East Sussex · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork cleaning in Old Heathfield, East Sussex
Cleaning of kitchen extract ductwork, horizontal runs and vertical risers through access panels for Old Heathfield, with a survey first and a report with pictures at the end. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- A duct clean needed for an insurer
- Ductwork that has never been cleaned
- Hardened, baked-on grease in long horizontal runs
How we handle ductwork cleaning in Old Heathfield
Duct cleaning is the hardest part of an extract clean, and the part most often skipped. Without enough access panels, long stretches can go years without being touched. Each section we can reach is cleaned, and any we cannot is written down, so you know exactly where you stand. Typical jobs include smells of old cooking grease from the ductwork and heavy grease at the base of a riser, on vertical risers, horizontal duct runs and access panels.
Work in a small place like Old Heathfield starts with a call to agree access and timings, and the clean itself is the same full TR19® job as in any town: canopy, filters, duct, fan and discharge, with a certificate and photo report at the end.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. That is why every job is written up in a report with photos, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Old Heathfield (TN21)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Reporting
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- Hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Between visits
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Leave a way through to the access panels
- Keep grease filters clean and fitted whenever you cook
- Consider fitting panels where the report shows gaps
- Have the grease measured if cooking hours go up
After the clean, the same points are tested again, giving you before and after readings. Photos of each section go alongside them.
Run the extract the whole time the kitchen is cooking. When the air stops, grease settles in the duct, so switching off early adds to the build-up.
How it works
The first job on site is protection: floors, worktops and anything near the work are covered. Then we make the system safe and start. The work on site takes a shift or more, depending on the length of the runs and the number of access points, and we clear up before we go. Seeing the system in photos first means the trip to Old Heathfield can be planned properly.
- We trace the duct and find every way in.
- We take grease readings along the route.
- Once the kitchen has closed, we protect the area and open the panels.
- Heavy deposits come out by hand, then each section is degreased.
- Panels are closed, readings and pictures repeated, and unreachable sections recorded.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
How to get a quote
Every quote begins with a look at the system, either from photos and details you send or from a site visit. Then we send a fixed price, before any work starts.
Related advice
Signs you need ductwork cleaning in Old Heathfield
A duct with too few access doors cannot be fully cleaned. Stretches with no way in may never have been touched, and the grease there keeps building out of sight.
Any of these means the system needs a check-up:
- An insurer asking for TR19 evidence
- Fat dripping from the ductwork
- Stale grease odours from the duct
- Thick deposits at the bottom of a vertical duct
For schools such as Heathfield Community College, kitchen extract cleaning is normally booked for the holidays, when the canteen is closed.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- Whether a written report and pictures are included
- How areas they can’t reach will be recorded
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or pictures
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
When the building owner and the occupier are different, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We’re happy to deal with either side, and the report can go to both.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Good housekeeping makes our visits easier, not unnecessary. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
In-house cleaning and specialist cleaning do different jobs. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, but they don’t reach the grease that builds up further in. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Ductwork cleaning around Old Heathfield
Food Standards Agency records list about 15 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 4 sandwich bars and takeaways within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Old Heathfield. The duct above a busy canopy coats itself in grease long before anyone sees it. Fire safety in Old Heathfield falls to East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Its fire safety officers can audit commercial kitchens, and grease in the extract is part of a kitchen’s fire risk. It’s Wealden council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Old Heathfield. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready.
Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Hellingly Hospital (about 5 miles south), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands. Bateman's, about 4.9 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses near Old Heathfield; if you run event catering at a venue like that, cleans can be booked between functions.
Old Heathfield is about 7 miles north of Hailsham, in East Sussex. We carry out ductwork cleaning for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Old Heathfield and the rest of East Sussex. We cover 289 places across East Sussex, large and small. Brighton is in our area too, around 20 miles away.
Postcode districts we cover here for ductwork cleaning: TN21. Streets in the area include School Hill and Church Street, all of which we cover for ductwork cleaning. Other places close to Old Heathfield include Cade Street (1 mile north), Sandy Cross (1 mile west), Heathfield (1 mile west), Broad Oak (1 mile north) and Warbleton (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover Eastbourne (12 miles south), Hastings (14 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (11 miles south-east), Seaford (15 miles south-west), Lewes (13 miles south-west) and Hailsham (7 miles south).
What’s near Old Heathfield
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Star Inn and Parkside Community Primary School. Nearby you will also find Hellingly Hospital (5 miles south) and Old Castle (3.6 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Selwyns Wood.
Why act early in Old Heathfield
Old grease in a duct for a kitchen in Old Heathfield 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. Out of sight is the usual reason a rural system goes too long without attention.
The cost depends on how big the system is, what state it’s in and how easy it is to reach. We give you a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Old Heathfield
- We are fully insured
- We diagnose before we treat
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001
Read our cost guide and our accreditations.
How we price ductwork cleaning
We do not publish a price list, because no two systems are the same. What we look at:
- How many systems or sites are involved
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- The size of the system
- What state the system is in
No two sites are the same, so we price each one individually. Size, access, the condition of the system and when we can work all make a difference.
Asking for a quote
Photos let us diagnose from a distance. The most useful are:
- The postcode and the type of business
- Wide photos of the system and the area around it
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
- Any previous report or certificate
Getting a quote does not take long. Send a few details and pictures, and we typically reply with a fixed quote within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Common questions in Old Heathfield
Do you cover smaller places like Old Heathfield?
Yes, Old Heathfield is part of our area, however small the site. A survey first, from photos or a visit, means we arrive with the right kit.
Do you work at weekends in Old Heathfield?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. That way a site in Old Heathfield does not have to lose a day’s trading. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
Do we need to close while you work?
Not normally. Visits are timed for when the area is closed, such as overnight or at a weekend, so the site can carry on as normal.
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 do you protect the area?
Floors and surfaces near the work are sheeted before we start, and waste is contained as we go. At the end, the area is cleaned down.
Are you accredited?
We hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, alongside BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. Vent Hygiene Elite is run by BESCA and independently audited.
What is TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It is not law, but it’s the benchmark.
What information do you need?
A short description and a few pictures plus the address and your hours. We’ll ask for anything else we need.