Hampshire · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork cleaning in Houghton, Hampshire
One call covers ductwork cleaning in Houghton, from survey to sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- Thick crusts of old grease along the duct
- Readings above 200 microns from a grease thickness test
- Heavy grease at the base of a riser
Ductwork cleaning for kitchens and businesses in Houghton
Each extract duct we take on in Houghton goes through the full routine: we test the grease first, remove thick deposits by hand and degrease what’s left. Readings are taken again afterwards and pictures go into your report. We’re often asked to deal with hardened, baked-on grease in long horizontal runs and readings above 200 microns from a grease thickness test, across vertical risers, multi-storey ducts and access panels.
In a small place like Houghton, kitchens are often in older or extended buildings, with long single-storey duct runs, where grease settles in the flat sections. Access, parking and timings are agreed before the day.
It’s worth checking any contractor’s accreditations. Ours are BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, plus CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are fully insured.
- Where
- Houghton (SO20)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Records
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Price
- A fixed price before we start
- When we work
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
What ductwork cleaning looks like in Houghton
It’s Test Valley council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Houghton. An officer looking round a kitchen will see the canopy, and grease there is hard to miss. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready. The fire and rescue service for Houghton is Hampshire and Isle of Wight 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.
Where a hall near Church of All Saints, or anywhere in Houghton, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does. Historic houses near Houghton, such as Mottisfont Abbey about 3.2 miles south, are a reminder that older buildings with event kitchens can have long, awkward duct routes.
Houghton is about 6 miles north of Romsey, in Hampshire. For ductwork cleaning in and around Houghton, please phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us for a fixed quote. Our area covers London and the South East, Houghton included. Houghton is one of 683 places in Hampshire where we work for ductwork cleaning. There’s also a page for Southampton, about 13 miles away.
Every address in SO20 is within our area for ductwork cleaning, from busy streets to back roads. You’ll find streets such as Kents Orchard, Houghton Farm Close and Stevens Drove, all of which we cover for ductwork cleaning. If your site is just outside Houghton, we cover Horsebridge (1 mile south-east), Broughton (2 miles west), Stonymarsh (3 miles south), Mottisfont (3 miles south) and Michelmersh (4 miles south). Larger places within reach include Winchester (9 miles east), Eastleigh (11 miles south-east), Andover (9 miles north), Totton (12 miles south), Chandler's Ford (9 miles south-east) and Hedge End (15 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Houghton
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Boot Inn, among other places. Houghton’s nearest station is Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, about 3.8 miles south of the centre.
What affects the quote in Houghton
Some jobs are bigger than they look, and some smaller. What affects the quote:
- Parking and loading at the site
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- Any permits to work or inductions
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
Kitchens, offices, schools and hospitals are all priced the same way: the size of the job, access, condition and working hours. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll explain each part.
Helping us quote
What to send for a quote:
- Your last certificate, test record or report
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Wide photos of the system and the area around it
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.
How the visit works
We are used to working while the site is closed. A lot of visits happen overnight or at weekends, so the site can open as normal afterwards. The visit itself takes from a few hours to more than one visit, depending on duct length and access. Somewhere like Houghton, lanes, gates and parking are worth mentioning in advance.
- First we diagnose: the route, the access and the grease levels.
- You get a fixed price before work starts.
- We clean section by section, working from panel to panel.
- We take extra care at bends and at the foot of risers.
- The duct is signed off with readings, photos and a next clean date.
Getting ready for the visit
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
Ask for a quote
To get a fixed quote, call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line with the site type, your trading hours and a short description of the system. Photos and the last report, if you have one, make the quote quicker. You’ll typically have a quote within one working day.
Read more
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Staff cleaning doesn’t replace a specialist visit; it supports it. Clean filters and tidy surfaces slow the build-up, but the parts you can’t see still need a specialist at the right interval.
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. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
Nearby places to Houghton
Also in Houghton
Your questions about ductwork cleaning in Houghton
Is Houghton within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. A survey first, from pictures or a visit, means we arrive with the right kit.
Which fire authority looks after Houghton?
That’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. A recent cleaning certificate and a note of the next clean date show that grease in the extract is being managed.
What about areas you cannot get to?
The report shows them clearly. In ductwork, new access panels are often the answer, and we can fit those.
Can you quote from pictures?
Yes, for many jobs. Send wide shots, close-ups of any access panels and anything that worries you, and a fixed quote usually follows within one working day. Some sites still need a visit, and we’ll say so.
How can I tell if my extract ducts are dirty?
Drips, smells and weak extraction are clues, but the only sure way is to measure. A WFTT or DTT reading gives a clear answer.
What do you need from me for a quote?
Where the site is, what it is and when it’s open, along with a few pictures and any previous report.
What’s the cleaning interval for extract ductwork?
The minimum depends on how long the kitchen cooks each day: every 3 months for 12 to 16 hours, 6 months for 6 to 12 hours and 12 months for 2 to 6 hours. Measured grease sets the real interval.
What happens to the waste?
We take it away at the end of the visit. During the work, it’s contained so the area stays clean.
Between visits
Looking after the system between visits is straightforward, and it makes the next visit easier:
- Consider fitting panels where the report shows gaps
- Have the grease measured if cooking hours go up
- Book the next clean before the recommended date
- Keep access panels clear of stored items
Any section of duct we couldn’t reach is listed on the report and why. We can fit access panels so those sections are cleaned next time.
Book the next duct clean before the date passes. A change in cooking hours may change the interval under BESA guidance, and grease thickness testing will show it.
Honest limits
We will always give you a straight diagnosis, so here’s what this work cannot put right:
- Leaking duct joints that need repair
- A worn-out fan that needs replacing
- A damper stuck open in the duct
If you are not sure, just call 0345 646 2711 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Where we work
- Multi-storey ducts
- Vertical risers
- Horizontal duct runs
- Bends and junctions
- Attenuators
- Access panels
Why act early in Houghton
TR19® isn’t law, but the duty to manage fire risk is. The Fire Safety Order 2005 makes the responsible person assess and reduce fire risk, and grease in the duct is part of that. Somewhere as small as Houghton, losing a kitchen or building to a fault is felt by everyone who uses it.
What you pay depends on the size of the system, what state it’s in and access to every part of it. We give you a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Houghton
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- In business since 2009
- A written report with pictures after each visit
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
See what affects the cost and our accreditations and certificates.
What we’re called out for in Houghton
Slow air leaves the most grease behind. Flat runs, bends, reducers and the base of risers are the usual hotspots, and those are the points we pay most attention to.
If you notice any of these, it’s worth a diagnosis:
- Grease leaking from duct joints
- Grease pooling at the foot of the riser
- Stale grease odours from the duct
- A grease test showing the duct is overdue
For schools such as Test Valley School, kitchen extract cleaning is usually booked for the holidays, when the canteen is closed.
What your quote should include
- Whether a written report and pictures are included
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Whether the quote shows VAT
- What insurance they carry