Reading · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork Cleaning in Horncastle
Our technicians work in Horncastle on ductwork cleaning. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with pictures on every job.
- Thick crusts of old grease along the duct
- Grease leaking from duct joints
- A duct nobody has opened in years
Why act early in Horncastle
Dealing with the ductwork in Horncastle now beats dealing with it after a problem. The work takes a shift or more, depending on the length of the runs and the number of access points, done out of hours so the kitchen keeps cooking. It’s easy to lose track of when the work was last done on a quieter site.
Combining work into one visit or one programme often makes better use of the time. Mention every system or site you need covered, and you’ll get one fixed quote.
What you get with us
- A written report with pictures after each visit
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- One contact for all your sites in London and the South East
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
Ductwork cleaning in Horncastle
Many ducts were installed with too few access doors. Where a section cannot be reached, TR19 expects it to be recorded on the report, and new panels can be fitted to reach it in future. It’s better to know than to assume. If you have duct runs with no cleaning record and readings above 200 microns from a grease thickness test, we can help, from bends and junctions, attenuators and horizontal duct runs onwards.
In a smaller place like Horncastle, the kitchens with extract systems are more likely to be a pub, a café, a takeaway or a school or care home kitchen than a big restaurant. A kitchen that cooks fewer hours still builds up grease, so the interval is set by hours of use and grease readings.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. So every job comes with a written report and pictures, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Horncastle (RG30, RG31)
- Region
- Reading
- Records
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, typically within a working day
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
What a clean won’t put right
In fairness, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Faulty fire dampers
- A duct that’s too small or badly routed for the kitchen (a design issue)
- A worn-out fan that needs replacing
If in doubt, call 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we will say what we think.
Where we work
- Bends and junctions
- Vertical risers
- Access panels
- Multi-storey ducts
- Horizontal duct runs
- Attenuators
Grease, kitchens and Horncastle
The Food Standards Agency lists about 13 bars, pubs and nightclubs and about 3 hotels and guest houses as registered food businesses across Horncastle and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Where they serve hot food, their kitchen extracts need cleaning to TR19® like any restaurant’s. In Horncastle, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Reading council. A greasy canopy or dripping filters are the sort of thing an inspection can pick up. Before-and-after pictures from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand. Horncastle sits within the area of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order.
Where a hall near Church of St Michael, or anywhere in Horncastle, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does. Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Battle Hospital (about 1.5 miles north-east), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands.
Horncastle is about 2 miles west of Reading, in Reading. We provide ductwork cleaning for commercial premises of every kind in Horncastle and the rest of Reading. Our Reading coverage runs to 34 places, and Horncastle is one of them.
Work in RG30 and RG31 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. You will find streets such as Low Lane, Usk Road and Mill Lane, and we cover them all for ductwork cleaning. Close by, we work in Fords Farm (1 mile south), Southcote (1 mile east), Tilehurst Within (1 mile north), Beansheaf Farm (1 mile south-west) and Burghfield Bridge (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Caversham (3 miles north-east), Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (3 miles north-east), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (5 miles north). Horncastle is among the bigger places we cover in Reading for ductwork cleaning.
What’s near Horncastle
Around Horncastle, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Elvian School, Prospect School and Calcot Park, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Reading West station, about 1.6 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Battle Hospital (1.5 miles north-east) and Broad Street Mall (2.2 miles east). Open spaces near Horncastle include Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and South Lake.
What your team can do, and what needs us
When your team notices a problem between visits, such as dripping grease, a noisy fan, a smell or a filter that will not come clean, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We will take a look and give you a fixed quote.
Staff cleaning does not replace a specialist visit; it supports it. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but the parts you cannot see still need a specialist at the right interval.
What happens on the day
Everything the job needs comes with us, from protective sheeting to tools and access equipment. All we need from you is clear access and the right equipment switched off. The visit takes a shift or more, depending on the length of the runs and the number of access points. A site near Horncastle usually has room to park, so the questions are about access to the system and your hours.
- We map the duct route and check where the access panels are.
- We measure grease thickness at set points before cleaning.
- We open the panels and scrape out the heaviest grease.
- The duct is degreased with the method that suits the grease, from degreasers to hot water or steam.
- Readings and photos are repeated and any section we couldn’t reach is recorded.
Before we arrive
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Clear the space around the work
How to get a quote
Every quote begins with a look at the system, from your photos and details or, where that isn’t enough, a survey on site. Then we send a fixed price so you know the cost before we start.
Advice
Different parts, different methods
Access panels
After cleaning, every panel is closed and sealed, so grease and air stay inside the duct. A damaged panel is noted on the report.
Bends and transitions
Grease tends to pile up at elbows. We clean it back by hand and with degreaser, and test it before and after.
Common questions in Horncastle
Can you work in Horncastle outside opening hours?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. It means the site in Horncastle keeps running as normal. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
Do you do school kitchen extract cleaning in Horncastle in the summer holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. With about 11 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Horncastle, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
How often does extract ductwork need cleaning?
At least as often as BESA guidance sets for your cooking hours. Heavy use of 12 to 16 hours a day means at least every 3 months, while lighter use can go longer.
Will I get a report after the ducts are cleaned?
You get a photo report with before and after photos, plus a TR19 certificate when the whole system is cleaned. Keep both in the maintenance log.
How long does ductwork cleaning take?
Short runs are quick, but long or complex ducts may take several visits. Visits are planned out of hours.
Do you work with multi-site operators?
Yes. You deal with one contact for every site across London and the South East, and visits can be set on a regular cycle.
Do you install duct access panels?
Yes. The survey or clean shows where sections couldn’t be reached, and fitting them means future cleans are more complete.
Where does the waste go?
Anything we remove is contained as we work and taken away with us, including grease, debris and dirty water. None of it is left on site.
How we price ductwork cleaning
There’s no set price list, because sites vary so much. What we look at:
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
- The condition we find in the survey
- Whether several sites go on one quote
- The scale of the work
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 will have a fixed price before we start.
What to send for a quote
A few details help us quote accurately. With your enquiry, please include:
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Your last certificate, test record or report
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
Getting a quote does not take long. Call or email with a few details and you will usually have a fixed price within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Places near Horncastle
What else we do in Horncastle
What we are called out for in Horncastle
Grease settles fastest where the air slows down. Long horizontal runs, bends, changes in size and the foot of a riser all collect more, and those are the points we pay most attention to.
Look out for any of the following:
- Thick crusts of old grease along the duct
- High readings at a recent grease test
- Stale grease odours from the duct
- A duct nobody has opened in years
If you run catering at a historic house or estate in the area (Mapledurham House is about 2.8 miles north), event kitchens in older buildings often have awkward duct runs that need planning.
Comparing quotes
- How areas they can’t reach will be recorded
- Whether VAT is included
- When the next visit should be, and why
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach