Medway · Ductwork cleaning
Duct cleaning in Chatham
Ductwork cleaning for commercial sites in Chatham and across Medway. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- Thick deposits at the bottom of a vertical duct
- Hardened, baked-on grease in long horizontal runs
- Sections of duct with no access panels
Ductwork cleaning in Chatham, done properly
Every duct has its own route. A few metres to an outside wall, or a riser up through the building to a roof fan. We map the route during the survey and finds every access point before we quote. If you’re dealing with grease seeping out of the duct seams and proof of duct cleaning for the insurer, we can put it right, from multi-storey ducts, attenuators and vertical risers onwards.
A place as big as Chatham has kitchens of every kind, from takeaways and restaurants to school, hotel and staff kitchens. BESA’s minimum intervals run from every three months for heavy use to once a year for light use, so the right schedule depends on the kitchen.
Think of the report as the system’s health record: dated, with photos, and showing what was done. For TR19® Grease cleans, the certificate comes through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal and sits alongside the report.
Why act early in Chatham
Grease narrows the duct and slows the air. The fan works harder, the kitchen gets hotter and smoke lingers at the canopy and grease can drip from duct joints. The longer a system in Chatham goes without attention, the more there is to clean or fix.
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Problems in a system tend to grow, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you are unsure, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
Why Chatham businesses choose us
- One contact for all your sites in London and the South East
- A fixed price before any work starts
- Every visit written up, with pictures
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
See how cleaning jobs are priced or how to check a contractor.
Also in Chatham
How the job changes from site to site
Access panels
Every section of duct is cleaned through an access panel. Where there are none, those sections cannot be cleaned and the report has to say so.
Multi-storey and shared buildings
A fire in a duct in a shared building can affect far more than one kitchen, which makes keeping it clean all the more important. Your certificate and report give building managers the record they need.
The process
We start by comparing what we find with the survey or your photos. Anything unexpected is raised with you before we go further. From there, it takes anything from a few hours to several visits, depending on the length of duct. Managed buildings in a place the size of Chatham often have sign-in, permits-to-work and key holders, and the visit is planned around them.
- Diagnosis: a survey of the duct’s route, size and access.
- A fixed quote follows, based on what we found.
- We clean section by section, working from panel to panel.
- Bends, risers and the base of each riser get extra attention.
- Readings, pictures and a recommended next clean date complete the job.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored near the system
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
How to get a quote
Photos are the quickest way to a quote: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Add the site type and your opening hours, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Related advice
When it’s something else
A few issues sit outside what this work can do:
- Duct sections that need replacing
- An extract fan that has stopped working
- Undersized or badly laid-out ducts
Not sure which it is? You can phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
Parts of the system we cover
- Bends and junctions
- Vertical risers
- Access panels
- Multi-storey ducts
- Horizontal duct runs
- Attenuators
Chatham: your questions answered
Can you come to Chatham after we close?
Yes, we can come after you close and finish before you open. The work in Chatham can fit around your hours. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
Do you do school kitchen extract cleaning in Chatham in the summer holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. With about 22 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Chatham, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. You can phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us with the dates the site is empty.
Will I get a report after the ducts are cleaned?
Readings, pictures and, for a full clean, a TR19 certificate. It also gives a recommended next clean date.
Do you look at the system first?
Yes. For many sites, pictures and a few details are enough, while bigger or harder-to-see systems are surveyed on site.
Who is responsible for fire safety on the premises?
It depends on the building. Under the Fire Safety Order 2005, it’s the responsible person, which can be the employer, the owner, a landlord, an FM or a managing agent.
Are you accredited?
We are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are fully insured.
What is TR19?
It’s the industry benchmark for cleaning ventilation and kitchen extract systems, written by BESA. It covers how systems are inspected, cleaned and checked, and it takes a risk-based approach.
Can you fit access panels in our ductwork?
Yes, we fit access panels where the duct needs them. That lets the next clean reach sections that were missed, and the report will show where they’re needed.
Fixed quotes for ductwork cleaning in Chatham
The quote reflects the site in front of us. We consider:
- The times the site is available
- Site rules, permits and inductions
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- The condition we find in the survey
Working hours, access and the scale of the site can all change the price. We take each of them into account and give you a fixed price before any work starts.
What to send for a quote
When you contact us, it’s useful to have:
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
- The site address and the type of premises
- Any previous report or certificate
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in pictures, get a survey first. Either way, you get a fixed price before work begins.
What staff can safely do
Good housekeeping makes our visits easier, not unnecessary. Clean filters and tidy surfaces slow the build-up, but the parts you can’t see still need a specialist at the right interval.
When your team notices a problem between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, they should report it rather than try to fix it. We can diagnose it and quote.
Signs you need ductwork cleaning in Chatham
Air cools as it moves away from the canopy. As it cools, the grease it carries condenses onto the duct walls, so duct runs keep collecting grease long after the canopy.
Common reasons sites call us are:
- A grease test showing the duct is overdue
- Sections of duct with no access panels
- Thick deposits at the bottom of a vertical duct
- A duct clean needed for an insurer
For schools such as Wayfield Primary School, kitchen extract cleaning is typically booked for the holidays, when the canteen is closed.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether a survey comes first
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- Whether the work can be done while the site is closed
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
Ductwork cleaning in Chatham: the local picture
The Food Standards Agency lists about 13 pubs and bars and about 4 hotels and guest houses as registered food businesses within about 1.5 miles of central Chatham. Wherever they cook, the canopy, duct and fan collect grease just as a restaurant’s do. Kitchens in Chatham get their food hygiene inspections from Medway council. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked. Chatham is covered by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order.
Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Medway Maritime Hospital (about 1.7 miles north), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands. If your kitchen is in a listed or historic building, like the houses around Chatham (Restoration House is about 2.4 miles north-west), fitting access panels needs care.
Chatham is about 29 miles east of London, in Medway. From the centre of Chatham to the outskirts, we cover ductwork cleaning for every kind of premises, from a single unit to a large public building. 68 places in Medway are on our list, from busy centres to quieter spots. We also work in Maidstone, around 6 miles away.
Here we cover the ME5, ME4, ME7 and ME1 postcode area for ductwork cleaning. We cover sites on Luton High Street, Market Place and High Street and the roads around them. With the A2 and A229 close by, Chatham is easy for our technicians to reach at any hour. Nearby, we also carry out ductwork cleaning in Luton (1 mile north), Hale (1 mile north-east), Darland (1 mile east), Capstone (1 mile east) and Walderslade (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover Rochester (3 miles north-west), Rainham (3 miles east), Strood (3 miles north-west), Park Wood (3 miles east), Twydall (3 miles north-east) and Hoo St Werburgh (5 miles north). Chatham is one of the larger places we cover in Medway for ductwork cleaning.
Around Chatham
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around The Huntsman pub, Walderslade Girls' School and Darland Banks. Chatham’s nearest station is Chatham station, roughly 1.7 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Six Poor Travellers House (2.5 miles north-west) and Rochester Castle (2.6 miles north-west). Not far away are Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.