Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
Old Tree TR19 inspection
TR19 inspection across Old Tree and nearby, booked around your opening hours and signed off in writing with photos.
- Post-clean verification after another contractor’s clean
- Surveys needed before quoting a full clean
- Systems cleaned on a calendar with no measurements
TR19 inspection in Old Tree
Under TR19® Grease, the mean grease thickness should stay at or below 200 microns between cleans, and 500 microns or more at any point needs immediate spot cleaning. Testing is how you know where your system stands. If you have cleaning intervals that may not suit the kitchen and kitchens taken over with no cleaning records, we can help.
In a village or hamlet like Old Tree, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are usually 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, whatever the size of the place.
We have been trading since 2009, as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are fully insured.
- Location
- Old Tree (CT3)
- Region
- Kent
- Paperwork
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Price
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- Hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
FAQs for Old Tree
Is Old Tree within the area you cover?
Yes, Old Tree is part of our area, however small the site. A survey first, from photos or a visit, means we arrive with the right kit.
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Old Tree?
That is Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Records of extract cleaning are a sensible thing to have ready if a fire safety officer carries out an audit.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance plans are part of what we do, with visits at the interval your system needs. Each report recommends when the next visit should be.
Are you accredited?
Duct Doctor is a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001 are in place too, and we carry full insurance.
What does TR19 mean?
It’s the industry benchmark for cleaning ventilation and kitchen extract systems, written by BESA. It covers how systems are inspected, cleaned and checked and expects a risk-based approach.
How often should grease be tested?
Each report recommends when to test and clean next, taking the readings and the kitchen’s hours into account. A risk assessment based on measured grease should set the interval.
What is a WFTT or DTT grease test?
WFTT and DTT are the two methods for measuring grease thickness, in microns. We take readings at set points from canopy to fan.
Do you look at the system first?
Yes, every time. Diagnosis comes before treatment: the survey shows what needs doing and what access we need, and the quote is based on that.
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:
- The responsible person’s own fire risk assessment
- Heavy deposits found on test, which still need cleaning
- Design faults in the extract system
If in doubt, ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll say what we think.
What we work on in Old Tree
- Deposit thickness tests
- Post-clean checks
- Insurer audits
- Wet film thickness tests
- Access surveys
- Pre-clean surveys
What happens on the day
Your trading hours come first. We book the visit for a time the area is closed, whether that’s an evening, overnight or a weekend. When the team arrives, the work area is protected and the relevant equipment is switched off to cool, and the job takes a morning or less for one kitchen, more where there are several systems. Pictures of the system and its access let us plan the work in Old Tree before we set off.
- First we look at the system’s cleaning history, if there is one.
- The layout is traced from the canopy to the discharge.
- Access panels are located and any missing ones noted.
- Grease readings are taken and photos recorded.
- We report back with readings and a fixed quote.
Before we arrive
- Clear the space around the work
- Mention any parking or loading restrictions
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
Getting a quote
Here’s what helps us quote: where the site is, what it is and its opening hours, pictures of the system and the last certificate or report, if there is one. Then give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Related advice
TR19 inspection in Old Tree: the local picture
Old Tree lies within about 3 miles of the sea. Salt air speeds up corrosion of roof-level fans, discharge cowls and their fixings. Look up Old Tree on the FSA’s food hygiene register and you’ll find about 3 restaurants, cafés and works canteens in and around Old Tree, up to about a mile and a half out. Where they cook under a canopy, a grease reading is the way to tell whether the extract is due a clean. Kitchens in Old Tree get their food hygiene inspections from Canterbury City council. A greasy canopy or dripping filters are the sort of thing an inspection can pick up. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked.
Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; St Martins Hospital is the nearest hospital to Old Tree, about 5.1 miles south-west. Church and community hall kitchens, near Church of the Holy Cross or anywhere around Old Tree, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other.
Old Tree is about 3 miles south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. Whatever kind of site you run in Old Tree, we can take on TR19 inspection. We can work out of hours so trading isn’t interrupted. Old Tree is one of 922 places in Kent where we work for TR19 inspection. You can also see our page for Maidstone, about 28 miles away.
Every address in CT3 is within our area for TR19 inspection, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Close by, we work in Maypole (1 mile west), Hoath (1 mile south-west), Millbank (1 mile north-west), Knave's Ash (1 mile south-west) and Hollow Street (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (6 miles south-west), Margate (10 miles east), Dover (15 miles south), Ramsgate (10 miles east), Broadstairs (11 miles east) and Whitstable (6 miles west).
Local landmarks in Old Tree
Around Old Tree, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Curtis Wood and Spires Academy and the streets around them. The closest station to Old Tree is Herne Bay station, roughly 2.9 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find St Martins Hospital (5.1 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
Aftercare tips
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Don’t box in or cover duct access panels
- Book the next test on the date in the report
- Keep grease filters clean and fitted properly
- Flag oily drips near the extract
Keep the verification report next to the certificate it relates to. Together they show the system was cleaned and checked.
Fit access panels where the survey finds sections cannot be reached, so every part of the duct can be cleaned.
How the job changes from site to site
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Inspections are planned around mealtimes and holidays to avoid disruption.
Restaurants, pubs and hotels
We test between services, early in the morning or after close so the kitchen keeps cooking.
When to call us in Old Tree
Grease in a duct is flammable fuel. Flames from the range can be pulled into the canopy and travel through the ducts to other parts of the building. Knowing how much there is lets you act before it becomes a hazard.
Look out for any of the following:
- Sections of duct that cannot be reached
- Sites with gaps in their extract records
- Kitchens whose menu or hours have changed
- Confirming a clean reached the whole system
Term dates shape school work: for a school like Hoath Primary School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break.
What your quote should include
- When they can work, and whether that is outside your opening hours
- When the next visit should be, and why
- What records you will receive afterwards
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
What affects the quote in Old Tree
Every site gets its own quote. This is what makes a difference:
- How big the system is
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- Whether several sites go on one quote
Whatever the type of site, the quote works the same way: the size of the job, access, condition and working hours. Ask for a fixed quote and we will explain each part.
Helping us quote
Many jobs can be priced from pictures and some basics. Send what you can of the following:
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- A few general shots of the system
- The postcode and the type of business
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
The quickest way to a quote is to send pictures: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Add the site type and your opening hours, and we can price many jobs without a visit.
Nearby places to Old Tree
Other services in Old Tree
Why it’s worth doing now in Old Tree
After an incident, an insurer can ask to see proof of TR19 cleaning and inspection. Without them, a claim can be reduced or refused. Getting an inspection done now starts that paper trail. Systems in rural buildings are often out of sight and out of mind.
The cost depends on the size of the system, what state it’s in and how easy it is to reach. We give you a fixed price before any work starts, so you know where you stand.
Why us?
- Trading since 2009
- BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Survey first, then a fixed quote
- We are fully insured
Take a look at our cost guide or our accreditations and certificates.