Greater London · Grease filter exchange
Grease filter exchange in Southwark, Greater London
One call covers a scheduled grease filter exchange, swapping dirty canopy filters for clean ones in Southwark: survey, fixed quote, work and sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- A greasy plenum behind the filters
- Bent or damaged filters that don’t sit properly
- Smoke and heat lingering under the hood
Grease filter exchange in Southwark, done properly
A clean set of filters is a simple, regular dose of prevention. It keeps airflow up and grease down between full cleans, and it saves your staff a greasy job. The full TR19 clean then gives the system its clean bill of health. If you have filters that leave gaps in the canopy and a greasy plenum behind the filters, we can put it right, from island canopies, school and hospital kitchens and baffle filters onwards.
Kitchens in Southwark, like many across London, can share a building with flats or offices, with the duct running up through shared risers. A duct fire there can reach parts of the building far from the range, which is why keeping it clean to TR19® matters.
Good records are part of the job. You get a written report with pictures after each visit, covering the work done, any areas we couldn’t access and a recommended next date. Keep it with your fire safety records so it’s to hand when an insurer or inspector asks.
- Where
- Southwark (SE1, SE11)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Paperwork
- Photo report after every visit
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
Your questions about grease filter exchange in Southwark
Do you do school kitchen extract cleaning in Southwark in the summer holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. There are about 93 schools, colleges and universities on the FSA’s food hygiene register within about 1.5 miles of Southwark. Tell us your holiday dates and we will book the visit for when the site is empty.
Do you work overnight in Southwark?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. Your customers, staff or residents in Southwark needn’t be disturbed. When you phone us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line, mention when the site is quiet.
How far ahead should we book?
For planned work, earlier is better, particularly if your next visit is nearly due. Emergencies are different, because our line is open 24/7.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes. For anything urgent, such as a fan failure or damage after a fire, ring the 24/7 line and we will talk you through the next steps.
Is filter exchange enough instead of a full extract clean?
It doesn’t. Filters do not catch everything, so grease still reaches the ductwork and the whole system still needs its TR19 clean.
Which grease filters does the service cover?
Baffle filters and mesh filters. Mention how many canopies you have when you get in touch and we’ll confirm it on site.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. You deal with one contact for every site across London and the South East, and visits can be set on a regular cycle.
Can damaged filters stay in the canopy?
Filters that no longer fit properly need replacing. We’ll tell you which ones and why when we find them.
Do you need grease filter exchange in Southwark?
The type of cooking matters. Frying, grilling and chargrilling produce far more grease than steaming or baking so no single schedule suits every kitchen.
Look out for any of the following:
- Grease dripping from the canopy
- A canopy running with filters missing
- Staff short of time to wash filters
- Filters that leave gaps in the canopy
A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near Borough Welsh Congregational Chapel or elsewhere in Southwark, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
Questions to ask before you book
- When they can work, and whether that’s outside your opening hours
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- What happens if part of the system cannot be accessed
- Whether a survey comes first
What affects the quote in Southwark
The diagnosis comes before the price. The main factors are:
- Travel, parking and unloading
- Whether several sites go on one quote
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- What state the system is in
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is all affect the cost. We take each of them into account, and the price is fixed before any work starts.
What to send for a quote
When you call or email, it’s useful to have:
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- The site address and the type of premises
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
To get a fixed quote, ring 0345 646 2711, or email photos and tell us the type of site, your opening hours and roughly what the system looks like. A few pictures and your last certificate or report help a lot. We typically come back within one working day.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
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.
Your own staff can handle the daily basics: 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.
Grease filter exchange around Southwark
The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 2,326 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 809 sandwich bars and takeaways in Southwark and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Each canopy among them has filters that load with grease and need swapping or cleaning. London Fire Brigade covers Southwark. The Fire Safety Order puts the duty on whoever runs a kitchen to control its fire risk, and a greasy duct is fuel. In London, kitchens are usually cleaned overnight, when the kitchen is closed and loading is easier.
If you run a café or takeaway near Elephant & Castle station, early starts and late finishes leave little time to clean, so overnight extract cleaning suits. A hospital like Surrey Dispensary, about less than half a mile south-east, is the kind of site where a kitchen may cook for patients, staff and visitors all day.
Southwark is about 0 miles north-west of London, in Greater London. Sites in Southwark get the same service as everywhere we cover: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with photos. We cover 764 places across Greater London, from busy centres to quieter spots.
Postcode districts we cover here for grease filter exchange: SE1 and SE11. Streets in the area include Borough Square, Trinity Church Square and Merrick Square, all of which we cover for grease filter exchange. You will find Southwark on the A300 and B240, so it’s easy for us to get to for grease filter exchange. Other places close to Southwark include Tower Hill (1 mile north-east), City of London (1 mile north), Aldgate (1 mile north-east), Bishopsgate (1 mile north-east) and Barbican Estate (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover City of Westminster (3 miles west), Kensington (5 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (5 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west) and Brompton (3 miles west).
Near you in Southwark
Around Southwark, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near London School of Musical Theatre, Little Dorrit's Playground and St Mary-at-Hill. You’ll also find Ark Globe Academy (less than half a mile south-east), The BFI Reuben Library (0.9 miles north-west) and The Gladstone Arms (under half a mile north-east). The closest station to Southwark is Elephant & Castle station, about 0.5 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Gabriel's Wharf (0.7 miles north-west) and Baynard's Castle (0.8 miles north). Open spaces near Southwark include Ludgate Hill and Bellenden Road Nature Garden.
What grease filter exchange cannot fix
An honest diagnosis matters more to us than a booking, so here’s what grease filter exchange won’t do:
- A heavily greased plenum or canopy, which needs cleaning to TR19
- A canopy too small for the cooking beneath it
- Cooking smells reaching neighbours, which need odour control
Not sure which it is? You can phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will tell you honestly before booking.
What the work covers
- School and hospital kitchens
- Baffle filters
- Island canopies
- Wall canopies
- Mesh filters
- Restaurants and pubs
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 before we start, and floors and nearby surfaces are sheeted. On site, it takes anything from a few minutes to an hour or so, depending on the number of filters. In a London area like Southwark, parking, loading and building access are planned before the day of the work.
- We look at the canopies and the condition of the filters.
- Any damaged or missing filters are noted.
- Greasy filters are swapped for clean ones.
- The filters are checked for fit before we go.
- Anything that needs attention, such as a greasy plenum, is pointed out.
Before we arrive
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Find the previous report, if there is one
- Clear loose items from the work area
How to get a quote
Need a price for grease filter exchange? Please call 0345 646 2711 or email us with a few details about the site. We’ll talk you through the work and give you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Southwark
More services for Southwark
How the job changes from site to site
Baffle filters
Baffle filters are a common choice for commercial canopies. They still need regular cleaning, because the grease they collect builds up.
Canopy filter housings
We check that filters sit snugly in the housing at each visit since a gap is a route for grease.
Why act early in Southwark
Filters full of grease are fuel sitting right above the cooking. Flames from the range can be drawn up into the canopy, and from there into the duct. Clean filters mean less fuel in the canopy. A building in Southwark may have flats or offices above and alongside, and a fault in the system can affect them too.
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Problems in a system tend to grow, which can make the next visit longer. If you are not sure what’s needed, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line for straight advice and a fixed quote.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Southwark
- Full insurance on every job
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- We diagnose before we treat
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001