Hertfordshire · TR19 inspections and grease testing
Ridge TR19 inspection
TR19 inspections and grease testing for commercial sites in Ridge and across Hertfordshire. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and fully insured.
- Systems that need surveying before cleaning
- Sections of duct that cannot be reached
- Extracts that have never been grease tested
TR19 inspection in Ridge, done properly
Post-clean verification is a check carried out once the cleaning is done, with fresh grease readings, photos and a look at the areas that were cleaned. It shows whether the system was left in the condition the paperwork describes. Typical jobs include checking the result of a recent clean and pre-clean surveys before a first TR19 clean, across wet film thickness tests, post-clean checks and access surveys.
In a village or hamlet like Ridge, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are typically 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. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are fully insured.
- Place
- Ridge (EN6)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Paperwork
- Certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- Hours
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
What the work involves, part by part
Schools, hospitals and care homes
We fit testing around service times and school holidays so meals aren’t affected.
Vertical risers
Risers carry the extract up through the building. Grease can run down and collect at the base, so we check there.
Also in Ridge
Aftercare tips
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. A few tips:
- Diary the next grease test and clean
- Store grease readings where your insurer can see them
- Keep access panels clear and unpainted
- Send TR19 audit reports to your insurer on request
You get a report with the grease readings, where they were taken and photos of each point. Keep it with your fire safety and TR19 records.
When cooking hours or the menu change, check the interval still fits. Fresh readings show whether it needs to change.
Common problems we fix in Ridge
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:
- Cleaning intervals that may not suit the kitchen
- Insurers asking for TR19 evidence
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
- Systems that need surveying before cleaning
School kitchens, at schools like St Giles' CofE Primary School for example, are normally cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost.
What to look for in a quote
- Proof of insurance
- What hours they’ll be on site
- When the next visit should be, and why
- What happens if part of the system cannot be accessed
What a clean won’t put right
Before booking, it helps to know what’s not included:
- The grease itself, which needs a full or spot clean
- Mechanical faults in the extract
- Design faults in the extract system
If you’re not sure, just ring 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Where we work
- Pre-clean surveys
- Insurer audits
- Wet film thickness tests
- Access surveys
- Deposit thickness tests
- Post-clean checks
For landlords and multi-site operators
The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty to manage fire risk on the responsible person, and that can be the employer, the owner, a landlord, a facilities manager or a managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
Multi-site operators often want one contractor and one number. We cover South East England and London, so a run of sites can go into one programme and kept on a regular cycle.
What your team can do, and what needs us
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, 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, such as dripping grease, a noisy fan, a smell or a filter that won’t come clean, they should report it rather than try to fix it. We can diagnose it and quote.
Ridge kitchens: local notes
Food Standards Agency records list about 9 restaurants, cafés and canteens within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Ridge. Each kitchen extract among them can be measured for grease to set the right cleaning interval. Kitchens in Ridge get their food hygiene inspections from Hertsmere 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. The fire and rescue service for Ridge is Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order.
If your kitchen is in a listed or historic building, like the houses around Ridge (Wyllyotts Manor is about 2.2 miles east), fitting access panels needs care. Where a hall near Church of St Margaret, or anywhere in Ridge, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does.
Ridge is about 2 miles north-east of Borehamwood, in Hertfordshire. Whether your site is in the middle of Ridge or further out, we cover TR19 inspection for every kind of premises, from a single unit to a large public building. Across Hertfordshire, we cover 381 places, Ridge among them. London is in our area too, around 15 miles away.
We work across the EN6 postcode area for TR19 inspection and the roads nearby. Whether your site is on Crossoaks Lane, Deeves Hall Lane and Blanche Lane or a nearby road, we can help. Close by, we work in South Mimms (1 mile north-east), Dancers Hill (1 mile south-east), Well End (1 mile south), Green Street (2 miles south-west) and Shenley (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Watford (7 miles west), Hemel Hempstead (10 miles north-west), Stevenage (15 miles north), St Albans (6 miles north-west), Welwyn Garden City (8 miles north) and Harpenden (10 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Ridge
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Manor Lodge School, Dame Alice Owen's School and North Mimms Park and the streets around them. The closest station to Ridge is Potters Bar station, roughly 2.3 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Hilfield Castle (4.6 miles south-west) and Hertfordshire Scout Museum (1.4 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Darland's Lake and Furzefield Wood and Lower Halfpenny.
How it works
We are used to working while the site is closed. A lot of visits happen overnight or at weekends, so the site can open as normal afterwards. The visit itself takes an hour or two for a single kitchen, longer for a large or complex system. Somewhere as small as Ridge, the date and timings are agreed with you well before the day.
- The visit is arranged for when the kitchen isn’t busy.
- We look over the canopy, plenum, ducts, fan and discharge.
- We take WFTT or DTT readings at set points along the system.
- Each test point and any access problems are photographed.
- You get a report with readings, photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, plant rooms, ceilings or locked areas
Get a fixed quote
Want a quote for TR19 inspection? Please phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and tell us about the site. We will explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before anything is booked.
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Common questions in Ridge
Do you work overnight in Ridge?
Yes, nights and weekends are routine for us. The site is handed back ready to open. Let us know the hours you are closed and we will book within them.
Is Ridge within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
What types of premises do you cover?
Restaurants and pubs, hotels, schools and colleges, hospitals and care homes, offices and retail, plus food production and leisure sites.
What is TR19?
TR19® is BESA’s specification for ventilation hygiene. TR19® Grease, a standalone specification since 2019, covers grease in kitchen extract systems, while TR19® Air covers other supply and extract ductwork.
Do you work with multi-site operators?
Yes. Tell us the addresses and what each needs and you will get one fixed quote.
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. After that, simply call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us.
Can you inspect our extract for our insurance company?
Yes, anywhere in the area we cover. Share the insurer’s request so the report addresses it.
What do you do to protect the area?
We start with protection: floor sheeting and covers over nearby surfaces and equipment. We tidy up and take our waste away before we leave.