Greater London · Extract fan cleaning
Extract fan cleaning in Catford, Greater London
Need extract fan cleaning in Catford? We diagnose first, fix the price and book the work around your hours, then sign off with a report and photos.
- A fan coated in grease inside its housing
- Weak extraction at the canopy
- A fan shaking on its mounts
How the visit works
There are three stages on the day: getting the area ready, doing the work and signing it off. Set-up means sheeting and making equipment safe, while signing off means the written report and photos. The middle part takes longest, which takes an hour or two for most single fans. For a job in Catford, tell us about loading bays, permits, lifts and roof access when you book.
- First we locate the fan and agree how it’s safely isolated.
- Power to the fan is isolated before anyone touches it.
- Grease is scraped from the impeller blades and the inside of the housing.
- We degrease the fan and housing, taking care around the motor.
- The fan is put back into service, checked and photographed.
How to prepare
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
How to get 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. Add the site type and your opening hours, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Related advice
Extract fan cleaning in Catford, done properly
Is the extract fan louder than it used to be, or the airflow weaker? Tell us about it when you ring 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line, and you will get a fixed price, normally within one working day. Common call-outs are for an extract fan with no cleaning record and a heavily greased fan housing, on discharge points, axial fans and fan housings.
Across London, many commercial kitchens are squeezed into basements and narrow back-of-house spaces, with extract ducts that can climb several floors to discharge at roof level. In Catford, as elsewhere in the capital, a long duct run means more access points to open and more grease to remove.
We are CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, we hold ISO 9001 and we’re fully insured. We’re also a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, trading since 2009.
- Where
- Catford (SE6, BR1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Reporting
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Part by part
Kitchens with long cooking hours
Kitchens that cook 12 to 16 hours a day put the most grease through their fans. BESA guidance sets at least 3-monthly cleaning for that level of use, fan included.
Inline duct fans
Space around an inline fan can be tight, so the method is planned in advance. Anything out of reach is recorded.
Honest limits
We will not sell you work that doesn’t address the problem, so these are the things it won’t cover:
- A motor that has burnt out
- Electrical faults in the fan’s supply or controls (an electrician’s job)
- An undersized fan that can’t cope
If you’re not sure, just call us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Parts of the system we cover
- Fan housings
- Centrifugal fans
- Axial fans
- In-line fans
- Roof-mounted fans
- Discharge points
Extract fan cleaning in Catford: the local picture
The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 292 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 197 sandwich bars and takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Catford. Grease builds up on fan blades and housings in kitchens like these, unbalancing the impeller. In Catford, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Lewisham council. A greasy canopy or dripping filters are the sort of thing an inspection can pick up. Before-and-after pictures from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand. Fire safety in Catford falls to London Fire Brigade. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises.
If you cook for passing trade around Catford Bridge station, the extract can be cleaned between your last and first customer. Term dates shape school work: for a school like Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break.
Catford is about 5 miles east of Streatham, in Greater London. Catford gets the same approach as every site we work on: diagnosis first, a fixed price, out-of-hours working where necessary and a written report with pictures. Our Greater London coverage runs to 764 places, and Catford is one of them.
All of SE6 and BR1 is covered for extract fan cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Bargery Road, Penerley Road and Inchmery Road, and we cover them all for extract fan cleaning. We also cover the places around Catford: Bellingham (1 mile south-west), Southend (1 mile south-west), Ladywell (1 mile north), Hither Green (1 mile north-east) and Bell Green (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (5 miles north-west), City of Westminster (8 miles north-west), Marylebone (8 miles north-west), Kensington (9 miles north-west), St Pancras (7 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (6 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Catford
Around Catford, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near The London & Rye pub, Trinity Church of England School and Forster Memorial Park and the streets around them. The closest station to Catford is Catford Bridge station, about 0.5 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Greenwich Castle (2.6 miles north) and University Hospital Lewisham (0.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downham Woodland Walk and Knight's Hill.
Signs you need extract fan cleaning in Catford
Grease builds up unevenly on the blades. The difference throws the impeller off balance and puts strain on the bearings. Left too long, grease turns into wear.
Most sites get in touch after spotting one of these:
- A fan that no longer moves enough air
- Hot, greasy smells near the fan
- A fan shaking on its mounts
- A fan that has never been cleaned
Church and community hall kitchens, near Church of St Laurence and Community Centre or anywhere around Catford, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other.
Comparing quotes
- What’s included in the scope, part by part
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Whether they recommend a next date
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
Leave it or put it right?
Grease on a roof fan can also escape outside. It marks the area around the outlet and leaves more fuel outside, which is one more reason to keep it clean. It’s better booked as a planned job in Catford than handled as an emergency.
You won’t find a price list here, because the cost depends on the site in front of us. Call for a fixed quote, and we’ll talk you through it.
Why Catford businesses choose us
- A written report with pictures after each visit
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- Every job surveyed first
Take a look at our cost guide and our accreditations and certificates.
Aftercare tips
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Flag smoke lingering at the canopy
- Book the fan into every full TR19 clean
- Check filters are seated before cooking
- File the fan’s report with your other records
Keep the report with the maintenance log and fire risk assessment. It shows the fan’s condition at the time of the clean, which helps if anything changes later.
Keep the route to the fan clear. A fan that can be reached safely is a fan that gets cleaned, whether it’s on a roof, in a ceiling or on a wall.
Questions from Catford
Can you work in Catford outside opening hours?
Yes. We work evenings, overnight and at weekends. The work in Catford can fit around your hours. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
Can you clean school kitchen extracts in Catford during the holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. The FSA’s register shows about 46 schools and colleges with food registrations within roughly a mile and a half of Catford. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
What does extract fan cleaning cost?
There’s no set price, as it depends on the job: how big it is, what state it’s in, how we reach it and the working hours. We fix the price before any work starts.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes. Photos often do the job, and larger or hidden systems get a visit.
What if parts of the system can’t be reached?
Anything we can’t reach goes on the report, with photos where possible, and we explain what access is needed, such as extra access panels in ductwork.
What makes a kitchen extract fan vibrate?
Build-up on the impeller is a frequent reason, because it unbalances the fan. Worn bearings and motor problems are others, which our report will flag.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. Tell us the addresses and what each needs and you’ll get one fixed quote.
How often should the extract fan be cleaned?
At least as often as the rest of the extract, which BESA guidance sets by daily cooking hours: from 3-monthly for heavy use to 12-monthly for light use. Some fans need attention sooner.
Towns and villages near Catford
Other services in Catford
For landlords and multi-site operators
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, the lease normally sets out who maintains what. We’re happy to deal with either side, and the report can go to both.
We regularly work with managing agents. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements, and we will send a fixed quote.