East Sussex · Ductwork cleaning
Duct cleaning in Selmeston
Ductwork cleaning for Selmeston and the surrounding area: diagnosis first, then a fixed quote, the work and a report with pictures. Call for a fixed quote.
- Heavy grease at the base of a riser
- Gaps where access panels were never fitted
- Grease seeping out of the duct seams
How we handle ductwork cleaning in Selmeston
Once air leaves the canopy, it travels through ductwork that most people never see. Every horizontal run and vertical riser collects grease along the way, and that’s where a kitchen fire can travel. We clean it from the inside, through access panels, to BESA TR19® Grease. The work covers bends and junctions, multi-storey ducts and vertical risers, and the jobs we see most are thick crusts of old grease along the duct and duct runs that can’t be reached.
Somewhere as small as Selmeston, 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, whatever the size of the place.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. That is why every job is written up in a report with pictures, plus a TR19® certificate through the BESCA VHE portal where the work is a TR19® Grease clean.
- Location
- Selmeston (BN26)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Reporting
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Price
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
When something else is needed
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work will not fix:
- Duct sealed behind fixed ceilings or walls
- Fire dampers that don’t close (they need testing and remedials)
- Ductwork that’s corroded, split or holed (that needs a ductwork contractor)
If you are not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we will give you a straight answer.
What we work on in Selmeston
- Attenuators
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
- Bends and junctions
- Access panels
- Multi-storey ducts
Looking after it afterwards
Looking after the system between visits is straightforward, and it helps at the next visit:
- Leave a way through to the access panels
- Store the certificate with the fire risk assessment
- Make sure filters are seated properly
- Run the extract fan throughout service
Grease readings are taken again at the same set points, so the report shows the before and after figures. Before and after pictures sit next to the numbers.
Some signs mean the duct needs attention sooner: drips from the ductwork, stale smells or a noisy fan. Testing will show whether any section has reached 500 microns.
What your team can do, and what needs us
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. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
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.
Multi-site and managed buildings
Keeping records across a portfolio is half the battle. Each visit ends with a dated report and pictures, so you can show an insurer or inspector what was done at each site.
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We can quote either party and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
More services for Selmeston
Questions from Selmeston
Do you work at weekends in Selmeston?
Yes, we can come after you close and finish before you open. The work in Selmeston can fit around your hours. Just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form with your opening times and we will plan around them.
Which fire service covers Selmeston?
Selmeston is in the area of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. If a fire safety officer visits a commercial kitchen, they may ask about the fire risk assessment and how the extract is kept clean.
What’s TR19?
It’s the industry benchmark for cleaning ventilation and kitchen extract systems, written by BESA. It covers how systems are inspected, cleaned and checked and expects a risk-based approach.
How long will the duct clean take?
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 accreditations do you have?
Our accreditations are CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, alongside BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. The Vent Hygiene Elite scheme is run by BESCA and audited independently.
Do we lose a day’s trading?
Not typically. Visits are timed for when the area is closed, such as overnight or at a weekend, so the site can carry on as normal.
How much notice should we give?
That depends on the slot you want and the size of the job. Tell us your preferred dates when you ask for a quote, and if it’s an emergency, call us any time.
Do you look at the system first?
Yes. Photos often do the job, and larger or hidden systems get a visit.
What the work involves, part by part
Horizontal duct runs
Flat runs of duct link the canopy to the riser or the outside wall. They collect grease as the air cools and slows, and we clean them section by section through access panels.
Multi-storey and shared buildings
A fire in a duct in a shared building can affect far more than one kitchen, so the responsible person has more reason to keep it clean. The paperwork suits landlords and managing agents.
Ductwork cleaning around Selmeston
Food Standards Agency data counts about 3 restaurants, cafés and works canteens within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Selmeston. Wherever those kitchens cook under a canopy, the horizontal runs and risers need cleaning as well as the hood. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service covers Selmeston. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. In Selmeston, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Wealden council. 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.
A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near The Parish Church of St Mary or elsewhere in Selmeston, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often. Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (about 5.3 miles south-west), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands.
Selmeston is about 5 miles north of Seaford, in East Sussex. Every kind of commercial site in Selmeston, ductwork cleaning is something we can help with. We can work out of hours so the site keeps running. Selmeston is one of 289 places in East Sussex where we work for commercial clients. Brighton is in our area too, around 12 miles away.
Every address in BN26 is covered for ductwork cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover sites on The Street and Lewes Road and nearby roads. If your site is just outside Selmeston, we cover Alciston (1 mile south), Berwick (1 mile east), Ripe (2 miles north), Winton (2 miles south) and Wickstreet (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (7 miles south-east), Bexhill-on-Sea (14 miles east), Seaford (5 miles south), Lewes (6 miles west), Hailsham (5 miles east) and Crowborough (14 miles north).
Local landmarks in Selmeston
In Selmeston, that means kitchens and buildings near The Barley Mow pub. Selmeston’s nearest station is Berwick (Sussex) station, about 1 mile east. Well-known places in the area include Drusillas Museum (1.8 miles south-east) and Chailey Heritage Marine Hospital (5.3 miles south-west). The countryside around Selmeston includes Firle Beacon.
What we’re called out for in Selmeston
Grease in a duct running from a kitchen in Selmeston is as much a fire risk as in any building. Burning grease can carry fire through the ductwork to other rooms or floors, which is why the responsible person needs it under control.
Clients typically contact us after spotting one of these:
- Duct runs with no cleaning record
- Heavy grease at the base of a riser
- High readings at a recent grease test
- Hardened, baked-on grease in long horizontal runs
If your kitchen is in a listed or historic building, like the houses around Selmeston (Charleston Farmhouse is about 1.2 miles west), fitting access panels needs care.
What to look for in a quote
- Proof of insurance
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
- Whether they recommend a next date
- If they look at the system before pricing
The process
We work around your opening hours, not the other way round. Most visits are booked for when the area is out of use, such as evenings, overnight, early mornings or weekends. Once we’re in, the area is sheeted and anything that has to be off is turned off and cooled, and the work takes a few hours for a short run, longer for long runs and tall risers. A few photos of the system help us make the most of a visit to a place like Selmeston.
- We start by working out how the duct runs and where it can be opened.
- Grease readings are taken at set points along the duct.
- Access panels are opened and heavy deposits scraped out by hand.
- The duct is degreased with the method that suits the grease, from degreasers to hot water or steam.
- Post-clean readings and photos go into the report, with any unreachable section listed.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
How to get a quote
Want a quote for ductwork cleaning? Please call us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and tell us about the site. We will explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before anything is booked.