West Sussex · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork Cleaning in Handcross
Cleaning of kitchen extract ductwork, horizontal runs and vertical risers through access panels for Handcross, with a survey first and a report with pictures at the end. Call for a fixed quote.
- Fat dripping from the ductwork
- Heavy grease at the base of a riser
- Duct runs with no cleaning record
Signs you need ductwork cleaning in Handcross
Ducts in Handcross gather grease for the same reasons as ducts anywhere: daily cooking hours, the menu and the state of the filters. Under BESA guidance, the minimum interval is 3, 6 or 12 months, by daily cooking hours.
Common reasons sites call us include:
- Duct runs that cannot be reached
- Grease pooling at the foot of the riser
- Fat dripping from the ductwork
- Thick crusts of old grease along the duct
If you run catering at a historic house or estate in the area (Tyes Place is about 1.9 miles south-east), event kitchens in older buildings often have awkward duct runs that need planning.
Comparing quotes
- Whether a survey comes first
- What insurance they carry
- How areas they can’t reach will be recorded
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
Ductwork cleaning for kitchens and businesses in Handcross
Each extract duct we take on in Handcross goes through the full routine: readings at set points, heavy grease scraped out by hand, then degreasing to suit the deposit. Readings are taken again afterwards and pictures go into your report. Common call-outs are for duct runs that can’t be reached and grease seeping out of the duct seams, on attenuators, horizontal duct runs and multi-storey ducts.
In a village or hamlet like Handcross, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are usually a pub, a school, a care home or a hall kitchen, wherever there is one. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease.
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers all look at records. That is why every job is written up in a report with photos, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Handcross (RH17)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Reporting
- Certificate and photo report
- Quote
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- Working hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
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.
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’ll take a look and send you a fixed quote.
Towns and villages near Handcross
More services for Handcross
What ductwork cleaning can’t fix
We will not sell you work that doesn’t address the problem, so here are the limits:
- A failed fan motor at the end of the duct (a fan repair job)
- Ductwork that’s corroded, split or holed (that needs a ductwork contractor)
- Sections that can’t be reached safely without new access (those are recorded, and panels can be fitted)
Not sure which it is? You can call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Attenuators
- Multi-storey ducts
- Vertical risers
- Access panels
- Bends and junctions
- Horizontal duct runs
How the visit works
We’re used to working while the site is closed. Evenings, nights and weekends are when much of our work happens, so the site can open as normal afterwards. On site, the work takes from a few hours to more than one visit, depending on duct length and access. If you can send photos, we can arrive in Handcross knowing what to expect.
- We map the duct route and check where the access panels are.
- Set points along the runs are tested for grease.
- Access panels are opened and heavy deposits scraped out by hand.
- Horizontal runs and risers are then degreased by the method that suits the deposit.
- Readings and photos are repeated and any section we couldn’t reach is recorded.
Getting ready for the visit
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
Getting a quote
For ductwork cleaning in Handcross, call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line. Let us know the site type and the opening hours, plus photos or the previous report if they’re to hand. A fixed quote usually follows within one working day.
Advice
Aftercare tips
Looking after the system between visits is straightforward, and it makes the next visit easier:
- Make sure filters are seated properly
- Leave a way through to the access panels
- Report any grease dripping from duct joints
- Keep to the interval on the report
The report names every part of the duct that couldn’t be reached and why. You can then decide whether to have access panels fitted.
Keep to the cleaning interval on the report. If the kitchen starts cooking longer hours, the interval may need to shorten, and grease thickness testing will show it.
Your questions about ductwork cleaning in Handcross
Can school kitchens in Handcross be cleaned in the holidays?
Yes. The holidays are the usual time for school work. Food Standards Agency records list about 2 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of Handcross. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
Which fire service covers Handcross?
Fire safety enforcement in Handcross is handled by West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. It’s worth keeping your fire risk assessment, TR19® certificates and photo reports together, ready to show.
What accreditations do you have?
We’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we carry full insurance.
How do you know if the ductwork needs cleaning?
Signs include grease dripping from joints, smells and a fan working harder, but measuring is the reliable way to know. A WFTT or DTT reading gives a clear answer.
Can you clean ductwork with no access panels?
Any section we can’t reach is recorded on the report, in line with TR19. New panels can be fitted to reach them in future.
How long does ductwork cleaning take?
It takes anything from a few hours to several visits, depending on the length of duct. We will confirm the time when we quote.
What types of premises do you cover?
Restaurants and pubs, hotels, schools and colleges, hospitals and care homes, offices and retail, plus food production and leisure sites.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
Floors and surfaces near the work are sheeted before we start, and anything we remove is contained. Before we leave, we tidy up and clean down.
What ductwork cleaning looks like in Handcross
The Food Standards Agency lists about 4 pubs and bars as registered food businesses within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Handcross. A pub or hotel kitchen that cooks every day builds up grease in its extract like any other. Fire safety in Handcross falls to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire Safety Order puts the duty on whoever runs a kitchen to control its fire risk, and a greasy duct is fuel. Environmental health officers from Mid Sussex council inspect food businesses in Handcross. A greasy canopy or dripping filters are the sort of thing an inspection can pick up. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector.
For schools such as Handcross Primary School, kitchen extract cleaning is usually booked for the holidays, when the canteen is closed. Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; Crawley Hospital is the nearest hospital to Handcross, about 4.3 miles north.
Handcross is about 4 miles south of Crawley, in West Sussex. Whatever kind of site you run in Handcross, we can take on ductwork cleaning. We can work out of hours so trading isn’t interrupted. Our West Sussex coverage runs to 371 places, and Handcross is one of them. There’s also a page for Brighton, about 16 miles away.
We work across the RH17 postcode area for ductwork cleaning and the roads nearby. If you need ductwork cleaning at premises on High Street, London Road and Windmill Platt or anywhere close by, we can help. Close by, we work in Slaugham (1 mile south), Plummers Plain (2 miles south-west), Colgate (3 miles north-west), Broadfield (3 miles north) and Lower Beeding (3 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Crawley (4 miles north), Horsham (5 miles west), Haywards Heath (6 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (7 miles south-east), East Grinstead (10 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (15 miles south).
Around Handcross
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Royal Oak Public House and Handcross Park School, among other places. Handcross’s nearest station is Balcombe station, roughly 2.8 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Crawley Hospital (4.3 miles north). For a walk, there’s Tilgate Lake and Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow.
What affects the quote in Handcross
There’s no set price list, because no two systems are the same. The quote depends on:
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
- How big the system is
- How many systems or sites are involved
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is all affect the cost. We take each of them into account and give you a fixed price before we start.
What we need to know
To help us quote quickly, send us:
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- Problems your staff have spotted
- Any previous report or certificate
Quoting starts with a diagnosis, from your pictures and details or, where that is not enough, a survey on site. After that, you get a fixed price for the work so you know the cost before we start.
Why deal with it now?
Insurers know the risk of a greasy duct. Many policies require TR19 cleaning, and a claim may be refused or reduced without evidence. Your certificate and photo report show the ducts were cleaned. A planned visit to Handcross is easier to arrange than an emergency callout.
You won’t find a price list here, because each job is priced on what it involves. For a fixed quote, call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line, and we’ll explain what it covers.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Handcross
- Fixed quotes from a survey or pictures
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- One number for every site across the South East and London
Read what affects the cost and our accreditations and certificates.