Hertfordshire · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections and grease testing in Charlton, Hertfordshire
Specialist TR19 inspection for Charlton: a survey, a fixed price, careful work and proper paperwork. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- Parts of the system left out of past cleans
- Checking the result of a recent clean
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
TR19 inspection for kitchens and businesses in Charlton
BESA sets minimum cleaning intervals by daily use: heavy use (12 to 16 hours a day) every 3 months, moderate use (6 to 12 hours) every 6 months and light use (2 to 6 hours) every 12 months. Grease testing shows whether your kitchen needs cleaning more often than that. The work covers deposit thickness tests, post-clean checks and pre-clean surveys, and common reasons people get in touch are kitchens taken over with no cleaning records and checking the result of a recent clean.
Rural kitchens often have long, low duct runs through a roof space or along an outside wall, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. We agree access and timings in advance.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: a written report, dated and illustrated with photos, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. It shows what was done and what, if anything, couldn’t be reached.
- Place
- Charlton (SG5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Records
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quote
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Common questions in Charlton
Can you work in Charlton outside opening hours?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. Your customers, staff or residents in Charlton needn’t be disturbed. When you call 0345 646 2711, or send details by email, mention when the site is quiet.
Do you work in villages like Charlton?
Yes. Villages and rural sites across the South East are part of our work, Charlton included. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
How much notice do you need?
Book as early as you can for planned work, especially if the next clean or test is due soon. Emergencies are different, because our line is open 24/7.
What grease levels does TR19 allow?
Under TR19® Grease, the mean thickness should not exceed 200 microns between cleans. 500 microns or more at any point calls for immediate spot cleaning.
Can you price the work without visiting?
Yes, where the photos show enough. Otherwise, we book a survey at a time that suits the site, then a fixed quote.
What is a WFTT or DTT grease test?
WFTT and DTT are the two methods for measuring grease thickness, in microns. Readings are taken at set points through the system.
What should I send you?
Only a few details: the address, the site type, your opening hours and how we reach the system. Photos and the last report help too. After that, simply ring 0345 646 2711 or send us an email.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes. Tell us what you have and how it’s used, and we will suggest a schedule and quote for it.
TR19 inspection in Charlton: the local picture
The FSA’s food hygiene register includes about 31 bars, pubs and nightclubs and about 4 hotels and guest houses across Charlton and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Breakfasts, bar meals and functions all put grease into the extract wherever they’re cooked. Charlton sits within the area of Hertfordshire 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. In Charlton, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from North Hertfordshire council. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
Term dates shape school work: for a school like Highbury Infant School and Nursery, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break. Church and community hall kitchens, near St Mary's Church or anywhere around Charlton, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other. Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Lister Hospital (about 3.3 miles east), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands.
Charlton is about 1 mile south-west of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. Whatever kind of site you run in Charlton, we can take on TR19 inspection. We can work out of hours so trading is not interrupted. Our Hertfordshire coverage runs to 381 places, Charlton among them. There’s also a page for Milton Keynes, about 22 miles away.
Here we cover the SG5 postcode area for TR19 inspection. Neighbouring places we cover for TR19 inspection include Gosmore (1 mile south-east), Hitchin (1 mile north-east), Benslow (1 mile north-east), Bearton (1 mile north) and Westmill (1 mile north). Further out, we also cover Hemel Hempstead (15 miles south-west), Stevenage (5 miles south-east), St Albans (13 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (9 miles south) and Hatfield (12 miles south).
Near you in Charlton
Around Charlton, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Hitchin Boys' School, The Three Moorhens Public House and Kingshott School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Hitchin station, about 1.4 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include North Hertfordshire Museum (0.8 miles north-east) and Lister Hospital (3.3 miles east). For a walk, there’s Markham's Hill and Oughtonhead Nature Reserve.
What affects the cost of TR19 inspection
Before we fix a price, we need to know a few things. We check:
- The number of sites or systems
- Whether we need access equipment or extra panels
- Parking and loading at the site
- The scale of the work
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is all affect the cost. Each of those is built into the quote and give you a fixed price before any work starts.
Helping us quote
When you contact us, these details help:
- Any previous report or certificate
- The site address and the type of premises
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
To help us quote: where the site is, what it is and its opening hours, a few photos and the last certificate or report, if there is one. Once you have those, call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form.
Part by part
Extract fan and discharge
The extract fan and its housing collect grease too. We check and test them as part of the inspection.
Horizontal duct runs
Grease settles on the floor of horizontal ducts as the air cools. We test at points along the run through access panels.
What TR19 inspection can’t fix
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- Parts of the duct nobody can reach yet
- The responsible person’s own fire risk assessment
- Heavy deposits found on test, which still need cleaning
If in doubt, call 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will say what we think.
What the work covers
- Pre-clean surveys
- Insurer audits
- Deposit thickness tests
- Post-clean checks
- Wet film thickness tests
- Access surveys
What we do, step by step
We work around your opening hours, not the other way round. We book the visit for a time the area is closed, whether that is an evening, overnight or a weekend. Once we’re in, the area is sheeted and anything that has to be off is turned off and cooled, and the job takes a morning or less for one kitchen, more where there are several systems. Photos of the system and how to reach it help us plan a visit to Charlton.
- The visit is arranged for when the kitchen isn’t busy.
- The system is checked from canopy to discharge.
- We take WFTT or DTT readings at set points along the system.
- We photograph the test points and record any sections we cannot reach.
- You get a report with readings, photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
- Let us know about parking and loading
Getting a quote
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. We look at your system first, from pictures or on a visit, then send a fixed quote. To start, call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line.
Advice
Why deal with it now?
If there’s a fire or a claim, your insurer may ask for TR19 records. Missing records can put a claim at risk. An up-to-date inspection report is a good place to start. Rural sites can’t always move to another kitchen or room when something fails.
One small site or a whole estate, we price it on the same basis: the work involved, the access and the timing. The price is fixed before we start.
What you get with us
- A fixed price before any work starts
- BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, with ISO 9001
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
Read our cost guide and how to check a contractor.
Also in Charlton
For landlords and multi-site operators
Landlords, managing agents and facilities managers book us, not only the businesses that use the systems. Shared systems, like a riser serving several units, need a clear agreement on who books the work, and we can quote for the whole system.
We also work for facilities teams across offices, schools and healthcare in Charlton and across Hertfordshire. Work can be phased by floor, building or site to keep disruption down.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. 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 your team notices a problem between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, they should report it rather than try to fix it. We can diagnose it and quote.