Southend-on-Sea · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections in Great Wakering
TR19 inspection for commercial sites in Great Wakering and across Southend-on-Sea. BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease.
- Cleaning intervals that may not suit the kitchen
- Sites with gaps in their extract records
- Missing access panels found on survey
What the work involves, part by part
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Inspections are planned around mealtimes and holidays to avoid disruption.
Horizontal duct runs
Flat duct runs collect grease along their base. We test at points along the run through access panels.
TR19 inspection for kitchens and businesses in Great Wakering
Grease thickness testing tells you how much grease is sitting in the canopy, ducts and fan. We use the Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) or the Deposit Thickness Test (DTT), taking readings at set points. The results show whether the system needs cleaning and how soon. Common call-outs are for missing access panels found on survey and extracts that may be over the 200 micron mean, on insurer audits, post-clean checks and wet film thickness tests.
In a smaller place like Great Wakering, 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 paperwork matters as much as the work. 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 ready for an insurer, fire officer or EHO.
- Location
- Great Wakering (SS3)
- Region
- Southend-on-Sea
- Paperwork
- Certificate and photo report
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Questions from Great Wakering
Is TR19 inspection any different in a coastal place like Great Wakering?
It can. Salt air reaches Great Wakering, which is within about 2 miles of the coast, and it speeds up rust. Rooftop fans, discharge cowls and fixings are checked for corrosion as well as grease.
Do you clean school canteen extracts around Great Wakering out of term?
Yes. The holidays are the usual time for school work. There are about 4 schools, colleges and universities on the FSA’s food hygiene register within about 1.5 miles of Great Wakering. Send us your term dates when you ring 0345 646 2711 or email us, and we’ll fit the work in.
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes. For many sites, pictures and a few details are enough, and larger or hidden systems get a visit.
Do you work out of hours?
Yes. Evenings, nights and weekends are normal working hours for us, so the site does not lose a service.
What do you need from me for a quote?
Just the basics: the address, the site type, your opening hours and how we reach the system. Photos and any previous paperwork make it quicker. Then call us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email.
What accreditations do you have?
BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, plus CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001. We are fully insured and have been trading since 2009.
What is a WFTT or DTT grease test?
The Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) and Deposit Thickness Test (DTT) measure how thick the grease is at a given point. We take readings at set points from canopy to fan.
Will you produce a report for our insurer?
Yes. Our TR19 audits cover readings, photos, access and a recommended cleaning interval. You can pass it straight to your insurer or broker.
How the visit works
Protection comes first: floors, worktops and anything near the work are covered. After that, the system is made safe and the work begins. It takes around an hour or two per canopy and duct system, and the area is cleaned down before we leave. Evenings, weekends or a closed day all work for a site in a place like Great Wakering.
- 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.
- We send a report setting out the readings, pictures and next steps.
Getting ready for the visit
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
Ask for a quote
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in pictures, get a survey first. Either way, you get a fixed price before any work starts.
Read more
What a clean will not put right
We will always give you a straight diagnosis, so here’s what this work can’t put right:
- Fire safety duties beyond the extract system
- Ductwork that was designed or installed badly
- Removing the grease, which is a separate clean
If you are not sure, just phone us on 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book.
Where we work
- Post-clean checks
- Access surveys
- Insurer audits
- Deposit thickness tests
- Wet film thickness tests
- Pre-clean surveys
Why deal with it now?
A pre-clean survey avoids surprises on the night. Missing access panels, hidden duct runs and awkward fans are found before the cleaners arrive, so the clean covers the whole system. In a smaller place like Great Wakering, a site that has to close is felt quickly.
Kitchens, offices, schools and hospitals are all priced the same way: how much there is, how we reach it, what state it’s in and when we can work. Call for a fixed quote and we’ll go through it with you.
Why us?
- CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- A BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
See our cost guide and our accreditations.
Nearby places to Great Wakering
Also in Great Wakering
Common problems we fix in Great Wakering
Records can go missing when a business changes hands or contractors. Without them, nobody knows how much grease is in the system or when it was last cleaned.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Confirming a clean reached the whole system
- Kitchens whose menu or hours have changed
- Kitchen extract systems with no recent grease readings
- Surveys needed before quoting a full clean
Bursars and site managers at schools such as Great Wakering Primary Academy tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty.
Before booking anyone
- What happens if part of the system cannot be accessed
- Whether the quote shows VAT
- Whether a survey comes first
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
What affects the cost of TR19 inspection
You will get a fixed price before any work starts. It takes into account:
- The condition we find in the survey
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- How big the system is
- A single visit or a regular plan
Several systems or sites on one quote can make for a more efficient booking. Tell us about everything you’d like looked at and we’ll price it together.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- The site address and the type of premises
- The times we could work without disrupting the site
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
Quotes are quick. Call or email with a few details and you’ll usually have a fixed price within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Multi-site and managed buildings
Records are where multi-site compliance often slips. Each visit produces a dated report with pictures, ready to show insurers, fire officers or EHOs.
Landlords, managing agents and facilities managers book us, not only the businesses that use the systems. Where a system serves more than one tenant, such as a shared riser, it helps to agree who arranges the work, and we’re happy to quote for all of it.
What TR19 inspection looks like in Great Wakering
Great Wakering lies within about 2 miles of the sea. Salt in the air is hard on rooftop fans, discharge cowls and fixings, so we check them for corrosion as well as grease. The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 6 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 4 takeaways within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Great Wakering. Where they cook under a canopy, a grease reading is the way to tell whether the extract is due a clean. Fire safety in Great Wakering falls to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire Safety Order puts the duty on whoever runs a kitchen to control its fire risk, and a greasy duct is fuel.
Where a hall near Church of St Nicholas, or anywhere in Great Wakering, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does. Historic houses near Great Wakering, such as Southchurch Hall about 3.4 miles west, are a reminder that older buildings with event kitchens can have long, awkward duct routes.
Great Wakering is about 1 mile north-east of Shoeburyness, in Southend-on-Sea. Whatever kind of site you run in Great Wakering, TR19 inspection is something we can help with. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so trading is not interrupted. Great Wakering is one of 16 towns, villages and districts in Southend-on-Sea we cover for commercial clients. For sites nearby, see our Chelmsford page (19 miles or so).
TR19 inspection in SS3 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes premises on High Street, Conway Avenue and North Street and nearby roads. We also cover Little Wakering (1 mile north-west), North Shoebury (1 mile south-west), Shoeburyness (1 mile south-west), Barling (2 miles north-west) and Stonebridge (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Southend-on-Sea (5 miles west), Prittlewell (4 miles west), Leigh-on-Sea (7 miles west), Westcliff-on-Sea (5 miles west), Southchurch (3 miles west) and Chalkwell (6 miles west).
Around Great Wakering
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Shoeburyness High School and The White Hart Public House and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Shoeburyness station, about 1.5 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Southend University Hospital (5.1 miles west). For a walk, there’s Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges.