Duct Doctor · London and the South East
TR19 kitchen extract cleaning
Full TR19® Grease cleaning of your kitchen extract, from the canopy and filters through the ductwork to the fan and discharge, with a certificate and photo report.
- Grease building up behind the filters and in the duct
- No recent TR19 certificate to show your insurer
- A sticky canopy, drips and cooking smells
What kitchen extract cleaning involves
Every time food is cooked, warm vapour carrying fat rises into the canopy. As it cools, the fat settles on the plenum, the filters and the inside of the ductwork, and it keeps building up layer by layer. That grease is fuel. A flare-up on the range can be drawn into the canopy, and a fire in the duct can spread through the building. We clean the whole system to BESA’s TR19® Grease specification: the canopy, the plenum, the filters, horizontal runs, vertical risers, the extract fan and its housing, attenuators where fitted, and the discharge. We take grease readings before and after, photograph each section and issue a TR19 certificate and photo report through the BESCA VHE portal. If any part can’t be reached, it’s recorded on the report, not hidden. Our guide to TR19® Grease explains the specification, and how often to clean a kitchen extract covers frequency.
We cover London and the South East, and have done since 2009. We’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, we hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we’re fully insured.
Problems we put right
- Grease building up behind the filters and in the duct
- No recent TR19 certificate to show your insurer
- A sticky canopy, drips and cooking smells
- An extract fan that sounds strained or slow
- Parts of the duct nobody has been able to reach
What we work on
- Canopies and hoods
- Plenums and filters
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
- Extract fans
- Discharge points
How it works
- We survey the system first, from photos and details or a site visit, and give you a fixed quote.
- We arrive when the kitchen is closed, make sure the cooking equipment is off and cool, and sheet the area to protect it.
- We take grease readings and photos at set points along the system before cleaning starts.
- Grease is scraped out and the canopy, plenum, ductwork, fan and discharge are degreased through the access panels.
- We take readings and photos again, leave the kitchen clean and send your TR19 certificate and photo report.
The whole system, not just the canopy
A shiny canopy can hide a duct full of grease. The canopy is the part everyone sees, but the fire risk carries on through the plenum, the horizontal runs, the risers and the fan. TR19 Grease covers the full extract route, so that is what we clean. Where there aren’t enough access panels to reach a section, we say so on the report and can fit new panels so it can be cleaned next time. You get an honest record of what has and hasn’t been done.
How often it needs doing
BESA sets minimum cleaning frequencies by how many hours a day the kitchen cooks: every 3 months for heavy use of 12–16 hours, every 6 months for moderate use of 6–12 hours, and every 12 months for light use of 2–6 hours. These are minimums. Grease readings taken by a competent person set the real interval, so a busy kitchen with fryers or grills may need cleaning more often. We recommend the next clean date on every report.
Working around your service
Kitchens can’t stop cooking for us, so we work evenings, overnight and at weekends, and in school holidays for school kitchens. Equipment is switched off and left to cool, surfaces are protected with sheeting, and waste grease and water are contained and taken away. You come back to a kitchen that’s ready for the next service, with a clean bill of health for the extract.
Why it’s worth doing now
Grease in a kitchen extract never stops building up, and once flames reach it, it burns readily. Many insurers ask for proof of regular TR19 cleaning and can refuse or reduce a claim without it. EHOs look at the cleanliness of the extraction during inspections, and fire officers expect the responsible person to have controlled the fire risk. A dirty system also clogs filters, slows the airflow, strains the fan and leaves the kitchen hot, smoky and smelly. Cleaning on schedule keeps all of that in hand, and the certificate shows that you did it.
What affects the quote
We don’t publish set prices, because no two systems are the same. Send us a few details and photos, or book a survey, and we’ll give you a fixed price before any work starts. The main things that change it are:
- The size of the system: number of canopies, length of ductwork, risers and fans
- How much grease or dirt has built up since the last clean
- Access: roof-level fans, ceiling voids, risers and how many access panels there are
- When the work can happen: overnight, weekends or school holidays
- Whether extras are needed, such as new access panels, filter exchange or damper testing
- How many sites you want covered on one schedule
What a good quote includes
- A survey or clear photos before the price is given
- Exactly which parts of the system will be cleaned or tested
- How areas that can't be reached will be recorded
- A certificate or written report with before-and-after photos
- Proof of insurance and accreditations you can check
- The recommended date for the next visit
Afterwards
You get a TR19 certificate and a photo report showing each section before and after, with grease readings, any areas we couldn’t reach and the recommended next clean date. Keep them in your fire safety log. Between cleans, wash or swap the grease filters regularly and wipe the canopy down. We can remind you when the next clean is due, or set you up on a maintenance contract so it’s booked in advance.
TR19 kitchen extract cleaning: common questions
Is TR19 kitchen extract cleaning a legal requirement?
TR19® is not law. It is BESA’s specification and the benchmark insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to. The law is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which makes the responsible person assess and reduce fire risk, and keeping grease in the extract under control is part of that.
How long does a kitchen extract clean take?
It depends on the length of the duct, how many access panels there are and how much grease has built up. Most kitchens are cleaned in one out-of-hours visit. We’ll tell you how long your system should take when we quote.
Do we have to close the kitchen?
Only while we’re cleaning. We work evenings, overnight and at weekends so you don’t lose a service. The cooking equipment needs to be off and cool before we start.
What paperwork do we get?
A TR19 certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal and a photo report with before and after photos, grease readings, any areas we couldn’t reach and the recommended next clean date. Keep both with your fire safety records.
What if parts of the duct can’t be reached?
We record any section we couldn’t reach on the report rather than leave it off. We can fit new access panels so the whole system can be cleaned next time.
How much does kitchen extract cleaning cost?
We don’t publish prices because every system is different. The length and route of the duct, access, grease levels and working hours all affect the cost. Send us photos or book a survey and we’ll give you a fixed quote, usually within one working day.
Do you give a fixed price before you start?
Yes. Send a few details and photos, or book a survey, and we’ll give you a fixed quote, usually within one working day.
Do you work out of hours?
Yes. We work evenings, overnight and at weekends so your kitchen or building doesn’t lose a day, and there’s a 24/7 line for emergencies.
Page updated 30 October 2026
Near you
We cover London and the South East. Find kitchen extract cleaning in your town:
- London
- Brighton
- Southampton
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Oxford
- Milton Keynes
- Guildford
- Chelmsford
- Maidstone
- Woking
- Crawley
- Croydon
- St Albans
- Canterbury
- Basingstoke
- Slough
- High Wycombe