Wokingham · Ductwork cleaning
Duct cleaning in Reading
Cleaning of kitchen extract ductwork, horizontal runs and vertical risers through access panels for Reading, with a survey first and a report with photos at the end. Call for a fixed quote.
- A duct clean needed for an insurer
- Ductwork that has never been cleaned
- Years of grease along the duct floor
Ductwork cleaning for kitchens and businesses in Reading
Between the canopy and the fan runs the ductwork, hidden above ceilings and inside walls. Every horizontal run and vertical riser collects grease along the way and a fire in the duct can spread through the building. Our ductwork cleaning reaches inside the runs and risers through access panels, to BESA TR19® Grease. Common call-outs are for smells of old cooking grease from the ductwork and ductwork that has never been cleaned, across access panels, horizontal duct runs and bends and junctions.
In Reading, extract cleaning fits around service: after the last cover, before breakfast or on a day the kitchen is shut. Bigger sites can be done kitchen by kitchen, so cooking carries on elsewhere.
The paperwork matters as much as the work. Each visit is written up with photos, listing what was done, anything we couldn’t reach and when the next visit is due. File it in your maintenance log so it’s ready for an insurer, fire officer or EHO.
What affects the cost of ductwork cleaning
Your quote is based on your site. We consider:
- Whether we need access equipment or extra panels
- The condition of the system
- Site rules, permits and inductions
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
Whatever the type of site, the quote works the same way: how much there is, how we reach it, what state it’s in and when we can work. Ask for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
What to send for a quote
Many jobs can be priced from photos and some basics. Send what you can of the following:
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Any previous report or certificate
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
For ductwork cleaning in Reading, ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos. Tell us what kind of premises it is and when it’s open, and send pictures or your last report if you can. We typically send a fixed quote within one working day.
Common problems we fix in Reading
Ducts in Reading gather grease for the same reasons as ducts anywhere: hours of cooking, the type of food and how well the filters are kept. BESA guidance sets minimum intervals of 3, 6 or 12 months depending on daily use.
It’s time to book a visit if you see:
- Grease seeping out of the duct seams
- Duct runs with no cleaning record
- High readings at a recent grease test
- An insurer asking for TR19 evidence
If you look after a school kitchen, at a school such as Coley Primary School or anywhere near Reading, the holidays are the usual time for a TR19® clean.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Whether the work can be done while the site is closed
- Whether a written report and pictures are included
- If they look at the system before pricing
What a clean will not put right
We’d rather tell you now than book work that will not help, so these are the things it will not cover:
- A damper stuck open in the duct
- Duct sections that need replacing
- Parts of the duct with no way in
If you’re not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will give you a straight answer.
Parts of the system we cover
- Bends and junctions
- Vertical risers
- Horizontal duct runs
- Access panels
- Attenuators
- Multi-storey ducts
Also near Reading
Other services in Reading
How the job changes from site to site
Horizontal duct runs
The underside of a horizontal duct collects the most grease. Thick deposits are scraped out by hand before degreasing, then the walls and roof are cleaned too.
Bends and transitions
Grease tends to pile up at elbows. We clean it back by hand and with degreaser, and readings are taken there before and after.
The process
Each visit runs to the same pattern: protect the area, isolate whatever needs isolating, carry out the ductwork cleaning, tidy up and hand over the paperwork. On site, the work takes from a few hours to more than one visit, depending on duct length and access. Larger sites in Reading can be done in phases, out of hours, so part of the building keeps working.
- The duct route is surveyed and every access point found.
- Grease thickness is measured at set points.
- Once the kitchen has closed, we protect the area and open the panels.
- Thick grease is scraped out, then the runs and risers are degreased.
- We close up, re-test, photograph and record anything out of reach.
Getting ready for the visit
- Clear the space around the work
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
Get a fixed quote
Photos are enough for some jobs, while others need a look on site. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in pictures, get a survey first. Either way, you get a fixed price before work begins.
Advice
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
For anyone managing more than one site, 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.
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’re happy to quote for all of it.
Questions from Reading
Do you clean school canteen extracts around Reading out of term?
Yes. Half-terms and the summer break are the natural time for school work. The FSA’s register shows about 29 schools and colleges with food registrations within roughly a mile and a half of Reading. You can give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email with the dates the site is empty.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in Reading?
Fire safety enforcement in Reading is handled by Royal Berkshire 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.
Can you price the work without visiting?
In many cases, yes. Photos of the system and the access, plus your opening hours and last report, are often enough. Larger or hidden systems need a survey on site first.
What do you do with what you remove?
It leaves the site with us at the end of the visit. During the work, it’s contained so the area stays clean.
What accreditations do you have?
CHAS, SafeContractor, ISO 9001 and BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We’re fully insured and have been trading since 2009.
How often should kitchen ducts be cleaned?
The minimum depends on how long the kitchen cooks each day: 3-monthly for heavy use, 6-monthly for moderate and 12-monthly for light use. Grease readings may show it needs doing sooner.
What about areas you can’t get to?
They’re marked on the report. Often the fix is extra access, such as new panels in ductwork, and we can fit those.
Can one contract cover all our sites?
Yes. One number covers all your sites in our area, and visits can be set on a regular cycle.
Aftercare tips
Once we have finished, these simple steps help:
- Check readings when the menu changes
- Never cook with a filter missing
- Tell us if grease leaks from the ductwork
- Do not block access panels with shelving or stock
You will have a recommended date for the next clean, based on the readings and your daily cooking hours, in line with BESA guidance.
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.
Reading kitchens: local notes
Food Standards Agency records list about 287 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 83 takeaways and sandwich shops within about 1.5 miles of central Reading. The duct above a busy canopy coats itself in grease long before anyone sees it. In Reading, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Reading council. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. Keeping each certificate and photo report on file helps show the extract is looked after. Reading sits within the area of Royal Berkshire 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.
If you cook for passing trade around Reading West station, the extract can be cleaned between your last and first customer. Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Royal Berkshire Hospital (about 0.8 miles east), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands.
Reading is about 38 miles west of London, in Wokingham. From the centre of Reading to the outskirts, ductwork cleaning is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from small sites to large estates. Reading is one of 35 places in Wokingham we cover for ductwork cleaning.
All of RG6, RG31, RG1 and RG30 is within our area for ductwork cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Ductwork cleaning is available to premises on Downshire Square, Market Way and Market Place and nearby roads. Main roads around Reading include the A4 and A33, so getting to you is simple for ductwork cleaning. Neighbouring places we cover for ductwork cleaning include Coley Park (1 mile south-west), West Reading (1 mile north-west), Newtown (1 mile east), Lower Caversham (1 mile north-east) and Whitley (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Wokingham (6 miles south-east), Woodley (3 miles east), Crowthorne (9 miles south-east), Lower Earley (3 miles south-east), Winnersh (4 miles east) and Woosehill (6 miles south-east). Being one of Wokingham’s larger places, Reading has commercial sites of every size, and we cover all of them for ductwork cleaning.
Near you in Reading
Typical jobs here are in premises near Former Kennet Arms, Eldon Square and Kendrick School and the streets around them. Also close by are University of Reading library (1.5 miles south-east) and Eurospeak Language School (0.5 miles north). The nearest railway station is Reading West station, about 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find The Oracle (within half a mile north-east) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.8 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Sonning Hill and Longwater.