Greater London · Extract fan repair and replacement
Extract Fan Repair in Balham
Extract fan repair in Balham, surveyed first and signed off with a written report and photos. Call for a fixed quote.
- A fan worn beyond sensible repair
- A fan that will not start at all
- An overheating extract motor
Extract fan repair in Balham
Extract fan repair starts with a diagnosis. A noisy fan might need cleaning, new bearings or a new belt, while a fan that will not start may have a motor or control fault. We explain the problem, and what it will take, before work begins. Typical jobs include an extract that vibrates through the ductwork and a belt-driven fan that squeals, across bearings, fan motors and belts and pulleys.
For a London kitchen, a failed extract fan typically means the cooking stops, and a closed kitchen loses a night’s trade. Fans in Balham are often on a roof or in a basement at the end of a long duct run, so we ask about access first.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, and we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 are in place too, and we carry full insurance.
- Place
- Balham (SW12, SW17, SW4)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Paperwork
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Extract fan repair around Balham
The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 655 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 150 takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Balham. Those that cook under a canopy rely on a fan that runs every hour they’re open. Environmental health officers from Wandsworth council inspect food businesses in Balham. Ventilation is part of food hygiene law, which expects it to be suitable and sufficient. A kitchen without a working fan has a problem to fix quickly. Lifting a replacement fan onto a London roof can need a loading slot and the building’s agreement.
If you run a café or takeaway near Balham station, a failed fan in the middle of service is exactly what our 24/7 emergency line is for. Holidays are the time to replace a tired kitchen fan at schools such as Ravenstone Primary School, rather than mid-term.
Balham is about 2 miles south-west of Stockwell, in Greater London. We provide extract fan repair for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Balham and the rest of Greater London. We cover 764 places across Greater London, large and small.
We work across SW12, SW17 and SW4 for extract fan repair and the roads nearby. Extract fan repair is available to premises on Lynn Road, Weir Road and Byrne Road and nearby roads. Close by, we work in Grange Mills (1 mile north-east), Hyde farm estate (1 mile east), Clapham Park (1 mile north-east), Streatham Park (1 mile south-east) and Tooting Bec (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles north-east), City of Westminster (5 miles north), Marylebone (5 miles north), Kensington (4 miles north-west), St Pancras (6 miles north) and Shoreditch (7 miles north-east).
What’s near Balham
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Oak Lodge School, Wandsworth Common and The Bedford pub, among other places. Balham has its own railway station: Balham station. Well-known places in the area include St James' Hospital (0.5 miles west) and London Sewing Machine Museum (0.6 miles south-west). Not far away are Knight's Hill and Battersea Park Lake.
Towns and villages near Balham
Other services in Balham
Honest limits
Before you book, it helps to know what’s not included:
- Cooking smells reaching neighbours, which may need odour control
- Ductwork designed too small for the kitchen’s cooking
- Grease build-up in the rest of the extract system
If in doubt, ring 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we will say what we think before booking.
Where we work
- Kitchen extract fans
- Roof and wall fans
- Fan motors
- Bearings
- Belts and pulleys
- Fan housings
Questions from Balham
Can you come to Balham after we close?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. That way a site in Balham doesn’t have to lose a day’s trading. When you give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form, mention when the site is quiet.
Is there an emergency callout for extract fans in Balham?
We run a 24/7 emergency line for failed extract fans, and Balham is part of our area. Ring 0345 646 2711 at any hour and describe the fault. Details of the make and model help us plan the repair.
What is TR19?
A BESA specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extract systems and TR19® Air for general ventilation. It isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. Duct Doctor is fully insured, and we can share the details when you need them.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
By covering it before any work starts. The work is kept contained and clean down when we finish.
How far ahead should we book?
Book as early as you can for planned work, especially if the next clean or test is due soon. For emergencies, we take calls 24/7.
Is repair an option before replacing the whole fan?
We look at repairing it first. Where the motor has burnt out or the fan is worn out, replacing it can be the better answer, and we’ll explain why.
Will you fit a new fan if ours can’t be repaired?
Yes. If repair is not sensible, we replace the fan. The replacement has to suit the ductwork and the cooking before recommending a unit.
When to call us in Balham
Some grease always slips past the filters and reaches the fan. Deposits gather on the blades, never quite evenly, and an unbalanced impeller shakes and the noise follows.
What we’re most often called out for:
- An old fan that needs replacing
- A whining or grinding extract motor
- A fan that will not start at all
- An extract that vibrates through the ductwork
If you look after a church or hall kitchen near Church of St Mary, or anywhere in Balham, test the extract fan before a big event rather than on the day.
Questions to ask before booking
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Whether a survey comes first
- Proof of insurance
What affects the cost of extract fan repair
Every site gets its own quote. These are the things that affect it:
- Parking and loading at the site
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- Whether several sites go on one quote
The cost depends on how big the system is, the condition 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 to send for a quote
Before you ask for a quote, gather:
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- Wide photos of the system and the area around it
Need a price for extract fan repair? Please phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email with a few details about the site. We will talk you through the work and send you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
How the job changes from site to site
Belt-driven fans
Belt drives have more moving parts than direct-drive fans. More parts to inspect, but many faults are straightforward to fix.
Fan controls
Controls are checked as well as the fan itself, because a fan that won’t start is not always a failed motor.
How it works
Everything the job needs comes with us, including protection sheets, the right tools and access kit. All we need from you is clear access and the right equipment switched off. The visit takes a few hours on site, depending on the fault and the access to the fan. Managed blocks in London often need contractors booked in ahead, and we are happy to deal with the agent directly for a site in Balham.
- We start with the symptoms, such as rattling, humming, slow running or a fan that will not start.
- Power to the fan is isolated before we open the housing.
- The impeller, bearings, belts or drive, motor and mounts are all inspected.
- You hear what’s wrong and what it will cost, with a fixed quote, before we go ahead.
- Once the work is done, we run the fan and check it’s steady and quiet.
Preparing for the visit
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
- Move anything stored near the system
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
Getting a quote
Getting a quote does not take long. Send a few details and pictures, and we typically reply with a fixed quote within one working day. If we need to see the system first, we book a survey around your hours.
Related advice
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We are happy to deal with either side and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, and that can be the employer, the owner, a landlord, a facilities manager or a managing agent. Where responsibility is shared, records matter even more.
What happens if it’s left?
A fan that is running slowly isn’t clearing the kitchen properly. The kitchen becomes an uncomfortable place to work, and more grease settles where it shouldn’t. In Balham, as across London, ductwork often passes through shared risers and other people’s space.
Combining work into one visit or one programme often makes better use of the time. Mention every system or site you need covered and we’ll price it together.
Why book with us
- A BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- In business since 2009
- Fully insured
- One number for every site across the South East and London