Essex · Kitchen extract cleaning
Kitchen extract cleaning in Old Heath, Essex
We cover Old Heath for TR19 Grease cleaning of complete kitchen extract systems, from canopy to discharge. Fixed quotes, work around your opening hours and photo reports as standard.
- A kitchen with no current TR19 certificate
- Stale cooking odours from the system
- A new tenancy or takeover with no cleaning history
Kitchen extract cleaning in Old Heath, done properly
Duct Doctor has been cleaning kitchen extract systems since 2009. As a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, we clean to BESA TR19® Grease, and we hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 and are fully insured. The work covers vertical risers, plenums and filters and horizontal duct runs, and people most often call us about an inspection that picked up a dirty extract and years of baked-on grease in the ducts. If you need a kitchen extract clean in Old Heath, you get one team and one number for every site, wherever you are in Essex.
Grease that collects out of sight, behind the filters and along the duct, is what insurers and fire officers worry about, which is why a TR19® clean in Old Heath goes well beyond the canopy.
Around a smaller place like Old Heath, kitchen extracts tend to belong to pubs, cafés, takeaways and school or care home kitchens. Quieter kitchens still collect grease in the duct, just more slowly, so cleaning is planned around how much it cooks and what the readings show.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. So every job comes with a written report and photos, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Where
- Old Heath (CO2, CO1, CO4)
- Region
- Essex
- Records
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Common problems we fix in Old Heath
How fast grease builds up depends mostly on how long the kitchen cooks each day. BESA guidance sets minimum cleaning intervals of every 3 months for 12 to 16 hours a day, 6 months for 6 to 12 hours, and 12 months for 2 to 6 hours. They are minimums: measured grease levels set the real interval.
The symptoms we’re asked about most include:
- Stale cooking odours from the system
- Heavy grease build-up inside the duct runs
- A new tenancy or takeover with no cleaning history
- Extraction mentioned at an environmental health visit
Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; Essex County Hospital is the nearest hospital to Old Heath, about 1.9 miles north-west.
Comparing quotes
- Whether they recommend a next date
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Whether they’re fully insured
- Whether a written report and pictures are included
Old Heath kitchens: local notes
Sea air reaches Old Heath, which sits within about 3 miles of the coast. Salt air speeds up corrosion of roof-level fans, discharge cowls and their fixings. The FSA’s food hygiene register includes about 9 bars, pubs and nightclubs in and around Old Heath, up to about a mile and a half out. Where they serve hot food, their kitchen extracts need cleaning to TR19® like any restaurant’s. Environmental health officers from Colchester council inspect food businesses in Old Heath. They look at how clean the premises and equipment are, and the kitchen extract is part of that. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
School kitchens, at schools like Old Heath Community Primary School for example, are typically cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost. Church and community hall kitchens, near St Barnabas or anywhere around Old Heath, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other.
Old Heath is about 1 mile south of Greenstead, in Essex. We carry out kitchen extract cleaning for commercial premises of every kind in Old Heath and the rest of Essex. Our area takes in 644 places across Essex, large and small. Our Chelmsford page covers sites nearby, about 21 miles away.
We cover every part of the CO2, CO1 and CO4 postcode area for kitchen extract cleaning and the streets around it. That includes premises on Wick Road, Haven Road and D'arcy Road and nearby roads. Close by, we work in The Hythe (1 mile north), Berechurch (1 mile south-west), Rowhedge (1 mile south-east), Greenstead (1 mile north) and Wivenhoe Cross (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Clacton-on-Sea (11 miles south-east), Maldon (14 miles south-west), Witham (13 miles west), Harwich (15 miles east), Halstead (13 miles west) and Heybridge (13 miles south-west).
Near you in Old Heath
In Old Heath, that means kitchens and buildings near The Bell pub, Thomas Lord Audley School and Language College and Donyland Lodge and the streets around them. The closest station to Old Heath is Hythe station, roughly 1 mile north. Other landmarks nearby include Essex County Hospital (1.9 miles north-west) and Grandad's Photography Museum (1.5 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Cockaynes Wood.
Keeping the system healthy
Aftercare is simple, and it helps at the next visit:
- Make sure every filter is fitted before cooking
- Book the next clean before the date on the report
- Keep the baffle filters clean
- Don’t let the canopy gutters overflow
You get a photo report after every clean. It shows the system before and after, part by part, alongside a list of what was cleaned, anything out of reach and the recommended next clean date.
Keep the outside of the canopy wiped and any grease cups emptied. A daily wipe isn’t a deep clean, but it helps between visits.
Old Heath: your questions answered
Does being near the coast affect kitchen extract cleaning in Old Heath?
Yes, to a degree: at about 3 miles from the coast, Old Heath gets salt-laden air that corrodes metal faster. Outdoor metalwork near the sea is worth inspecting at every visit.
Can you get to a site in Old Heath?
Yes. Villages and rural sites across the South East are part of our work, Old Heath included. Photos of the system and directions to the site help us plan the visit.
What information do you need?
Only a few details: where it is, what kind of site, when it’s open and the access. Photos and the last report help too. After that, simply give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email.
How much notice do you need?
That depends on the slot you want and the size of the job. Mention your preferred dates with your enquiry, and if it’s an emergency, call us any time.
Will I get a certificate after the clean?
Every clean comes with a TR19 certificate and a photo report. Keep them in the maintenance log with the fire risk assessment so they’re to hand when an insurer asks.
Can you price the work without visiting?
Typically, yes. Send a few wide photos plus close-ups of panels, filters or grilles, and a fixed quote typically follows within one working day. If pictures aren’t enough, we will survey first.
Do you look at the system first?
Yes. For many sites, photos and a few details are enough, and larger or hidden systems get a visit.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. Regular plans can run on 3, 6 or 12-monthly cycles, depending on what the system needs.
What the work involves, part by part
Canopy and plenum
The plenum is out of sight behind the filters, so it’s easy to forget. We take the filters out and clean the plenum and housing thoroughly.
Grease filters
Baffle filters are cleaned as part of every TR19 clean, and refitted so they sit properly in the housing. Damaged ones are noted on the report.
Nearby places to Old Heath
More services for Old Heath
How the visit works
We turn up at the time agreed with you, often in the evening, overnight or at the weekend so the site keeps working. Equipment that has to be off is switched off and allowed to cool before work begins, and the area around the work is covered and protected. On site, it takes one visit for most kitchens, while large or complex systems may need more than one. Tell us about any gates, ladders or locked plant areas at your site near Old Heath when you book.
- We start with a survey, so we know every part of the system before we quote.
- Set points are tested for grease thickness and the quote is fixed before we start.
- With the kitchen closed and equipment off and cool, the area is sheeted.
- Canopy, plenum, filters, duct runs, risers, fan and discharge are all cleaned to TR19® Grease.
- We test again, photograph the result and issue your TR19 certificate and photo report.
How to prepare
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
Get a fixed quote
Every quote begins with a look at the system, either from photos and details you send or from a site visit. After that, you get a fixed price for the work, before work begins.
Read more
What kitchen extract cleaning can’t fix
Kitchen extract cleaning can’t fix everything, and we will tell you before work begins. It does not solve:
- Extraction that can’t cope with the cooking because of its design
- Fat blocking the kitchen drains
- Damaged duct sections that need replacing
If in doubt, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll say what we think.
Parts of the system we cover
- Vertical risers
- Canopies and hoods
- Extract fans
- Plenums and filters
- Discharge points
- Horizontal duct runs
What affects the cost of kitchen extract cleaning
There’s no set price list, because no two systems are the same. The quote depends on:
- The condition we find in the survey
- Whether we need access equipment or extra panels
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- The number of sites or systems
Whatever the type of site, the quote works the same way: the size of the job, access, condition and working hours. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
Helping us quote
To speed up the quote, send us:
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- A few general shots of the system
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
Want a quote for kitchen extract cleaning? Please call 0345 646 2711 or send us an email with a few details about the site. We’ll explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A simple log of filter washes, wipe-downs and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
If your staff spot something between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, they should report it rather than try to fix it. We’ll take a look and give you a fixed quote.