Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections and grease testing in Hockenden, Kent
For TR19 inspections, grease thickness testing, pre-clean surveys and post-clean verification in Hockenden, one call is all it takes: survey, fixed quote, work and sign-off. CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, ISO 9001 and fully insured.
- Sites with gaps in their extract records
- Heavy grease suspected in the plenum or ducts
- Systems that need surveying before cleaning
TR19 inspection in Hockenden, done properly
BESA sets minimum cleaning intervals by daily use: every 3 months for heavy use of 12 to 16 hours a day, every 6 months for moderate use of 6 to 12 hours, and every 12 months for light use of 2 to 6 hours. Those are minimums, and grease readings help set the real interval. If you have kitchens whose menu or hours have changed and post-clean verification after another contractor’s clean, we can help, from insurer audits, deposit thickness tests and wet film thickness tests onwards.
In a village or hamlet like Hockenden, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are normally a pub, a school, a care home or a hall kitchen, wherever there is one. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 are in place too, and we are fully insured.
- Location
- Hockenden (BR8)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Records
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Price
- A fixed price before work begins
- When we work
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Why it’s worth doing now in Hockenden
If there’s a fire or a claim, your insurer may ask for TR19 records. Without them, a claim can be reduced or refused. An up-to-date inspection report is a good place to start. If the system at a site near Hockenden fails, there may be nowhere nearby to move to.
Every site is different, so each one gets its own fixed quote. Size, access, the condition of the system and when we can work all make a difference.
What you get with us
- Full insurance on every job
- Work around your opening hours, with 24/7 emergency cover
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Every job surveyed first
Read how cleaning jobs are priced and our accreditations and certificates.
What staff can safely do
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.
Keep a record of what your team does. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, alongside our reports.
TR19 inspection in Hockenden: the local picture
Look up Hockenden on the FSA’s food hygiene register and you will find about 28 restaurants, cafés and canteens and about 15 takeaways in and around Hockenden, up to about a mile and a half out. For any of them with a canopy, measuring grease is better than guessing when to clean. The fire and rescue service for Hockenden is Kent 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. Kitchens in Hockenden get their food hygiene inspections from Sevenoaks council. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready.
If you look after a school kitchen, at a school such as Horizon Primary Academy or anywhere near Hockenden, the holidays are the usual time for a TR19® clean. A hospital like Queen Mary's Hospital, about 2.4 miles north-west, is the kind of site where a kitchen may cook for patients, staff and visitors all day. A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near St Mary the Virgin or elsewhere in Hockenden, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
Hockenden is about 2 miles north-east of Orpington, in Kent. We carry out TR19 inspection for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Hockenden and the rest of Kent. Across Kent, we cover 922 places, Hockenden among them. London is in our area too, about 13 miles from Hockenden.
We work across the BR8 postcode area for TR19 inspection and the roads nearby. Other places close to Hockenden include Upper Ruxley (1 mile north-west), Stonehill Green (1 mile north-east), Ruxley (1 mile north-west), Puddledock (2 miles north-east) and Hextable (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Dartford (4 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (8 miles south), Gravesend (10 miles east), Tonbridge (15 miles south), Northfleet (9 miles east) and Kings Hill (14 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Hockenden
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Orchards Academy and Foots Cray Meadows and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Swanley station, roughly 1 mile south-east. Nearby you’ll also find London Borough of Bromley Museum (2.6 miles south-west) and Eynsford Castle (3.4 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include The Warren and Summer Hill.
What a clean will not put right
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work will not fix:
- Heavy deposits found on test, which still need cleaning
- Installation problems, which fall under design guidance such as DW172
- Sections with no access, until panels are fitted
If you’re not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book.
What the work covers
- Wet film thickness tests
- Access surveys
- Post-clean checks
- Deposit thickness tests
- Pre-clean surveys
- Insurer audits
Multi-site and managed buildings
Facilities teams in offices, schools and healthcare sites book us too across Kent. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, and that can be the employer, the owner, a landlord, a facilities manager or a managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
Hockenden questions
Which environmental health team covers Hockenden?
Kitchens in Hockenden are inspected by Sevenoaks council’s environmental health officers. How often a business is inspected depends on the risk rating the council gives it, so it’s worth staying ready all year.
Do you do school kitchen extract cleaning in Hockenden in the summer holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. Around Hockenden, the Food Standards Agency lists about 8 schools and colleges with registered kitchens within a mile and a half or so. Booking early in the term gives the best choice of holiday dates.
Do you carry out TR19 audits for insurers?
Yes. We inspect the system and produce a report with grease readings, photos and any inaccessible areas. It’s set out for your insurer or broker.
Can you work evenings and weekends?
Yes. Much of our work happens in the evening, overnight or at weekends, so you do not have to close during trading.
Can you price the work without visiting?
In many cases, yes. With good photos, the site type and your last report, we can price many jobs. Where we can’t see enough, we arrange a survey.
Can you verify a clean after it’s been done?
Verification means repeat readings and photos once the clean is done. The report flags anything missed.
Are you accredited?
BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, plus CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001. We’re fully insured and have been trading since 2009.
What information do you need?
Where the site is, what it is and when it’s open, plus photos of the system and your last certificate or report if you have one.
The process
We start by comparing what we find with the survey or your pictures. Anything unexpected is raised with you before we go further. From there, it takes a couple of hours for a typical kitchen extract system. A quick note on how to find the site and where to park makes a visit to Hockenden run smoothly.
- We agree a time when the kitchen is closed or quiet.
- We look over the canopy, plenum, ducts, fan and discharge.
- We take WFTT or DTT readings at set points along the system.
- We photograph the test points and record any sections we can’t reach.
- The findings go into a report with readings, pictures and a recommended next clean.
How to prepare
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
Get a fixed quote
Need a price for TR19 inspection? Please give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us and tell us about the site. We will talk you through the work and give you a fixed quote before you commit to anything.
Read more
Also near Hockenden
Other services in Hockenden
Different parts, different methods
Restaurants, pubs and hotels
A kitchen running from breakfast to late service builds grease quickly. Readings show if the cleans are frequent enough.
Canopy and plenum
The plenum behind the filters can carry a lot of grease. We take readings there and photograph it on every inspection.
Looking after it afterwards
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. A few tips:
- Wipe the canopy surfaces regularly
- Never cook with filters missing
- Tell us if menus or opening hours change
- Keep to the recommended interval
The audit report is set out to pass straight to your insurer or broker, with readings, pictures and any areas not accessible.
Keep filters clean and in place. Missing or damaged filters let grease straight into the plenum.