West Sussex · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork Cleaning in Merston
Looking for ductwork cleaning in Merston? We survey first, give you a fixed quote and work around your opening hours, finishing with a written report and photos.
- Smells of old cooking grease from the ductwork
- Years of grease along the duct floor
- Thick deposits at the bottom of a vertical duct
Ductwork cleaning in Merston
Not every duct has enough access panels. Where a section cannot be reached, TR19 expects it to be recorded on the report, and we can fit new access panels so it’s cleaned next time. It’s better to know than to assume. If you have high readings at a recent grease test and grease leaking from duct joints, we can help.
In a small place like Merston, kitchens are often in older or extended buildings, with long single-storey duct runs, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. We agree access and timings in advance.
Good records are part of the job. Each visit is written up with pictures, listing what was done, anything we couldn’t reach and when the next visit is due. Keep it with your fire safety records so it’s ready for an insurer, fire officer or EHO.
- Where
- Merston (PO20)
- Region
- West Sussex
- Paperwork
- Certificate and photo report
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
A few tasks are always specialist work: entering ducts, working on fans, testing dampers and taking grease readings call for the right kit, training and safe access. That’s our job.
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, they should report it rather than try to fix it. We can diagnose it and quote.
Nearby places to Merston
What else we do in Merston
Leave it or put it right?
Old grease in a duct for a kitchen in Merston doesn’t stay soft. It bakes into a hard layer that takes far longer to remove, so the later the clean, the bigger the job. Planning a trip to Merston ahead is easier for everyone than a rushed one.
You will not find a price list here, because each job is priced on what it involves. For a fixed quote, call 0345 646 2711, or send details by email, and we’ll explain what it covers.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Merston
- Full insurance on every job
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Fixed quotes, normally within one working day
See what affects the cost or our accreditations and certificates.
Merston: your questions answered
Can a school canteen extract in Merston be done out of term time?
Yes. Half-terms and the summer break are the natural time for school work. Food Standards Agency records list about 3 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of Merston. Booking early in the term gives the best choice of holiday dates.
Which environmental health team covers Merston?
Food hygiene inspections in Merston are carried out by Chichester council. Have your latest TR19® certificate and photo report to hand, as an officer may ask how the extract is maintained.
Will the duct clean disrupt the kitchen?
Out of hours, at a time that suits the kitchen. Long ducts can be split across visits, with the kitchen ready to cook each morning.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes, 24/7. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and the emergency line covers the rest.
What should I send you?
A short description and a few pictures, with the address and opening hours. We’ll ask for anything else we need.
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. Grease thickness testing shows exactly where the duct stands.
How is kitchen extract ductwork cleaned?
Each section is cleaned through its own panel. Heavy grease comes out by hand, and what’s left is degreased, with readings taken before and after.
Which sectors do you work in?
Any commercial site with kitchens or ventilation, from a small pub to a hospital. We work with hotels, schools, care homes, offices, retail and leisure sites.
What ductwork cleaning can’t fix
Some problems need a different service or another trade:
- Leaking duct joints that need repair
- Sections that can’t be reached safely without new access (those are recorded, and panels can be fitted)
- Ductwork that was poorly designed
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 booking.
What we work on in Merston
- Access panels
- Attenuators
- Multi-storey ducts
- Horizontal duct runs
- Bends and junctions
- Vertical risers
Signs you need ductwork cleaning in Merston
Grease filters that don’t seal let fat straight through. More grease reaches the ductwork than it should, and build-up speeds up.
Keep an eye out for any of the following:
- Heavy grease at the base of a riser
- Thick crusts of old grease along the duct
- Proof of duct cleaning for the insurer
- Fat dripping from the ductwork
Where a hall near Church of St Giles, or anywhere in Merston, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether they’re fully insured
- Whether the price is fixed
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or pictures
Between visits
No system stays clean for ever, but care slows the build-up. A few tips:
- Keep to the interval on the report
- Report any grease dripping from duct joints
- Keep access panels clear of stored items
- Ask us about extra access panels where sections cannot be reached
The report names every part of the duct that couldn’t be reached and why. We can fit access panels so those sections are cleaned next time.
Extra access panels mean more of the duct gets cleaned each time. Grease you can reach is grease that gets removed.
What we do, step by step
Your staff don’t need to do much on the day. A contact on site lets us in at the agreed time and points us to the system, and the rest is down to us. Afterwards, the area is left tidy and the written report follows. If you can send photos, we can arrive in Merston knowing what to expect.
- We start by working out how the duct runs and where it can be opened.
- Set points along the runs are tested for grease.
- Access panels are opened and heavy deposits scraped out by hand.
- Next the ducts and risers are degreased, using whatever suits the deposit.
- Post-clean readings and pictures go into the report, with any unreachable section listed.
How to prepare
- Name a contact who can let us in at the agreed time
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Clear the space around the work
Get a fixed quote
Getting a quote doesn’t take long. Call or email with a few details and you will normally have a fixed price within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Related advice
What ductwork cleaning looks like in Merston
There are about 7 restaurants, cafés and canteens across Merston and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half), according to the Food Standards Agency’s register. Wherever those kitchens cook under a canopy, the horizontal runs and risers need cleaning as well as the hood. The fire and rescue service for Merston is West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Fire and rescue authorities enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic premises, and in a kitchen that fire risk includes the grease in the extract. It’s Chichester council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Merston. 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.
If your kitchen is in a listed or historic building, like the houses around Merston (Goodwood House is about 3.5 miles north), fitting access panels needs care. Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; St Richard's Hospital is the nearest hospital to Merston, about 2.3 miles north-west.
Merston is about 3 miles south-east of Chichester, in West Sussex. We carry out ductwork cleaning for commercial premises of every kind in Merston and the rest of West Sussex. Across West Sussex, we cover 371 places, Merston among them. Portsmouth is in our area too, about 15 miles from Merston.
All of PO20 is covered for ductwork cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Close by, we work in Runcton (1 mile south-west), Colworth (1 mile east), Oving (1 mile north), North Mundham (1 mile west) and Lagness (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Worthing (15 miles east), Bognor Regis (3 miles south-east), Chichester (3 miles north-west), Selsey (6 miles south), Littlehampton (9 miles east) and Emsworth (9 miles west).
Local landmarks in Merston
Around Merston, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Chichester High School For Girls, among other places. The closest station to Merston is Chichester station, roughly 2.3 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include The Chichester City Museum (2.3 miles north-west) and St Richard's Hospital (2.3 miles north-west).
Different parts, different methods
Multi-storey and shared buildings
A duct that climbs several floors may be cleaned over more than one visit. Visits are planned around the building’s hours, out of hours where possible.
Vertical risers
Risers often pass through floors and walls, so fire dampers may be fitted where it crosses them. Damper testing is a separate service.