Kent · Ductwork cleaning
Duct cleaning in Maidstone
Professional ductwork cleaning in and around Maidstone, timed so the site keeps working and finished with a written report and pictures.
- A rancid smell from the extract duct
- Readings above 200 microns from a grease thickness test
- Fat dripping from the ductwork
About our ductwork cleaning in Maidstone
No two duct runs are the same, in Maidstone or anywhere else. Some run a short distance to an outside wall, others climb several floors to the roof. The survey traces the route and finds every access point before we quote. Typical jobs include smells of old cooking grease from the ductwork and proof of duct cleaning for the insurer, across multi-storey ducts, access panels and horizontal duct runs.
In a place the size of Maidstone, the kitchens with extract systems range from takeaways and restaurants to hotel, school and workplace kitchens. Each cooks for a different number of hours a day, so each needs cleaning at its own interval.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 are in place too, and we are fully insured.
Between visits
How long the results last depends on use and care. We suggest:
- Don’t block access panels with shelving or stock
- Store the certificate with the fire risk assessment
- Get panels fitted where the duct couldn’t be cleaned
- Diarise the next duct clean
Every panel we open is refitted when we finish, and the surrounding area is left clean. Waste grease and water are taken away.
Extra access panels mean more of the duct gets cleaned each time. It does not stop grease forming, but it stops it building unseen.
How we price ductwork cleaning
We quote each job individually. This is what makes a difference:
- How big the system is
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- Travel, parking and unloading
- Site rules, permits and inductions
Working hours, access and the scale of the site all affect the cost. Each of those is built into the quote, and the price is fixed before work begins.
Asking for a quote
What to send for a quote:
- The site address and the type of premises
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- A few general shots of the system
- Any previous report or certificate
Need a price for ductwork cleaning? Please give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and tell us about the site. We will talk you through the work and send you a fixed quote before you commit to anything.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Facilities teams in offices, schools and healthcare sites book us too in Maidstone and across Kent. Larger estates can be phased building by building to keep disruption down.
If you look after several sites, we can plan visits across the whole estate and price them together. Every building has its own written report, so each one has its own record.
The process
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. After that, the work takes anything from a few hours to several visits, depending on the length of duct. Phased working suits larger sites in a place the size of Maidstone, with each part handed back before the next starts.
- First the duct route is traced and every access point noted.
- Set points along the runs are tested for grease.
- We open the panels and scrape out the heaviest grease.
- Next the ducts and risers are degreased, using whatever suits the deposit.
- Post-clean readings and photos go into the report, with any unreachable section listed.
Before we arrive
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
Ask for a quote
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, the quote is fixed before any work is booked.
Related advice
Your questions about ductwork cleaning in Maidstone
Can a school canteen extract in Maidstone be done out of term time?
Yes. The holidays are the usual time for school work. The FSA’s register shows about 40 schools and colleges with food registrations within roughly a mile and a half of Maidstone. Send us your term dates when you ring 0345 646 2711 or send us an email, and we’ll fit the work in.
Do you work overnight in Maidstone?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. It means the site in Maidstone keeps running as normal. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
What does ductwork cleaning cost?
Size, condition, access and working hours all affect the cost. Ask us for a fixed quote and we will typically reply within one working day.
What’s the cleaning interval for extract ductwork?
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.
How long does it take to clean extract ducts?
Duct length, access and grease levels all affect it. Typically it takes a shift or more, depending on the length of the runs and the number of access points.
What do you do to protect the area?
We cover floors and nearby surfaces with sheeting before any work starts, and anything we remove is contained. Before we leave, we tidy up and clean down.
Do you look at the system first?
Yes. Every job is surveyed first, either from photos and details you send or on a site visit. A fixed quote follows.
What if parts of the system cannot be reached?
They’re listed in the report, never skipped quietly. The report says which parts couldn’t be reached and why, and we can quote to improve the access.
What we are called out for in Maidstone
A vertical riser can run up several floors. Grease collects on the riser walls and gathers at the bottom as liquid grease runs down. Access along its height is needed to clean it properly.
Signs it’s time to call us include:
- A rancid smell from the extract duct
- Grease seeping out of the duct seams
- Gaps where access panels were never fitted
- Years of grease along the duct floor
If you look after a school kitchen, at a school such as South Borough Primary School or anywhere near Maidstone, the holidays are the usual time for a TR19® clean.
What to look for in a quote
- What records you will receive afterwards
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or pictures
- Which accreditations they hold, and whether you can check them
- Whether the figure could change on the day
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Some jobs should never be done in-house: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease need training, the right equipment and safe access. Leave those to us.
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
Ductwork cleaning in Maidstone: the local picture
According to Food Standards Agency records, there are about 46 pubs, bars and clubs within about 1.5 miles of central Maidstone. Any of them serving cooked food has an extract to keep clean, from canopy to discharge. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers Maidstone. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. Kitchens in Maidstone get their food hygiene inspections from Maidstone council. They look at how clean the premises and equipment are, and the kitchen extract is part of that. Keeping each certificate and photo report on file helps show the extract is looked after.
Healthcare kitchens can’t easily close, so their extracts are cleaned overnight or between meal services; the nearest hospital to Maidstone is Oakwood Hospital, about 1.8 miles west. Commuter trade near Maidstone West station can mean long cooking hours, and long hours put a kitchen into BESA’s more frequent cleaning bands.
Maidstone is about 31 miles south-east of London, in Kent. Maidstone gets the same approach as every site we work on: diagnosis first, a fixed price, out-of-hours working where needed and a written report with pictures. Maidstone is one of 922 places in Kent where we work for ductwork cleaning.
Postcode districts we cover here for ductwork cleaning: ME15, ME16, ME14 and ME17. Whether your site is on Square Hill Road, Arundel Square and Square Hill or a nearby road, our technicians can take on the work. Maidstone is on the A20 and A26, so it’s easy for us to get to for out-of-hours visits. If your site is just outside Maidstone, we cover Tovil (1 mile west), Foley Park (1 mile north), Shepway (1 mile south-east), Penenden Heath (1 mile north) and Weavering (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (15 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west), Gravesend (13 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles south-west) and Northfleet (14 miles north-west). Maidstone is one of the larger places we cover in Kent for ductwork cleaning.
Landmarks near Maidstone
Typical jobs here are in premises near St Augustine Academy, River Len LNR and Maidstone Grammar School. The nearest railway station is Maidstone West station, roughly 0.6 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include Maidstone Carriage Museum (within half a mile north-west) and Oakwood Hospital (1.8 miles west). For a walk, there’s Burham Down and Boxley Hills.
Why act early in Maidstone
Grease narrows the duct and slows the air. Less air moves, so heat and smoke stay in the kitchen while the fan strains, and grease may start to leak from joints. A regular plan for a site in Maidstone spreads the work out and keeps every system on track.
The cost depends on how big the system is, the condition it’s in and how easy it is to reach. We give you a fixed price before any work starts, so there are no surprises.
Why Maidstone businesses choose us
- Work around your opening hours, with 24/7 emergency cover
- In business since 2009
- We diagnose before we treat
- Fixed quotes from a survey or pictures
Read how cleaning jobs are priced or how to check a contractor.