24/7 emergency callout

When to call the emergency line

Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Outside those hours, our 24/7 emergency line is for problems that stop a kitchen or building working safely. Call 0345 646 2711 and tell us what has happened. We’ll talk it through with you and arrange the next step.

If there is a fire, or you can smell burning, call 999 first. Don’t use our line for anything the fire service should be dealing with.

During office hours, call the same number and you’ll reach the office. Emails to hello@ductdoctor.co.uk are picked up in office hours, so for anything urgent out of hours, please call rather than email.

What counts as an emergency

• A failed extract fan. Without extraction, heat, steam and smoke build up quickly, and many kitchens can’t keep cooking. See extract fan repair.
• Clean-down after a grease fire. Once the fire service has made the site safe and said you can go back in, the canopy, duct and fan need cleaning before the kitchen can be used again.
• A flooding grease trap. Grease and waste water backing up into the kitchen. See grease trap cleaning.
• A failed fire damper found before an inspection. If a damper is found stuck or damaged shortly before an inspection or audit. See fire damper repairs.

If you’re not sure whether something is an emergency, call and ask. If it can safely wait until office hours, we’ll tell you and book it in. Routine cleaning, quotes and general questions are best handled in office hours, which keeps the emergency line clear for the calls that need it.

After a kitchen fire

A fire in or near the extract leaves soot, smoke residue and partly burned grease inside the canopy, duct and fan. Nobody should go back into the area, or start cooking, until the fire service has made it safe. After that, the system needs cleaning and checking before it’s used again.

We clean down the canopy, plenum, ductwork, fan and discharge, photograph what we find and record the condition of the system. Your insurer may want to see photos and records, so keep everything we give you. If we find damage to the duct, fan or dampers, we’ll tell you what needs repairing before the system goes back into use.

Tell us what the fire service and your insurer have said, so the clean-down fits what they need.

What to do while you wait

• Fan failure: switch off cooking equipment under the canopy and ventilate the kitchen as best you can. Don’t try to open or repair the fan yourself.
• Grease trap flooding: stop running water into the sinks and dishwashers that feed the trap, and keep people away from slippery floors.
• After a fire: follow the fire service’s instructions and don’t clean anything yourself until it’s been made safe.
• Failed damper: tell your fire risk assessor or building manager, who can advise on any interim measures.

What we can’t promise

We don’t promise a set arrival time, because it depends on where you are, the time of day and what the job needs. What we do promise is that someone answers, listens and gives you an honest answer about when we can be there. We work across London and the South East, and we’ll tell you straight away if we can’t help so you can make other arrangements.

Avoiding emergencies

Most emergency calls follow problems that had warning signs: a fan getting noisier, a drain getting slower, a damper overdue for testing, or a duct overdue for cleaning. Regular cleaning, testing and servicing catch these early. A maintenance contract keeps everything on schedule, so you’re far less likely to need the emergency line.

Out-of-hours visits for routine work are different from emergencies. We clean evenings, overnight and at weekends as a matter of course, so kitchens don’t lose a service. If you need a clean before a reopening or an inspection, call in office hours and we’ll plan it.

What it costs

We don’t publish prices. Emergency and out-of-hours work depends on the problem, the time and what’s needed to put it right. We’ll explain the cost before any work starts.

There are no surprises afterwards.