Greater London · Ductwork cleaning
Ductwork Cleaning in Upper Holloway
Our technicians work in Upper Holloway on ductwork cleaning. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with photos as standard.
- Ductwork that has never been cleaned
- Readings above 200 microns from a grease thickness test
- Thick deposits at the bottom of a vertical duct
Common problems we fix in Upper Holloway
Air cools as it moves away from the canopy. Cooling air drops its grease onto the inside of the duct, which is why ducts go on gathering grease well beyond the filters.
Keep an eye out for any of the following:
- Duct runs with no cleaning record
- Duct runs that cannot be reached
- Readings above 200 microns from a grease thickness test
- Grease pooling at the foot of the riser
School kitchens, at schools like St John's Upper Holloway CofE Primary School for example, are normally cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost.
What to look for in a quote
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- What happens if part of the system can’t be accessed
- When the next visit should be, and why
How we handle ductwork cleaning in Upper Holloway
Duct Doctor has cleaned kitchen extract ductwork since 2009, working across London and the South East. We’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, with each certificate issued through the BESCA portal. The work covers vertical risers, multi-storey ducts and attenuators, and people most often call us about thick crusts of old grease along the duct and gaps where access panels were never fitted.
In a London area like Upper Holloway, a kitchen extract often passes through shared space on its way out: a riser, a service void, the floors above. Grease in a duct like that is a fire risk to the whole building, not just the kitchen, so a regular TR19® clean protects everyone in it.
We have been trading since 2009, as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 are in place too, and we carry full insurance.
- Location
- Upper Holloway (N19, N7, N6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Paperwork
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, typically within a working day
- When we work
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
How the job changes from site to site
Access panels
We can fit new access panels where the duct needs them, so the next clean reaches more of the system. We’ll recommend where they should go.
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. Your certificate and report give building managers the record they need.
FAQs for Upper Holloway
Which fire service covers Upper Holloway?
It’s London Fire Brigade, which covers Upper Holloway. If a fire safety officer visits a commercial kitchen, they may ask about the fire risk assessment and how the extract is kept clean.
Do you clean school canteen extracts around Upper Holloway out of term?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. With about 47 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Upper Holloway, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. You deal with one contact for every site across London and the South East, with visits on a regular schedule.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes, every time. Diagnosis comes before treatment: the survey shows what needs doing and what access we need and the fixed quote is built on it.
What is TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification in two main parts: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark.
What does ductwork cleaning cost?
Size, condition, access and working hours all affect the cost. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll normally reply within one working day.
How do you know if the ductwork needs cleaning?
Start with the date of the last clean. If it’s overdue, or there is not one, a clean is due, and grease readings will confirm how urgent it is.
How do you protect the area?
We cover floors and nearby surfaces with sheeting before work begins, and waste is contained as we go. Before we leave, we tidy up and clean down.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
For anyone managing more than one site, we can plan visits across the whole estate and price them together. Each site gets its own report and pictures, so records stay tidy.
The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty to manage fire risk on the responsible person, and that can be the employer, the owner, a landlord, a facilities manager or a managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
What happens on the day
Our technicians bring everything the work needs, from protective sheeting to tools and access equipment. You only need to give us clear access and switch off what needs to be off. On site, the work takes a few hours for a short run, longer for long runs and tall risers. Before any visit in Upper Holloway, we agree where the van can stop and how equipment reaches the system.
- First we diagnose: the route, the access and the grease levels.
- You get a fixed price before work starts.
- Each section is cleaned in turn through its access panel.
- We take extra care at bends and at the foot of risers.
- Readings, pictures and a recommended next clean date complete the job.
Getting ready for the visit
- Dig out any earlier paperwork for the system
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
Get a fixed quote
Want a quote for ductwork cleaning? Please phone us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and tell us about the site. We’ll explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Related advice
What a clean won’t put right
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- Sections that can’t be reached safely without new access (those are recorded, and panels can be fitted)
- Undersized or badly laid-out ducts
- Faulty fire dampers
If you’re not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we’ll give you a straight answer.
What the work covers
- Access panels
- Bends and junctions
- Horizontal duct runs
- Attenuators
- Multi-storey ducts
- Vertical risers
What affects the cost of ductwork cleaning
The quote reflects the site in front of us. We take into account:
- How many systems or sites are involved
- Whether we need access equipment or extra panels
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- Travel, parking and unloading
The price reflects the work, not guesswork. That is why we survey first, from pictures or on site, and why the quote is fixed before any work starts.
Asking for a quote
Photos and a few facts are often enough to price the work. Send what you can of the following:
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
- Wide pictures of the system and the area around it
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, you get a fixed price before we start.
What staff can safely do
In-house cleaning and specialist cleaning do different jobs. 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.
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, next to our reports.
Upper Holloway kitchens: local notes
There are about 513 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 158 sandwich bars and takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Upper Holloway, according to the Food Standards Agency’s register. The duct above a busy canopy coats itself in grease long before anyone sees it. Overnight is the normal time to clean a London kitchen extract, so trading is not affected. In Upper Holloway, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Islington council. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector.
A hospital like Royal Northern Hospital, about 0.5 miles south-east, is the kind of site where a kitchen may cook for patients, staff and visitors all day. If you cook for passing trade around Upper Holloway station, the extract can be cleaned between your last and first customer.
Upper Holloway is about 2 miles east of Hampstead, in Greater London. Upper Holloway gets the same approach as every site we work on: diagnosis first, a fixed price, out-of-hours working where needed and a written report with pictures. Our Greater London coverage runs to 764 places, and Upper Holloway is one of them.
Postcode districts we cover here for ductwork cleaning: N19, N7 and N6. Streets in the area include Ward Road, Kiver Road and Foxham Road, and we cover them all for ductwork cleaning. You’ll find Upper Holloway on the A103, which makes it straightforward for our technicians to reach for ductwork cleaning. We also cover the places around Upper Holloway: Tufnell Park (1 mile south), Dartmouth Park (1 mile south-west), Highgate (1 mile north-west), Nag's Head (1 mile south-east) and Holloway (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover London (5 miles south), City of Westminster (4 miles south), Marylebone (3 miles south), Kensington (5 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles south) and Shoreditch (4 miles south-east).
What’s near Upper Holloway
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around City of London Academy, Whittington Park and The Mother Red Cap pub and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Asanté Academy of Chinese Medicine (1.2 miles north-west) and Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (2 miles south). There’s a railway station in Upper Holloway itself: Upper Holloway station. Well-known places in the area include The Mall Wood Green (2.3 miles north-east) and Royal Northern Hospital (0.5 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Dartmouth Park Hill and Parkland Walk.