closest station to Portfield is Chichester station, roughly 0.9 miles west. A little further out are The Chichester City Museum (0.6 miles west) and Chichester Castle (0.6 miles west). Open spaces near Portfield include Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve and Stoke Down.
Common questions in Portfield
Can a school’s ventilation in Portfield be done out of term time?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. There are about 18 schools, colleges and universities on the FSA’s food hygiene register within about 1.5 miles of Portfield. You can call 0345 646 2711 or send us an email with the dates the site is empty.
Do you work overnight in Portfield?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. The site is handed back ready to open. Just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form with your opening times and we’ll plan around them.
What’s TR19?
It’s BESA’s specification and the benchmark insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to. It covers how systems are inspected, cleaned and checked, and it takes a risk-based approach.
What do you do with what you remove?
We contain it and take it with us. Grease, debris and waste water are collected as the work goes on rather than letting it spread.
How much notice do you need?
The more notice, the better, especially for out-of-hours work. Quotes typically come back within one working day, and there’s a 24/7 line for emergencies.
Do you give a certificate after the clean?
Yes. Every clean comes with a TR19® certificate and a photo report. They’re worth keeping with the plant records.
Do you need to switch the unit off?
Yes. The fan must be stopped and the unit isolated, so we plan it for a time that suits the building.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes. We always survey first, from your photos and details, or with a visit where necessary. Then you get a fixed quote.
Different parts, different methods
Rooftop and plant room units
Rooftop units take the weather, and intakes can collect leaves and debris. We clean the intake and first stage of filters along with the rest.
Heating and cooling coils
Cooling coils stay damp in use, so dirt on them can turn sticky. We clean the coil and the tray beneath it together.