Greater London · Extract fan cleaning
Extract fan cleaning in Thornton Heath, Greater London
Extract fan cleaning for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Thornton Heath. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- A noisy fan that has got louder over time
- Less air being pulled from the kitchen
- An extract fan that vibrates or rattles
How we handle extract fan cleaning in Thornton Heath
Duct Doctor has been cleaning kitchen extract fans since 2009. We are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we are fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001. The work covers centrifugal fans, in-line fans and axial fans, and the jobs we see most are a fan that hums, whines or rumbles and grease escaping from the fan outlet.
In London, few kitchens can spare a day to close, so extract cleaning in Thornton Heath is usually done overnight, after the last service. Before the clean, we agree loading, parking and roof access with whoever manages the building.
It’s worth checking any contractor’s accreditations. We are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are fully insured.
- Place
- Thornton Heath (CR7, SW16, SE25)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Records
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Price
- A fixed price before work begins
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Grease, kitchens and Thornton Heath
The FSA’s food hygiene register includes about 15 bars, pubs and nightclubs and about 10 hotels, B&Bs and guest houses in Thornton Heath and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Wherever they cook, the canopy, duct and fan collect grease just as a restaurant’s do. Environmental health officers from Croydon council inspect food businesses in Thornton Heath. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Keeping each certificate and photo report on file helps show the extract is looked after. The fire and rescue service for Thornton Heath is London Fire Brigade. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order.
A kitchen near Thornton Heath station that serves breakfast and dinner can run its extract twelve hours or more, which shortens the cleaning interval. If you run catering at a healthcare site, such as a hospital like Croydon University Hospital about 0.7 miles south, the extract may need cleaning more often than a part-time kitchen.
Thornton Heath is about 7 miles south of London, in Greater London. Whether your site is in the middle of Thornton Heath or further out, extract fan cleaning is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from small sites to large estates. Our area takes in 764 places across Greater London, large and small. London is in our area too, around 7 miles away.
Work in CR7, SW16 and SE25 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. That includes premises on Ena Road, Elm Road and Mayo Road and the roads around them. Thornton Heath sits on or near the A23 and A212, which makes travel easy for extract fan cleaning. Other places close to Thornton Heath include Norbury (1 mile north), Pollards Hill (1 mile north), Mitcham (2 miles west), Hackbridge (2 miles west) and Eastfields (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover London (7 miles north), City of Westminster (8 miles north), Marylebone (8 miles north), Kensington (8 miles north-west), St Pancras (9 miles north) and Shoreditch (9 miles north).
Local landmarks in Thornton Heath
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Archbishop Lanfranc School, Prince George pub and Grangewood Park, among other places. Thornton Heath has its own railway station: Thornton Heath station. Nearby you will also find Centrale Croydon (1.7 miles south) and Croydon University Hospital (0.7 miles south). Open spaces near Thornton Heath include Biggin Wood and Duppas Hill.
How the visit works
On the day, we arrive at the time agreed with you, often in the evening, overnight or at the weekend so the site keeps working. Anything that needs to be off for the work is switched off and left to cool first, and the area around the work is covered and protected. On site, it takes an hour or two for most single fans. In Thornton Heath, as across London, we normally work overnight or at weekends and hand the site back ready to open.
- First we check the fan’s condition and how it sounds.
- Once isolated, we open the fan up.
- The impeller is cleaned blade by blade so it runs balanced.
- 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
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Tell us where we can park and unload
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
Getting a quote
Quoting starts with a diagnosis, from your photos and details or, where that is not enough, a survey on site. Then we send a fixed price, before any work starts.
Related advice
When something else is needed
We’ll always give you a straight diagnosis, so here’s what this work cannot put right:
- A fan that was never right for the kitchen
- A failed motor or worn bearings (that needs a fan repair or replacement)
- A cracked or broken impeller (it needs replacing)
Not sure which it is? You can phone us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we’ll tell you honestly.
What the work covers
- Discharge points
- Axial fans
- Fan housings
- In-line fans
- Centrifugal fans
- Roof-mounted fans
Part by part
Fan housings and motors
Inside the casing, grease is thrown onto the walls. We clean it along with the blades.
Impellers and blades
While the impeller is clean, we can see its condition: cracks, bent blades or wear. We note any concerns.
Why act early in Thornton Heath
A fan that sounds rough in Thornton Heath is often telling you the extract needs a clean. If the fan is coated, the duct before it usually is too so a full TR19 clean may be due. In Thornton Heath, as across London, ductwork often passes through shared risers and other people’s space.
The cost depends on the size of the system, what state it’s in and access to every part of it. You get a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
What you get with us
- Fixed quotes, typically within one working day
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Trading since 2009
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
Towns and villages near Thornton Heath
What else we do in Thornton Heath
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping canopies, washing grease filters and recording it in a log. What they can’t safely do is clean inside the ductwork, the fan or the risers, which is where we come in.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, the lease normally sets out who maintains what. We are happy to deal with either side and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
Multi-site operators often want one contractor and one number. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept on a regular cycle.
Thornton Heath: your questions answered
Can school kitchens in Thornton Heath be cleaned in the holidays?
Yes. The holidays are the usual time for school work. With about 39 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Thornton Heath, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Send us your term dates when you give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email, and we will fit the work in.
Do you work at weekends in Thornton Heath?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. The site is handed back ready to open. When you give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us, mention when the site is quiet.
Is it safe to clean the fan while the kitchen is open?
We always isolate the fan first, so it can’t run during the clean. That means the extract is off, so we clean while the kitchen is closed.
What happens to the waste?
We take it away when we go. During the work, it’s contained to keep the area clean.
Which kinds of sites do you work on?
All kinds of commercial and public premises: kitchens, offices, schools, healthcare, retail, leisure and food production. We fit the work around how the site operates.
Is Thornton Heath in your area?
Yes. We work in Thornton Heath and across Greater London, as part of our work across South East England and London. To book, ring 0345 646 2711 or email us.
Who is the responsible person?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it’s the responsible person: normally the employer or whoever controls the premises. Landlords, facilities managers and managing agents can also hold responsibility.
How far ahead should we book?
Earlier is better, particularly for night and weekend visits. Quotes normally come back within one working day, and emergencies are covered by our 24/7 line.
Do you need extract fan cleaning in Thornton Heath?
Fans that are hard to reach are often the ones that get missed. If it wasn’t included in past cleans, it may hold years of grease, and the report will show it.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Vibration from an unbalanced impeller
- Grease stains around the discharge
- A fan left out of previous cleans
- Rough running from the extract fan
Term dates shape school work: for a school like Winterbourne Junior Girls' School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break.
What your quote should include
- Whether a survey comes first
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Whether the work can be done while the site is closed