Kent · Ductwork cleaning
Tonbridge ductwork cleaning
Ductwork cleaning in Tonbridge from ventilation hygiene specialists trading since 2009. Out-of-hours visits and 24/7 emergency callout.
- High readings at a recent grease test
- Proof of duct cleaning for the insurer
- Smells of old cooking grease from the ductwork
Questions from Tonbridge
Who inspects food businesses in Tonbridge?
Food hygiene inspections in Tonbridge are carried out by Tonbridge and Malling council. Ratings are published by the Food Standards Agency, so a clean extract and good records are worth keeping up.
Which fire authority looks after Tonbridge?
That is Kent Fire and Rescue Service. TR19® is not law, but it’s the benchmark many fire officers and insurers look to when they ask how often the extract is cleaned.
Will the duct clean disrupt the kitchen?
Only while we’re working, and we work around you. Most kitchens book overnight or weekend cleans, so no service is lost.
What does TR19 mean?
TR19® is the BESA specification for keeping ventilation systems clean. Since 2019, TR19® Grease has been a standalone specification for grease in kitchen extract systems, while TR19® Air covers other supply and extract ductwork.
What happens if there are not enough access panels?
Ductwork needs access to be cleaned. Those parts are listed, and we can install panels so they’re reached next time.
How much does ductwork cleaning cost in Tonbridge?
It depends on the site, so we quote each one individually. For a quote, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email with the site type, opening hours and a few photos.
Can you quote from pictures?
Yes, for many jobs. Send wide shots, close-ups of any access panels and anything that worries you, and we usually come back within one working day. Some sites still need a visit, and we will say so.
How much notice should we give?
Book as early as you can for planned work, particularly if your next visit is nearly due. For emergencies, we take calls 24/7.
How we handle ductwork cleaning in Tonbridge
We have been trading since 2009, working across London and the South East. We’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and our certificates are issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. We are often asked to deal with stale grease odours from the duct and grease seeping out of the duct seams, on multi-storey ducts, attenuators and bends and junctions.
For a pub, café or restaurant in a town like Tonbridge, losing a day’s trade to cleaning isn’t an option, so the work is done after service, overnight or on a closed day. By the next service, the kitchen is ready to cook in again.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, and we’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 are in place too, and we’re fully insured.
- Where
- Tonbridge (TN9, TN10, TN11)
- Region
- Kent
- Paperwork
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Kitchen extracts in Tonbridge
There are about 50 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 30 takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Tonbridge, according to the Food Standards Agency’s register. Each kitchen that cooks under a canopy sends grease-laden air into a duct, where it cools and settles. Tonbridge sits within the area of Kent 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. Environmental health officers from Tonbridge and Malling council inspect food businesses in Tonbridge. They look at how clean the premises and equipment are, and the kitchen extract is part of that. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked.
Term dates shape school work: for a school like New Beacon School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break. If you run a café or takeaway near Tonbridge station, early starts and late finishes leave little time to clean, so overnight extract cleaning suits.
Tonbridge is about 12 miles south-west of Maidstone, in Kent. For ductwork cleaning in and around Tonbridge, please give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos for a fixed quote. Our area covers London and the South East, Tonbridge included. 922 places in Kent are on our list, large and small. Our Maidstone page covers sites nearby (12 miles or so).
Every address in TN9, TN10 and TN11 is covered for ductwork cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need ductwork cleaning at premises on High Street, Old London Road and London Road or a nearby road, our technicians can take on the work. Being close to the A26 and A227, Tonbridge is simple for us to get to at any hour. If your site is just outside Tonbridge, we cover Lower Haysden (2 miles south-west), Leigh (3 miles west), Bidborough (3 miles south-west), Southborough (3 miles south) and Printstile (3 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (12 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (7 miles north-west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (4 miles south), Swanley (14 miles north), Kings Hill (7 miles north-east) and Foley Park (12 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Tonbridge
In Tonbridge, that means kitchens and buildings near Haysden Country Park, Royal Rise Primary School and Hillview School for Girls. For rail, the closest station is Tonbridge station, about 0.6 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include The Milne Museum (under half a mile west) and Tonbridge Castle (within half a mile south-west). The countryside around Tonbridge includes Tudeley Woods RSPB reserve and Barden Lake.
Different parts, different methods
Horizontal duct runs
Horizontal runs carry the extract along ceilings and through voids. Grease drops out of the slowing air along them, so each section is cleaned through its access panels.
Bends and transitions
Grease tends to pile up at elbows. We clean it back by hand and with degreaser, and test it before and after.
The process
There’s very little for your team to do on the day. Someone lets us in at the agreed time and shows us where everything is, and the rest is down to us. Afterwards, the area is left tidy and the written report follows. Three things shape a visit in Tonbridge: when you are closed, where we can park and how we get to the system.
- First the duct route is traced and every access point noted.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
Get a fixed quote
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. We look at your system first, from photos or on a visit, and then send you a fixed quote. To get going, ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form.
Related advice
Keeping the system healthy
A little care between visits keeps the system in better shape. We recommend:
- Have the grease measured if cooking hours go up
- Report any grease dripping from duct joints
- Run the extract fan throughout service
- Keep grease filters clean and fitted whenever you cook
Any section of duct we couldn’t reach is listed on the report, with the reason. You can then decide whether to have access panels fitted.
Have access panels fitted where sections can’t be reached. It doesn’t stop grease forming, but it stops it building unseen.
Also near Tonbridge
Other services in Tonbridge
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Your own staff can handle the daily basics: wiping down canopy surfaces, cleaning filters and keeping a simple log. Inside the ducts, risers and fan is specialist work, and that is where we come in.
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, next to our reports.
What a clean will not put right
We won’t sell you work that doesn’t address the problem, so these are the things it won’t cover:
- A failed fan motor at the end of the duct (a fan repair job)
- A damper stuck open in the duct
- Ductwork that was poorly designed
If in doubt, call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll say what we think.
What we work on in Tonbridge
- Attenuators
- Access panels
- Multi-storey ducts
- Vertical risers
- Bends and junctions
- Horizontal duct runs
When to call us in Tonbridge
Grease filters that don’t seal let fat straight through. The duct then takes grease that the filters should have stopped and it fills faster.
Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Hardened, baked-on grease in long horizontal runs
- Fat dripping from the ductwork
- An insurer asking for TR19 evidence
- A rancid smell from the extract duct
Volunteers running a hall kitchen near Church of St Peter and St Paul, or anywhere in Tonbridge, may not know when the extract was last cleaned, and a grease test settles it.
Comparing quotes
- Exactly which parts of the system are covered
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or photos
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- What records you will receive afterwards
Why act early in Tonbridge
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 right away. Leaving the duct makes those limits harder to keep to. A fresh certificate on file is the best thing to have when someone asks to see your records.
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Problems in a system tend to grow, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you’re unsure, call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us for straight advice and a fixed quote.
Why book with us
- Fully insured
- Trading since 2009
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
Take a look at our cost guide or our accreditations and certificates.