East Sussex · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork Cleaning in Sweethaws
We cover Sweethaws for ductwork cleaning. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with photos as standard.
- Stale grease odours from the duct
- An insurer asking for TR19 evidence
- Duct runs that can’t be reached
How the visit works
The first job on site is protection: sheeting goes over floors and surfaces close to the work. Then we make the system safe and start. The work on site takes anything from a few hours to several visits, depending on the length of duct, and the area is cleaned down before we leave. Rural roads and tight entrances are worth telling us about before a visit to Sweethaws.
- We trace the duct and find every way in.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
Getting a quote
Photos are the quickest way to a quote: wide shots of the system, close-ups of anything that worries you and how we’d get to it. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and we can price many jobs without a visit.
Related advice
Ductwork cleaning in Sweethaws, done properly
Between the canopy and the fan runs the ductwork, hidden above ceilings and inside walls. Grease settles along every metre of it, and that’s where a kitchen fire can travel. Our ductwork cleaning reaches inside the runs and risers through access panels, to BESA TR19® Grease. The work covers multi-storey ducts, bends and junctions and attenuators, and people most often call us about hardened, baked-on grease in long horizontal runs and stale grease odours from the duct.
In a village or hamlet like Sweethaws, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are normally a pub, a school, a care home or a hall kitchen, wherever there is one. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease, whatever the size of the place.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. So every job comes with a written report and photos, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Where
- Sweethaws (TN6)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Reporting
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Quotes
- A fixed price before work begins
- Hours
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
What your team can do, and what needs us
Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping canopies, washing grease filters and recording it in a log. Inside the ducts, risers and fan is specialist work, and that’s where we come in.
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A simple log of filter washes, wipe-downs and checks shows an inspector that the system is looked after between visits, alongside our reports.
What the work involves, part by part
Vertical risers
A riser takes the duct up through one or more floors. Grease collects on the walls and at the foot of the riser, which is one of the points we test.
Access panels
Access panels are the doors that let us into the duct. Without them, parts of the duct can’t be reached, and TR19 expects them to be recorded.
Honest limits
Before booking, it helps to know what’s not included:
- Sections that can’t be reached safely without new access (those are recorded, and panels can be fitted)
- Faulty fire dampers
- A worn-out fan that needs replacing
If in doubt, ring 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we’ll say what we think before you book.
What we work on in Sweethaws
- Bends and junctions
- Multi-storey ducts
- Attenuators
- Access panels
- Vertical risers
- Horizontal duct runs
What ductwork cleaning looks like in Sweethaws
Food Standards Agency records include about 3 hotels, B&Bs and guest houses within about 1.5 miles of central Sweethaws. Wherever they cook, the canopy, duct and fan collect grease just as a restaurant’s do. Sweethaws is covered by East Sussex 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. It’s Wealden council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Sweethaws. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Keeping each certificate and photo report on file helps show the extract is looked after.
Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; Crowborough War Memorial Hospital is the nearest hospital to Sweethaws, about 1.3 miles north-east.
Sweethaws is about 2 miles south-west of Crowborough, in East Sussex. Wherever you are in the TN6 postcode area, we can take on ductwork cleaning. Sweethaws is one of 289 places in East Sussex we cover for commercial clients. Brighton is in our area too, about 18 miles from Sweethaws.
Work in TN6 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. If your site is just outside Sweethaws, we cover High Hurstwood (1 mile south), Crowborough (2 miles north-east), Fairwarp (2 miles south-west), Jarvis Brook (2 miles north-east) and Marden's Hill (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Lewes (12 miles south-west), Hailsham (13 miles south-east), Uckfield (5 miles south), South Malling (12 miles south-west), Heathfield (7 miles south-east) and Southover (13 miles south-west).
Near you in Sweethaws
In Sweethaws, that means kitchens and buildings near The Crow & Gate inn. The closest station to Sweethaws is Crowborough station, roughly 2.2 miles east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Tickerage Castle (4.6 miles south) and Crowborough War Memorial Hospital (1.3 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Crowborough Country Park.
Questions from Sweethaws
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Sweethaws?
It’s East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Sweethaws. TR19® isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark many fire officers and insurers look to when they ask how often the extract is cleaned.
Do you work at weekends in Sweethaws?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. Your customers, staff or residents in Sweethaws needn’t be disturbed. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
What information do you need?
Where the site is, what it is and when it’s open, along with a few photos and any previous report.
How do you clean inside the ductwork?
Through access panels along the duct. Thick deposits are removed by hand before degreasing, such as degreasers, hot water or steam.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes. Plans on a 3, 6 or 12-monthly cycle are available, to suit the system and how it’s used.
Are you insured?
Yes. We’re fully insured, and we can share the details when you need them.
Can you come out in an emergency?
Yes. There’s a 24/7 emergency line, for problems that cannot wait. Ring any time and tell us what’s happened.
Can you price the work without visiting?
Often, yes. Photos of the system and the access, plus your opening hours and last report, are often enough. Where we cannot see enough, we arrange a survey.
Between visits
Aftercare is simple, and it makes the next visit easier:
- Make sure filters are seated properly
- Check readings when the menu changes
- Don’t block access panels with shelving or stock
- File each certificate and photo report in the maintenance log
Access panels are closed and sealed back up after cleaning, and the area around them is cleaned down. Waste grease and water are taken away.
The less grease gets past the canopy, the cleaner the duct stays. Clean, properly seated filters are the duct’s best protection.
Why it’s worth doing now in Sweethaws
Under BESA guidance, the mean grease level should stay at or below 200 microns between cleans. A reading of 500 microns or more at any point means a spot clean straight away. Putting off the clean only pushes readings higher. Systems in rural buildings are often out of sight and out of mind.
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Build-up, wear and faults tend to get worse, not better, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you’re unsure, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email for straight advice and a fixed quote.
Why us?
- CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001
- A written report with photos after each visit
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Fully insured
Places near Sweethaws
More services for Sweethaws
Do you need ductwork cleaning in Sweethaws?
The further the air travels from the cooking, the cooler it gets. Cooling air drops its grease onto the inside of the duct, so duct runs keep collecting grease long after the canopy.
Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Grease leaking from duct joints
- Thick deposits at the bottom of a vertical duct
- A duct clean needed for an insurer
- Stale grease odours from the duct
School kitchens, at schools like Beacon Academy for example, are normally cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- If they look at the system before pricing
- Whether a written report and pictures are included