Reading · Grease filter exchange
Grease filter exchange in Play Hatch, Reading
Specialist grease filter exchange for Play Hatch: diagnosis first, then a fixed quote, the work and a report with pictures. Call for a fixed quote.
- Filter washing that keeps being missed
- A canopy that drips grease
- Grease left in baffles after washing
Grease filter exchange in Play Hatch
We run grease filter exchange for all kinds of kitchens in Play Hatch, whether there’s one canopy or many. Visits can be timed around your service so nobody has to stop cooking. Common call-outs are for smoke and heat lingering under the hood and grease building up behind the canopy filters, on school and hospital kitchens, baffle filters and island canopies.
In a village or hamlet like Play Hatch, 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.
Think of the report as the system’s health record: a dated account with photos of everything we did. For TR19® Grease cleans, the certificate comes through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal, ready for your insurer.
- Place
- Play Hatch (RG4)
- Region
- Reading
- Records
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- Working hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Different parts, different methods
Canopy filter housings
Grease collects in the channels and drip trays below the filters. We point it out if it needs cleaning.
Mesh filters
Mesh filters use layers of metal mesh to trap grease. In a busy kitchen, mesh soon blocks, so they need changing often.
What affects the quote in Play Hatch
We quote each job individually. This is what makes a difference:
- How big the system is
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- The condition we find in the survey
The cost depends on the size of the system, the condition it’s in and how easy it is to reach. You get a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
Helping us quote
Before you ask for a quote, gather:
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
Getting a quote doesn’t take long. Call or email with a few details and you will typically have a fixed price within one working day. If we need to see the system first, we book a survey around your hours.
How it works
There’s very little for your team to do on the day. Someone lets us in at the agreed time and shows us where everything is, and the rest is down to us. Before we leave, the area is tidied and the paperwork follows. For a village or hamlet like Play Hatch, tell us about narrow lanes, gates and parking when you book.
- First, we check the canopies and the filters in them.
- Any damaged or missing filters are noted.
- Greasy filters are swapped for clean ones.
- We check the filters are seated and the canopy is ready to use.
- We tell you if the plenum or canopy needs a clean.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Clear the space around the work
- Name a contact who can let us in at the agreed time
How to get a quote
The quickest way to a quote is to send photos: wide shots of the system, close-ups of anything that worries you and how we’d get to it. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and we can price many jobs without a visit.
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What happens if it’s left?
For any kitchen in Play Hatch, filters cannot stand in for a full TR19 clean. But clean filters do help the system between cleans, and that shows when the next clean comes round. Our emergency line runs 24/7, but a planned visit to Play Hatch is calmer for everyone.
One small site or a whole estate, we price it on the same basis: what needs doing, how we get to it and when. The price is fixed before work begins.
Why us?
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- In business since 2009
- We diagnose before we treat
- Fixed quotes from a survey or pictures
Take a look at how cleaning jobs are priced and how to check a contractor.
Grease, kitchens and Play Hatch
Food Standards Agency data counts about 24 restaurants, cafés and canteens and about 10 takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Play Hatch. Each canopy among them has filters that load with grease and need swapping or cleaning. Kitchens in Play Hatch get their food hygiene inspections from Reading council. An officer looking round a kitchen will see the canopy, and grease there is hard to miss. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector. Play Hatch is covered by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order.
School kitchens, at schools like St Martin's Catholic Primary School for example, are typically cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost. Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; Royal Berkshire Hospital is the nearest hospital to Play Hatch, about 2.3 miles south-west. Older buildings often hide long, awkward duct runs, and if you run a kitchen at a historic venue in the area (Mapledurham House is about 4.4 miles west), access may need planning.
Play Hatch is about 1 mile east of Caversham, in Reading. We provide grease filter exchange for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Play Hatch and the rest of Reading. Our Reading coverage runs to 34 places, Play Hatch among them.
Work in RG4 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. That includes premises on Dene Close, Henley Road and Foxhill Lane and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out grease filter exchange in Dunsden Green (1 mile north), Caversham Park Village (1 mile west), Littlestead Green (1 mile north-west), Emmer Green (1 mile west) and Sonning (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover Norcot (4 miles west), West Reading (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles west), Shinfield (5 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south) and Horncastle (5 miles south-west).
What’s near Play Hatch
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre, Reading Blue Coat School and The Shoulder of Mutton pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Reading station, about 2.2 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include The Oracle (2.4 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.3 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Alder Moors and South Lake.
Aftercare tips
Once we have finished, these simple steps help:
- Make sure no filter is left out
- Book full TR19 cleans alongside filter changes
- Keep the canopy clear for exchange visits
- Report damaged filters so they can be replaced
Your team carries on as normal, without the filter washing. Just keep the canopy clear for the next visit and let us know of any changes to opening hours.
A kitchen that is getting busier needs its filters changed more often. Adjusting the schedule now prevents a build-up in the ducts.
What grease filter exchange cannot fix
Some problems need a different service or another trade:
- Odours from the discharge that filters will not stop
- A heavily greased plenum or canopy, which needs cleaning to TR19
- Extraction problems caused by the fan rather than the filters
If you are not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking.
What the work covers
- School and hospital kitchens
- Restaurants and pubs
- Baffle filters
- Wall canopies
- Island canopies
- Mesh filters
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. Cleaning inside ducts and units is specialist work.
In-house cleaning and specialist cleaning do different jobs. Wiping filters daily and washing them weekly keeps the visible parts in order, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
Also near Play Hatch
Also in Play Hatch
Questions from Play Hatch
Do you work in villages like Play Hatch?
Yes. Villages and rural sites across the South East are part of our work, Play Hatch included. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in Play Hatch?
Fire safety enforcement in Play Hatch is handled by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. It’s worth keeping your fire risk assessment, TR19® certificates and photo reports together, ready to show.
What happens if you can’t reach some of it?
They’re listed in the report, never skipped quietly. The report says which parts couldn’t be reached and why, and we can quote to improve the access.
Does a filter exchange replace TR19 cleaning?
It is not. Clean filters help keep grease down, but the ducts and plenum still need cleaning at an interval set by risk assessment.
How far ahead should we book?
That depends on the slot you want and the size of the job. Mention your preferred dates with your enquiry, and for anything urgent, ring our 24/7 emergency line.
Can damaged filters stay in the canopy?
Each filter is looked at when we exchange. We tell you about any that are damaged, because gaps let grease into the plenum.
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes. For many sites, photos and a few details are enough, while bigger or harder-to-see systems are surveyed on site.
Are you accredited?
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.