Medway · Extract fan cleaning
Extract fan cleaning in Hale, Medway
Our technicians work in Hale on extract fan cleaning. Fixed quotes, work around your opening hours and photo reports as standard.
- A heavily greased fan housing
- Grease escaping from the fan outlet
- An extract fan that vibrates or rattles
About our extract fan cleaning in Hale
The extract fan is the heart of the system: it pulls air from the canopy, through the duct and out of the building. Grease that gets past everything else ends up on its blades and housing and we clean it off. The work covers fan housings, in-line fans and discharge points, and common reasons people get in touch are a motor area thick with grease and an extract fan with no cleaning record.
Work in a small place like Hale starts with a call to agree access and timings, and the clean covers the whole system, as it would anywhere: canopy to discharge, then a TR19® certificate and a photo report.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we carry full insurance.
- Place
- Hale (ME5)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Reporting
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Kitchen extracts in Hale
Hale lies within about 3 miles of the sea. Salt in the air is hard on rooftop fans, discharge cowls and fixings, so we check them for corrosion as well as grease. There are about 28 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 47 sandwich bars and takeaways within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Hale, according to the Food Standards Agency’s register. Where they cook under a canopy, an extract fan is pulling grease-laden air through its blades every service. Environmental health officers from Medway council inspect food businesses in Hale. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready.
A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near Christ Church or elsewhere in Hale, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often. Bursars and site managers at schools such as Kingfisher Community Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty.
Hale is about 1 mile south-west of Gillingham, in Medway. From the centre of Hale to the outskirts, extract fan cleaning is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from small sites to large estates. Hale is one of 68 places in Medway we cover for extract fan cleaning. There’s also a page for Maidstone, roughly 7 miles from Hale.
Here we cover the ME5 postcode area for extract fan cleaning. We also cover the places around Hale: Darland (1 mile south-east), Capstone (1 mile south-east), Luton (1 mile north-west), Gillingham (1 mile north-east) and Chatham (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Rochester (3 miles north-west), Strood (4 miles north-west), Hoo St Werburgh (4 miles north), Rochester Riverside (3 miles north-west), Peters Village (4 miles west) and Frindsbury (3 miles north-west).
Around Hale
Around Hale, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near The Star pub, Chatham Grammar School for Girls and Darland Banks, among other places. Hale’s nearest station is Gillingham (Kent) station, about 1.6 miles north. A little further out are Rochester Castle (2.9 miles north-west) and Pentagon Shopping Centre (1.9 miles north-west). Not far away are Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
Some jobs should never be done in-house: entering ducts, working on fans, testing dampers and taking grease readings need training, the right equipment and safe access. Leave those to us.
Good housekeeping makes our visits easier, not unnecessary. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
FAQs for Hale
Which fire authority looks after Hale?
It’s Kent Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Hale. It’s worth keeping your fire risk assessment, TR19® certificates and photo reports together, ready to show.
Can a school canteen extract in Hale be done out of term time?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. Around Hale, the Food Standards Agency lists about 25 schools and colleges with registered kitchens within a mile and a half or so. Booking early in the term gives the best choice of holiday dates.
How much does extract fan cleaning cost?
We do not publish prices, because the cost depends on the job: how big it is, what state it’s in, how we reach it and the working hours. You get a fixed price before any work starts.
Who is responsible for fire safety on the premises?
In the words of the Fire Safety Order 2005, it’s the responsible person. It’s normally the employer, or whoever controls the building, and where several people have control, each can have duties. Your lease and fire risk assessment should make it clear.
What paperwork do I get after a fan clean?
A photo report, including the fan’s condition and the next clean date. File it with your other extract records.
What makes a kitchen extract fan vibrate?
An unbalanced impeller, usually from uneven grease, is a common cause. After cleaning, we will tell you if wear or damage is also involved.
What’s the cleaning interval for an extract fan?
The fan follows the full system’s interval, from every 3 months for 12 to 16 hours of cooking a day to every 12 months for 2 to 6 hours. Readings may show it needs cleaning more often.
What if the fan needs more than a clean?
Anything beyond cleaning is flagged, with what we found. We offer extract fan repair and replacement, and if it fails outright, our 24/7 emergency line is there.
Why deal with it now?
Vibration from an unbalanced impeller doesn’t stay small. It wears bearings and mounts and can lead to a breakdown, which may leave the kitchen without extraction. Cleaning it early is far less disruptive. With notice, the visit to Hale can be fitted around your bookings and events.
Several systems or sites on one quote often makes better use of the time. Tell us about everything you’d like looked at, and you’ll get one fixed quote.
What you get with us
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Fixed quotes, normally within one working day
Read our cost guide or how to check a contractor.
How it works
Night work is normal for us. Evenings, nights and weekends are when much of our work happens, so the site can open as normal afterwards. The visit itself takes a couple of hours per fan, depending on its size and the build-up. If the van will struggle with a lane or gateway near Hale, let us know and we will plan around it.
- The fan is found and its type, access and isolation checked.
- We isolate the power before opening the housing.
- Grease is scraped off the impeller blades and casing.
- Blades, housing and surrounds are degreased with care around the electrics.
- We reassemble, run and photograph the fan.
Before we arrive
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
Ask for a quote
Photos are the quickest way to a quote: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Add the site type and your opening hours, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Related advice
Looking after it afterwards
Once we’ve finished, these simple steps help:
- Keep each photo report with the maintenance log
- Keep access to the fan clear
- Note any drop in extraction at the canopy
- Book the fan into every full TR19 clean
The photo report shows the fan before and after cleaning. It lists what was cleaned and anything we couldn’t reach, along with the recommended next clean date.
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.
What affects the quote in Hale
The quote reflects the site in front of us. We take into account:
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- How many systems or sites are involved
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
What you pay reflects the actual work. That’s why we survey first, from photos or on site, and the price is agreed before we start.
Asking for a quote
There’s no need for technical detail. Just send:
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
Quotes are quick. Send a few details and pictures, and we normally reply with a fixed quote within one working day. If we need to see the system first, we book a survey around your hours.
Other services in Hale
What extract fan cleaning can’t fix
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- A fan that is too small for the system (a design question)
- A motor that has burnt out
- Wiring faults to the fan
If you are not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Fan housings
- Roof-mounted fans
- Centrifugal fans
- Axial fans
- In-line fans
- Discharge points
Do you need extract fan cleaning in Hale?
How fast a fan gets greasy in Hale depends on the cooking: daily hours and the amount of frying and grilling. Under BESA guidance, the whole system, fan included, needs cleaning at least every 3, 6 or 12 months depending on daily hours.
What we are most often called out for:
- Grease stains around the discharge
- Vibration from an unbalanced impeller
- A smell of hot grease from the extract
- A noisy fan that has got louder over time
Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; Medway Maritime Hospital is the nearest hospital to Hale, about 1.3 miles north-west.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether the quote is based on a survey or pictures
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Whether VAT is included
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor