West Sussex · Kitchen extract cleaning
Kitchen Extract Cleaning in Tilgate
We cover Tilgate for TR19 Grease cleaning of complete kitchen extract systems, from canopy to discharge. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with pictures on every job.
- Stale cooking odours from the system
- A system with no record of a TR19 clean
- An inspection that picked up a dirty extract
How we handle kitchen extract cleaning in Tilgate
We treat an extract system much as a doctor treats a patient: diagnose with a survey, treat with a thorough clean, then sign it off. The sign-off is a TR19 certificate with a photo report, issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. If you have an inspection that picked up a dirty extract and stale cooking odours from the system, we can put it right. Kitchens in Tilgate book us for TR19 cleaning for three reasons: the insurer asked, the EHO asked, or the canopy is dripping. We handle the clean and the paperwork in one visit.
BESA sets minimum intervals by hours of cooking a day: every 3 months for 12–16 hours, every 6 months for 6–12 hours and every 12 months for 2–6 hours, adjusted by what the grease readings show.
For a smaller kitchen near Tilgate, a TR19® clean is the same job as anywhere: canopy, filters, plenum, duct, fan and discharge. We plan the visit around your hours, with the journey sorted in advance.
Good records are part of the job. Each visit is written up with photos, listing what was done, anything we couldn’t reach and when the next visit is due. Keep it with your fire safety records so it’s to hand when an insurer or inspector asks.
- Where
- Tilgate (RH10, RH11)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Paperwork
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Quotes
- A fixed price before any work starts
- Hours
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
How the visit works
Your staff do not need to do much on the day. Someone lets us in at the agreed time and shows us where everything is, and we take it from there. Before we leave, the area is tidied and the paperwork follows. Tell us when your site near Tilgate is quiet and the visit will be booked for then.
- First comes a survey of the whole system, by pictures or a visit.
- We measure the grease at set points along the system, then give you a fixed price.
- With the kitchen closed and equipment off and cool, the area is sheeted.
- We clean the canopy, plenum, filters, ducts, risers, fan and discharge.
- Finally the system is re-tested and photographed, and the certificate and report follow.
Getting ready for the visit
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Clear the space around the work
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
Getting a quote
If you need kitchen extract cleaning in Tilgate, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form. Let us know the site type and the opening hours, and send pictures or your last report if you can. A fixed quote normally follows within one working day.
Advice
Towns and villages near Tilgate
Also in Tilgate
How the job changes from site to site
Grease filters
Filters need cleaning far more often than the duct and we offer a filter exchange service for that. Clean filters slow the build-up further down the system.
Extract fan and discharge
Attenuators, where fitted, can soak up grease and need attention. We clean what can be reached and note anything that can’t.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
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.
When to call us in Tilgate
The type of cooking changes the amount of grease. Frying, grilling and roasting send far more fat into the canopy than steaming or boiling, so two kitchens with the same hours can need very different intervals.
If you notice any of these, it’s worth a diagnosis:
- Missing paperwork after a change of operator
- Years of baked-on grease in the ducts
- Cleaning needed before an insurance renewal or survey
- A kitchen with no current TR19 certificate
A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near Holy Trinity or elsewhere in Tilgate, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether they recommend a next date
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach
- Proof of insurance
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
Looking after it afterwards
So the system stays in good health:
- Make sure every filter is fitted before cooking
- Clean grease off the canopy surfaces regularly
- Keep the baffle filters clean
- Switch the fan on before cooking starts
The kitchen is left clean and ready for the next service. Waste grease and water are contained and removed, and equipment can be switched back on once we have gone.
Clean the grease filters often, not just on clean day. Clean, well-fitted filters catch more fat before it reaches the duct, which slows build-up further down the system.
What happens if it’s left?
Environmental health officers inspect food businesses, in Tilgate as everywhere else, and a greasy canopy or dripping filters will not go unnoticed. Keeping the extract clean helps the whole kitchen pass muster. It’s easy to lose track of when the work was last done on a quieter site.
Leaving it longer rarely makes the work cheaper. Problems in a system tend to grow, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you are not sure what’s needed, call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we will give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
Why book with us
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- We diagnose before we treat
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Full insurance on every job
Take a look at what affects the cost or our accreditations.
Kitchen extract cleaning in Tilgate: the local picture
Food Standards Agency records include about 27 pubs and bars and about 7 hotels, B&Bs and guest houses across Tilgate and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Any of them serving cooked food has an extract to keep clean, from canopy to discharge. In Tilgate, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Crawley 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. Tilgate is covered by West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Its fire safety officers can audit commercial kitchens, and grease in the extract is part of a kitchen’s fire risk.
Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Crawley Hospital (about 1.2 miles north-west), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands. If you cook for passing trade around Crawley station, the extract can be cleaned between your last and first customer.
Tilgate is about 1 mile south-east of Crawley, in West Sussex. Tilgate 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. Tilgate is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover for commercial clients. You can also see our page for Brighton, roughly 19 miles from Tilgate.
We work across RH10 and RH11 for kitchen extract cleaning and the roads nearby. Whether your site is on York Road, Nash Road and Cook Road or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. We also cover the places around Tilgate: Southgate (1 mile west), Crawley (1 mile north-west), Three Bridges (1 mile north-east), Maidenbower (1 mile east) and West Green (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover Horsham (7 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (8 miles south-east), Burgess Hill (10 miles south), East Grinstead (7 miles east), Billingshurst (13 miles south-west) and Roffey (6 miles west).
Local landmarks in Tilgate
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to Thomas Bennett Community College, The Grasshopper pub and Tilgate Park. For rail, the closest station is Crawley station, about 0.6 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find County Mall (0.7 miles north-west) and Crawley Hospital (1.2 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Tilgate Lake.
Honest limits
An honest diagnosis matters more to us than a booking, so here’s what this work cannot put right:
- A grease trap that needs emptying
- A broken extract fan that won’t run
- Damaged duct sections that need replacing
If in doubt, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we’ll say what we think.
Parts of the system we cover
- Canopies and hoods
- Plenums and filters
- Vertical risers
- Extract fans
- Discharge points
- Horizontal duct runs
Questions from Tilgate
Do you work at weekends in Tilgate?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. The site is handed back ready to open. Let us know the hours you’re closed and we’ll book within them.
Who inspects food businesses in Tilgate?
In Tilgate, it’s Crawley council that carries out food hygiene inspections. Have your latest TR19® certificate and photo report to hand, as an officer may ask how the extract is maintained.
How long does it take to clean a kitchen extract system?
Length of duct, grease levels and access all affect it. Most jobs take as long as the system needs, from a few hours to several planned visits.
Do you work in Tilgate?
Yes. We cover Tilgate and the rest of West Sussex, within our South East and London area. For a fixed quote, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Are you accredited for kitchen extract cleaning?
We’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 sit alongside that, and we’re fully insured.
What’s the right cleaning interval for a kitchen extract?
BESA guidance gives minimum intervals of 3, 6 or 12 months, depending on daily cooking hours. Kitchens that fry or grill a lot may need cleaning sooner, which grease thickness testing will show.
Can you price the work without visiting?
Yes, if we can see what we need. Otherwise, we book a survey at a time that suits the site, and the quote follows that.
Can you set up regular visits?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance plans are part of what we do, set at the interval the system needs. The report from each visit recommends the next date.