Hertfordshire · Grease filter exchange
Grease filter exchange in Shephall, Hertfordshire
A scheduled grease filter exchange, swapping dirty canopy filters for clean ones for commercial sites in Shephall and across Hertfordshire. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- Missing filters in the filter bank
- Smoke and heat lingering under the hood
- Filter washing that keeps being missed
Grease filter exchange for kitchens and businesses in Shephall
Each visit is quick and tidy. We lift out the dirty filters and fit a clean set, and we check they’re seated with no gaps. Anything that needs attention is pointed out. If you’re dealing with a greasy plenum behind the filters and missing filters in the filter bank, we can put it right.
Kitchens around a place like Shephall are often in older buildings or single-storey extensions, with the duct running through a roof space or up an outside wall. Long horizontal runs like that hold grease and need access panels to reach.
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers all look at records. So every job comes with a written report and photos, plus a TR19® certificate through the BESCA VHE portal where the work is a TR19® Grease clean.
- Location
- Shephall (SG2, SG1)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Paperwork
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quote
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Night work is normal for us. Evenings, nights and weekends are when much of our work happens, so the site can open as normal afterwards. The visit itself takes anything from a few minutes to an hour or so, depending on the number of filters. Getting to the system matters more than parking in a place like Shephall, so let us know how to reach it.
- We count and measure the filters in every canopy.
- A change schedule is agreed to match the kitchen’s cooking hours.
- On each visit, the dirty filters come out of the canopy.
- Clean, dry filters are fitted in their place, with no gaps left between them.
- We flag any damaged filters or anything wrong with the canopy.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
How to get a quote
Quoting starts with a diagnosis, either from pictures and details you send or from a site visit. After that, you get a fixed price for the work so you know the cost before any work starts.
Advice
What your team can do, and what needs us
Some jobs should never be done in-house: entering ducts, working on fans, testing dampers and taking grease readings need training, the right equipment and safe access. That’s our job.
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.
Different parts, different methods
Mesh filters
Mesh filters use layers of metal mesh to trap grease. They clog quickly in a busy kitchen and need frequent attention.
The plenum
Heavy grease in the plenum often follows clogged or missing filters, or that a full clean is due.
Do you need grease filter exchange in Shephall?
The type of cooking matters. Frying, grilling and chargrilling produce far more grease than steaming or baking, so the right exchange interval varies.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Filters that leave gaps in the canopy
- Grease building up behind the canopy filters
- Drips falling from the filters onto equipment
- Grease filters clogged with grease
Church and community hall kitchens, near Church of Saint Mary or anywhere around Shephall, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other.
What to look for in a quote
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
- If they look at the system before pricing
- Whether the price is fixed
How we price grease filter exchange
The survey tells us what the work involves. We look at:
- The condition of the system
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
Kitchens, offices, schools and hospitals are all priced the same way: the size of the job, access, condition and working hours. Ask for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
Helping us quote
There’s no need for technical detail. Just send:
- A few general shots of the system
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
- The times we could work without disrupting the site
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. Instead, we look at your site first, from pictures or a survey, then send a fixed quote. To get going, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email.
Towns and villages near Shephall
Other services in Shephall
Kitchen extracts in Shephall
Food Standards Agency data counts about 81 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 55 sandwich bars and takeaways across Shephall and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Each canopy among them has filters that load with grease and need swapping or cleaning. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service covers Shephall. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. Food hygiene inspections in Shephall are the job of Stevenage council’s environmental health team. They look at how clean the premises and equipment are, and the kitchen extract is part of that. Keeping each certificate and photo report on file helps show the extract is looked after.
If you look after a school kitchen, at a school such as Peartree Spring Primary School or anywhere near Shephall, the holidays are the usual time for a TR19® clean. Older buildings often hide long, awkward duct runs, and if you run a kitchen at a historic venue in the area (Aston Bury is about 1.6 miles south-east), access may need planning.
Shephall is about 1 mile south of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. Shephall gets the same approach as every site we work on: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with photos. Shephall is one of 381 towns, villages and districts in Hertfordshire where we work for grease filter exchange. We also work in London, about 27 miles from Shephall.
All of SG2 and SG1 is within our area for grease filter exchange, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your site is on Unwin Road, Oxleys Road and Burwell Road or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Aston (1 mile east), Bragbury End (1 mile south-east), Knebworth (2 miles south), Hook's Cross (2 miles south-east) and Woolmer Green (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Hemel Hempstead (15 miles south-west), St Albans (12 miles south-west), Bishop's Stortford (14 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (6 miles south), Harpenden (9 miles south-west) and Hitchin (6 miles north-west).
Near you in Shephall
In Shephall, that means kitchens and buildings near Coopers Inn, The Heathcote School and Barnwell School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Stevenage station, about 1.4 miles north-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Benington Castle (2.6 miles east) and Lister Hospital (2.7 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Ridlins Mire.
Looking after it afterwards
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. Our tips:
- Book full TR19 cleans alongside filter changes
- Don’t refit a filter that is bent
- Clear anything stored on or near the canopy
- Report a dripping canopy early
Keep an eye out for filters that have been taken out. 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. A maintenance plan that covers both keeps everything on track.
When something else is needed
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- Odours from the discharge that filters won’t stop
- A canopy that doesn’t capture the vapour properly
- Greasy ducts and risers that a filter change will not reach
If you’re not sure, just call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book.
What we work on in Shephall
- Restaurants and pubs
- Wall canopies
- Island canopies
- Mesh filters
- Baffle filters
- School and hospital kitchens
Shephall questions
Who would carry out a food hygiene inspection at a kitchen in Shephall?
The local authority for Shephall is Stevenage council, and its environmental health team does the inspecting. Have your latest TR19® certificate and photo report to hand, as an officer may ask how the extract is maintained.
Can you come to Shephall after we close?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. The site is handed back ready to open. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
How regularly do grease filters need exchanging?
It varies with the type and amount of cooking. If filters are dripping or clogging before the next change, it’s too long and we will adjust it.
What if some of our filters are damaged?
Filters that no longer fit properly need replacing. We will show you which ones on the visit.
Do you take the used filters away?
We take them away. That’s the point of an exchange: you always have a clean set fitted, with no washing for your team.
Does a filter exchange replace TR19 cleaning?
No, the two work together. TR19® cleaning covers the canopy, plenum, ductwork and fan and comes with a certificate and photo report.
What does grease filter exchange cost?
We price it on the number of filters and the visit frequency. Tell us what you have and we will come back with a fixed quote quickly.
Will we have to shut during the visit?
Not usually. Booking the work out of hours means the site can carry on as normal. Bigger sites can be done in stages so parts stay in use.