East Sussex · Ductwork cleaning
Duct cleaning in Northiam
Ductwork cleaning for commercial sites in Northiam and across East Sussex. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and fully insured.
- A duct clean needed for an insurer
- Duct runs with no cleaning record
- Duct runs that can’t be reached
How we handle ductwork cleaning in Northiam
Duct cleaning is the hardest part of an extract clean, and the part most often skipped. Sections with no way in can go uncleaned for years. We open up every reachable section and record any we can’t reach, so you know exactly where you stand. If you’re dealing with duct runs with no cleaning record and grease leaking from duct joints, we can help.
Somewhere as small as Northiam, commercial kitchens are few: perhaps a pub, a school or care home kitchen, or a hall used for events. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease.
Accreditations are easy to claim and worth checking. We are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, with full insurance on top.
- Where
- Northiam (TN31)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Records
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Quotes
- A fixed price before we start
- When we work
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
What we do, step by step
On the day, we arrive at the time agreed with you, often in the evening, overnight or at the weekend so the site keeps working. Equipment that has to be off is switched off and allowed to cool first, and floors and nearby surfaces are sheeted. The work itself takes from a few hours to more than one visit, depending on duct length and access. We agree a date with you, plan the drive to Northiam and turn up when the site is quiet.
- First the duct route is traced and every access point noted.
- We measure grease thickness at set points before cleaning.
- Through the access panels, thick grease is removed by hand first.
- Horizontal runs and risers are then degreased by the method that suits the deposit.
- Post-clean readings and pictures go into the report, with any unreachable section listed.
Getting ready for the visit
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
- Tell us where we can park and unload
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
Getting a quote
Need a price for ductwork cleaning? Please call 0345 646 2711 or email us and tell us about the site. We’ll talk you through the work and send you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Related advice
For landlords and multi-site operators
We regularly work with managing agents. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements, and we will send a fixed quote.
We work for landlords, managing agents and facilities managers as well as the people running the site. Where a system serves more than one tenant, such as a shared riser, it helps to agree who arranges the work, and we are happy to quote for all of it.
Northiam kitchens: local notes
Northiam sits within the area of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. Food hygiene inspections in Northiam are the job of Rother council’s environmental health team. An officer looking round a kitchen will see the canopy, and grease there is hard to miss. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
Bursars and site managers at schools such as Northiam Church of England Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty. If your kitchen is in a listed or historic building, like the houses around Northiam (Great Dixter is about 0.5 miles west), fitting access panels needs care.
Northiam is about 9 miles north of Hastings, in East Sussex. Every kind of commercial site in Northiam, we can take on ductwork cleaning. We can work out of hours so the site keeps running. Our East Sussex coverage runs to 289 places, and Northiam is one of them. For sites nearby, see our Maidstone page, about 19 miles away.
Postcode districts we cover here for ductwork cleaning: TN31. If you need ductwork cleaning at premises on Station Road, Main Street and Elizabeth Gardens or a nearby road, our technicians can take on the work. You’ll find Northiam on the A268, so it’s easy for us to get to for ductwork cleaning. Other places close to Northiam include Beckley (2 miles south-east), Beckley Furnace (3 miles south), Broad Oak (3 miles south), Flackley Ash (3 miles east) and Broadland Row (4 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Hastings (9 miles south), Bexhill-on-Sea (12 miles south-west), St Leonards (10 miles south), Hastings Old Town (10 miles south), Belmont (10 miles south) and Heathfield (15 miles west).
Landmarks near Northiam
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Hayes Arms Hotel and the streets around them. Other landmarks nearby include The C.M Booth Collection (4 miles north). Not far away are Flatropers Wood.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Staff cleaning and specialist work are not 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.
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A simple log of filter washes, wipe-downs and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, alongside our reports.
What a clean will not put right
Not every problem is solved by ductwork cleaning, and we’d rather say so up front. It won’t put right:
- Ductwork that is corroded, split or holed (that needs a ductwork contractor)
- A worn-out fan that needs replacing
- Parts of the duct with no way in
If in doubt, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we’ll say what we think.
What the work covers
- Attenuators
- Access panels
- Bends and junctions
- Multi-storey ducts
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
Common questions in Northiam
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Northiam?
It’s East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Northiam. It’s worth keeping your fire risk assessment, TR19® certificates and photo reports together, ready to show.
Which council inspects kitchens in Northiam?
That’s Rother council, whose environmental health officers carry out food hygiene inspections in Northiam. It helps to keep the extract cleaning records with your food safety paperwork, so they’re ready if asked for.
How do you know if the ductwork needs cleaning?
A grease thickness test gives the answer. Readings are taken by Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) or Deposit Thickness Test (DTT). BESA guidance says the mean shouldn’t exceed 200 microns, and 500 or more anywhere needs immediate spot cleaning.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. Plans on a 3, 6 or 12-monthly cycle are available, depending on what the system needs.
How long does ductwork cleaning take?
Short runs are quick, while long ducts and tall risers can need more than one visit. Visits are planned out of hours.
What is TR19?
It’s BESA’s specification and the benchmark insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to. It covers how systems are inspected, cleaned and checked, and it takes a risk-based approach.
Can you come out in an emergency?
Yes. For anything urgent, such as a fan failure or damage after a fire, ring the 24/7 line and we’ll talk you through the next steps.
What’s involved in cleaning extract ducts?
We get into the duct through its access panels. Heavy grease is scraped out by hand, then the surfaces are degreased with a method that suits the deposit, such as degreasers, hot water or steam.
Keeping the system healthy
A little care between visits keeps the system in better shape. Our advice:
- Keep to the interval on the report
- Get panels fitted where the duct couldn’t be cleaned
- Tell us if grease leaks from the ductwork
- Check readings when the menu changes
A full system clean includes a TR19 certificate from the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. It records the date, the location and the technician.
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.
What affects the quote in Northiam
Before we fix a price, we need to know a few things. We look at:
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- The scale of the work
- The condition we find in the survey
- Whether we need access equipment or extra panels
You won’t find a price list here, because each job is priced on what it involves. For a fixed quote, ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos, and we will talk you through it.
Asking for a quote
Photos let us diagnose from a distance. The most useful are:
- The postcode and the type of business
- Any previous report or certificate
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- The times we could work without disrupting the site
Every quote begins with a look at the system, from your pictures and details or, where that is not enough, a survey on site. Then we send a fixed price, before work begins.
Why it’s worth doing now in Northiam
A dirty duct is something insurers ask about. 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. Somewhere as small as Northiam, losing a kitchen or building to a fault is felt by everyone who uses it.
The cost depends on how big the system is, the condition it’s in and how easy it is to reach. You get a fixed price before work begins, so you know where you stand.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Northiam
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
Read how cleaning jobs are priced and our accreditations and certificates.