Hertfordshire · Extract fan cleaning
Extract fan cleaning in Old Knebworth, Hertfordshire
Looking for extract fan cleaning in Old Knebworth? We survey first, send you a fixed quote and work around your opening hours, finishing with a written report and pictures.
- Grease stains around the discharge
- Grease around the motor and its mounts
- Hot, greasy smells near the fan
Extract fan cleaning in Old Knebworth: the local picture
The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 17 restaurants, cafés and canteens and about 11 sandwich bars and takeaways across Old Knebworth and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Where they cook under a canopy, an extract fan is pulling grease-laden air through its blades every service. In Old Knebworth, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from North Hertfordshire council. 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. Old Knebworth is covered by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises.
A hospital like Lister Hospital, about 3.7 miles north, is the kind of site where a kitchen may cook for patients, staff and visitors all day. Term dates shape school work: for a school like Barnwell School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break. Older buildings often hide long, awkward duct runs, and if you run a kitchen at a historic venue in the area (Knebworth House is about 0.2 miles north-west), access may need planning.
Old Knebworth is about 3 miles south-west of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. If you need extract fan cleaning in Old Knebworth, please phone us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email for a fixed quote. We work across South East England and London, including Old Knebworth. Old Knebworth is one of 381 places in Hertfordshire we cover for extract fan cleaning. We also work in London, around 26 miles away.
Postcode districts we cover here for extract fan cleaning: SG3. Local streets include Old Knebworth Lane and Park Lane, and we cover them all for extract fan cleaning. If your site is just outside Old Knebworth, we cover Nup End Green (1 mile south-west), Driver's End (1 mile south-west), Rableyheath (1 mile south), Pottersheath (1 mile south) and Langley (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Hemel Hempstead (13 miles south-west), Stevenage (3 miles north-east), St Albans (10 miles south-west), Welwyn Garden City (5 miles south), Harpenden (7 miles south-west) and Hitchin (6 miles north-west).
Near you in Old Knebworth
Typical jobs here are in premises near Knebworth Park and Robin Hood And Little John Public House. For rail, the closest station is Knebworth station, roughly 1 mile east of the centre. A little further out are Lister Hospital (3.7 miles north) and Stevenage Museum (2.2 miles north). Not far away are Mardley Heath.
About our extract fan cleaning in Old Knebworth
If the extract fan in Old Knebworth has become noisy, weak or greasy? Tell us about it when you call 0345 646 2711 or email us, and we will give you a fixed quote for extract fan cleaning in Old Knebworth, normally within one working day. If you are dealing with thick grease on the impeller and casing and rough running from the extract fan, we can help, from centrifugal fans, in-line fans and fan housings onwards.
In a village or hamlet like Old Knebworth, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are normally a pub, a school, a care home or a hall kitchen, wherever there is one. Every one of them still needs its extract kept clear of grease, whatever the size of the place.
The sign-off is always in writing: a written report, dated and illustrated with pictures, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. Any parts we couldn’t reach are recorded on it too.

- Location
- Old Knebworth (SG3)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Reporting
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
How the visit works
We start by comparing what we find with the survey or your photos. Anything unexpected is raised with you before we go further. From there, it takes an hour or two for one fan, longer when it’s hard to reach. Somewhere like Old Knebworth, lanes, gates and parking are worth mentioning in advance.
- Diagnosis first: we look for grease, noise and vibration.
- With the fan isolated, the housing is opened.
- Each blade is cleaned so the impeller runs evenly.
- We clean the casing, the outlet and around the motor.
- The fan goes back into service with a report on its condition.
Preparing for the visit
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
Ask for a quote
There’s no standard price list, because every site is different. We look at your system first, from photos or on a visit, and then send you a fixed quote. To start, call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form.
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Questions from Old Knebworth
Can the work in Old Knebworth be done at night or at weekends?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. The work in Old Knebworth can fit around your hours. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
Who would carry out a food hygiene inspection at a kitchen in Old Knebworth?
Food hygiene inspections in Old Knebworth are carried out by North Hertfordshire council. Have your latest TR19® certificate and photo report to hand, as an officer may ask how the extract is maintained.
How often should the extract fan be cleaned?
It’s cleaned with the whole extract, from every 3 months for 12 to 16 hours of cooking a day to every 12 months for 2 to 6 hours. Grease readings and the fan’s condition can show it needs more.
Which sectors do you work in?
Any commercial site with kitchens or ventilation, from a small pub to a hospital. We work with hotels, schools, care homes, offices, retail and leisure sites.
How much notice should we give?
For planned work, earlier is better, especially if the next clean or test is due soon. For emergencies, we take calls 24/7.
Can you set up regular visits?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance plans are part of what we do, set at the interval the system needs. Each report recommends when the next visit should be.
What about areas you can’t get to?
They’re marked on the report. In ductwork, new access panels are often the answer, and we can fit those.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. Full insurance covers our work, and we have been trading since 2009.
Managing agents and facilities teams in Old Knebworth
Running several sites is easier with one contractor. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept on a regular cycle.
We regularly work with managing agents. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements and we will come back with a fixed quote.
What affects the quote in Old Knebworth
There’s no set price list, because sites vary so much. The quote depends on:
- How easy every part is to reach
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
- The condition of the system
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
No two sites are the same, so each one gets its own fixed quote. Size, access, the condition of the system and when we can work all play a part.
What to send for a quote
Many jobs can be priced from pictures and some basics. Send what you can of the following:
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
- The times we could work without disrupting the site
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
To get a fixed quote, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and tell us the type of site, your opening hours and roughly what the system looks like. A few photos and your last certificate or report help a lot. We usually come back within one working day.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
Staff cleaning doesn’t replace a specialist visit; it supports it. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
If your staff spot something between visits, such as dripping grease, a noisy fan, a smell or a filter that won’t come clean, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We can diagnose it and quote.
Why deal with it now?
Vibration from an unbalanced impeller does not 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. Our emergency line runs 24/7, but a planned visit to Old Knebworth is calmer for everyone.
Leaving it longer rarely makes the work cheaper. Problems in a system tend to grow, which can make the next visit longer. If you’re not sure what’s needed, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Old Knebworth
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- We are fully insured
- A fixed price before any work starts
Aftercare tips
No system stays clean for ever, but care slows the build-up. A few tips:
- Notice when the fan starts to sound different
- Book the fan into every full TR19 clean
- Tell us if the extract feels weaker
- Never cook with a filter missing
You get before and after pictures of the impeller and housing. It notes what was done and anything that couldn’t be reached, along with the recommended next clean date.
A change in how the fan sounds is worth noting. Rattles, hums or shaking can be early signs of build-up or wear, and catching it early keeps it a cleaning job.
Places near Old Knebworth
What else we do in Old Knebworth
Honest limits
We will always give you a straight diagnosis, so here’s what this work can’t put right:
- A faulty speed controller or isolator
- A dirty duct upstream of the fan
- A fan that was never right for the kitchen
If you are not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book.
What we work on in Old Knebworth
- Centrifugal fans
- Fan housings
- Discharge points
- Roof-mounted fans
- In-line fans
- Axial fans