Kent · Grease filter exchange
Otford grease filter exchange
For grease filter exchange in Otford, one call is all it takes, from survey to sign-off. CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, ISO 9001 and fully insured.
- Filters so greasy the air can barely pass
- Filters that come out of the sink still dirty
- Filters that leave gaps in the canopy
Managing agents and facilities teams in Otford
When the building owner and the occupier are different, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We’re happy to deal with either side and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
We also work for facilities teams across offices, schools and healthcare in Otford and across Kent. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
Grease filter exchange in Otford
A clean set of filters is a simple, regular dose of prevention. Between full cleans, it keeps the airflow healthy, and it saves your staff a greasy job. Full TR19 cleaning still comes at the right interval, with a certificate. The work covers restaurants and pubs, mesh filters and school and hospital kitchens, and the jobs we see most are a canopy running with filters missing and filters left unwashed on busy weeks.
In a smaller place like Otford, the kitchens with extract systems are more likely to be a pub, a café, a takeaway or a school or care home kitchen than a big restaurant. Quieter kitchens still collect grease in the duct, just more slowly, so the interval is set by hours of use and grease readings.
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 are fully insured.
- Place
- Otford (TN14)
- Region
- Kent
- Records
- Written report with pictures
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
When to call us in Otford
The type of cooking matters. Frying, grilling and chargrilling produce far more grease than steaming or baking so no single schedule suits every kitchen.
What we’re most often called out for:
- Filters left unwashed on busy weeks
- Drips falling from the filters onto equipment
- Grease left in baffles after washing
- Missing filters in the filter bank
Bursars and site managers at schools such as Otford Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty.
Questions to ask before you book
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- What hours they’ll be on site
- What paperwork you get at the end
Towns and villages near Otford
Also in Otford
When it’s something else
To be straight with you, some problems need a different fix:
- A canopy that needs a proper clean
- Greasy ducts and risers that a filter change will not reach
- Smell complaints that need odour control equipment
If you’re not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Parts of the system we cover
- Restaurants and pubs
- Wall canopies
- School and hospital kitchens
- Mesh filters
- Island canopies
- Baffle filters
Questions from Otford
Can the work in Otford be done at night or at weekends?
Yes, we can come after you close and finish before you open. The work in Otford can fit around your hours. Just phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form with your opening times and we’ll plan around them.
Who inspects food businesses in Otford?
Food hygiene inspections in Otford are carried out by Sevenoaks council. It helps to keep the extract cleaning records with your food safety paperwork, so they’re ready if asked for.
Do you offer emergency callouts?
Yes. If something urgent happens, like a fan failing or damage after a fire, call our 24/7 line, and we will advise on what to do next.
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes, every time. We diagnose before we treat: the survey shows what needs doing and what access we need, and the quote is based on that.
What should go in our maintenance log?
Every certificate and report from each visit, filed in the maintenance log with your in-house cleaning records. BESA advises that certificates record the date, location and technician.
What does TR19 mean?
A BESA specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark.
How far ahead should we book?
For planned work, earlier is better, especially if the next clean or test is due soon. For emergencies, we take calls 24/7.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
No. The law sets the duty; TR19® is the benchmark used to show it’s met. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person has to manage fire risk, and many insurers can refuse or reduce a claim without proof of cleaning.
Grease filter exchange around Otford
Food Standards Agency data counts about 8 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 5 takeaways within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Otford. Clogged filters slow the airflow, and busy kitchens like these clog them fast. In Otford, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Sevenoaks council. A greasy canopy or dripping filters are the sort of thing an inspection can pick up. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers Otford. Fire and rescue authorities enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic premises, and in a kitchen that fire risk includes the grease in the extract.
Church and community hall kitchens, near Church of St Bartholomew or anywhere around Otford, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other. If you cook for passing trade around Otford station, the extract can be cleaned between your last and first customer.
Otford is about 2 miles north of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Every kind of commercial site in Otford, we can take on grease filter exchange. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so trading isn’t interrupted. Across Kent, we cover 922 places, and Otford is one of them. There’s also a page for Maidstone, about 15 miles away.
Grease filter exchange in TN14 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Station Road, High Street and Bubblestone Road, and we cover them all for grease filter exchange. Neighbouring places we cover for grease filter exchange include Twitton (1 mile west), Shoreham (2 miles north), Sepham Heath (2 miles north-west), Halstead (3 miles north-west) and Badgers Mount (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (15 miles east), Dartford (9 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (13 miles south), Gravesend (12 miles north-east), Tonbridge (9 miles south-east) and Northfleet (11 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Otford
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Knole Academy, The Woodman pub and Fackenden Down, among other places. Otford has its own railway station: Otford station. Other landmarks nearby include Kemsing Castle Bank (1.7 miles east) and Otford Heritage Centre (less than half a mile south-east). Green spaces nearby include Dryhill Nature Reserve.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
Staff cleaning and specialist work are not the same thing. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, but they do not reach the grease that builds up further in. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Some jobs should never be done in-house: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease call for the right kit, training and safe access. Leave those to us.
What affects the quote in Otford
Before we fix a price, we need to know a few things. We check:
- Parking and loading at the site
- How big the system is
- How easy every part is to reach
- Whether several sites go on one quote
The price reflects the work, not guesswork. That’s why every job is surveyed first, and why the quote is fixed before any work starts.
Helping us quote
Photos let us diagnose from a distance. Try to include:
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
- Any previous report or certificate
- The postcode and the type of business
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
The quickest way to a quote is to send photos: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Looking after it afterwards
Once we have finished, these simple steps help:
- Report damaged filters so they can be replaced
- Watch for grease drips between visits
- Wipe the outside of the canopy as part of daily cleaning
- Keep the extract on whenever the range is in use
Between visits, check that every filter is still in place. Gaps let grease into the plenum, so let us know if one goes missing or gets damaged.
Filter exchange and TR19 cleaning work best together. Setting both up on a schedule means neither slips.
How the visit works
Night work is normal for us. Evenings, nights and weekends are when much of our work happens, so a kitchen or building can carry on as usual the next day. On site, the work takes a few minutes per canopy, longer for a large kitchen with several canopies. For a place like Otford, we load the van from the survey notes so the work can be done in one visit where possible.
- The filters in each canopy are measured and counted.
- We set the interval with you.
- The dirty set is lifted out.
- A clean set is fitted and checked for gaps.
- We take the greasy set away and confirm the next date.
Before we arrive
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
- Tell us where we can park and unload
How to get a quote
Want a quote for grease filter exchange? Please ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form with a few details about the site. We’ll explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before anything is booked.