Hertfordshire · TR19 inspections and grease testing
Benslow TR19 inspection
Our technicians work in Benslow on TR19 inspection. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with photos as standard.
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
- Ductwork where grease may be over the TR19 limits
- Checking the result of a recent clean
TR19 inspection in Benslow, done properly
Grease thickness testing tells you how much grease is sitting in the canopy, ducts and fan. Readings are taken at set points using the Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) or the Deposit Thickness Test (DTT). The results show whether the system needs cleaning and how soon. If you have heavy grease suspected in the plenum or ducts and kitchens whose menu or hours have changed, we can help, from access surveys, insurer audits and pre-clean surveys onwards.
In a smaller place like Benslow, many kitchens sit in older buildings or later extensions, where the duct may cross a roof void or climb an outside wall. Flat runs collect grease and need proper access to clean.
The sign-off is always in writing: a dated report with pictures of the work, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. Any parts we couldn’t reach are recorded on it too.
- Place
- Benslow (SG4, SG5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Reporting
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
When it’s something else
An honest diagnosis matters more to us than a booking, so here’s what this work can’t put right:
- Fan breakdowns, which need a repair visit
- The legal duty, which stays with the responsible person
- Installation problems, which fall under design guidance such as DW172
If you are not sure, just call 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Post-clean checks
- Pre-clean surveys
- Insurer audits
- Deposit thickness tests
- Access surveys
- Wet film thickness tests
What your team can do, and what needs us
A few tasks are always specialist work: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease need training, the right equipment and safe access. Leave those to us.
Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping down canopy surfaces, cleaning filters and keeping a simple log. What they can’t safely do is clean inside the ductwork, the fan or the risers, which is where we come in.
What else we do in Benslow
Benslow kitchens: local notes
Food Standards Agency data counts about 94 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 37 takeaways and sandwich shops in Benslow and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Kitchens like these cook for very different hours, and grease testing shows which extracts need cleaning soonest. Environmental health officers from North Hertfordshire council inspect food businesses in Benslow. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready. Benslow is covered by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises.
A kitchen near Hitchin station that serves breakfast and dinner can run its extract twelve hours or more, which shortens the cleaning interval. Bursars and site managers at schools such as William Ransom Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty.
Benslow is about 1 mile east of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. Sites in Benslow get the same service as everywhere we cover: diagnosis first, a fixed price, out-of-hours working where needed and a written report with photos. Our area takes in 381 places across Hertfordshire, large and small. For sites nearby, see our Milton Keynes page, about 22 miles away.
TR19 inspection in SG4 and SG5 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include Water Lane, Riddy Lane and The Avenue, and we cover them all for TR19 inspection. Main roads around Benslow include the A505, which makes travel easy for TR19 inspection. Nearby, we also carry out TR19 inspection in Hitchin (1 mile west), Poets Estate (1 mile east), Walsworth (1 mile north-east), Bearton (1 mile north-west) and Westmill (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Stevenage (5 miles south-east), St Albans (14 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (10 miles south), Hatfield (13 miles south) and Hertford (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Benslow
Typical jobs here are in premises near St Mary's Church, Kingshott School and Hitchin Girls' School and the streets around them. Nearby too are The Albert pub (under half a mile north-west) and Butts Close (0.8 miles west). Benslow has its own railway station: Hitchin station. A little further out are Wymondley Castle (1.4 miles south-east) and Lister Hospital (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Markham's Hill and Purwell Ninesprings.
Multi-site and managed buildings
The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty to manage fire risk on the responsible person, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
Managing agents often deal with us directly. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements, and we will send a fixed quote.
What the work involves, part by part
Vertical risers
Risers can be hard to get into. We record what can and cannot be reached.
Extract fan and discharge
Grease on the fan adds to wear. Readings show if it needs attention before the next clean.
Benslow questions
Can you come to Benslow after we close?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. The site is handed back ready to open. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
Who is the fire and rescue service for Benslow?
Benslow is in the area of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. A recent cleaning certificate and a note of the next clean date show that grease in the extract is being managed.
What happens on a pre-clean survey?
We look at the system from canopy to discharge, take grease readings and check access. From it, we plan the clean and quote a fixed price.
What do the grease readings need to be?
TR19® Grease says grease should not go over a mean of 200 microns between cleans. Any reading of 500 microns or more needs immediate spot cleaning.
Do you work with multi-site operators?
Yes. Send the list of sites and the work at each and we’ll quote them together.
How do you protect the area?
By covering it before any work starts. The work is kept contained and leave the area clean.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes, 24/7. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and the emergency line covers the rest.
Can you verify a clean after it’s been done?
Verification means repeat readings and photos once the clean is done. Any areas that weren’t cleaned properly are flagged.
Do you need TR19 inspection in Benslow?
Records can go missing when a business changes hands or contractors. With no history, the current state of the extract is a guess.
What we’re most often called out for:
- Sections of duct that can’t be reached
- Insurers asking for TR19 evidence
- Kitchens whose menu or hours have changed
- Confirming a clean reached the whole system
If you run catering at a healthcare site, such as a hospital like Lister Hospital about 2.8 miles south-east, the extract may need cleaning more often than a part-time kitchen.
Before you book anyone
- How areas they cannot reach will be recorded
- What paperwork you get at the end
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- If they look at the system before pricing
Keeping the system healthy
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Flag oily drips near the extract
- File every inspection report with your certificates
- Keep the route to access panels clear
- Diary the next grease test and clean
The report recommends when the system should next be cleaned and tested, from the measured grease and the kitchen’s hours.
Keep filters clean and in place. Gaps around filters let grease get past them.
The process
Protection comes first: sheeting goes over floors and surfaces close to the work. After that, the system is made safe and the work begins. It takes an hour or two for a single kitchen, longer for a large or complex system, and the area is cleaned down before we leave. For a site near Benslow, the work is booked around your opening hours, evenings and weekends included.
- After the clean, we arrange a time to check the system.
- The same access points are opened up.
- We repeat the WFTT or DTT readings.
- We photograph each area to record how it was left.
- We report the findings and flag any areas that need more work.
Preparing for the visit
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
Getting a quote
Photos are enough for some jobs, while others need a look on site. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, the quote is fixed before any work is booked.