How often should you have your kitchen extract system cleaned?

So how can I tell if my kitchen extract system needs a clean?

One of the most asked questions we receive at Swiftclean is – “how do I know if my system needs a clean?” And this is one we can clear up pretty quickly!

First things first, if the system is smoking; it’s noisy; the kitchen or building smells particularly strongly of cooking or grease, then something is likely to be wrong. And nine times out of ten, it’s because the system is overdue a service and needs to be cleaned.

Being appointed as a facilities manager or in charge of a maintenance program for a kitchen extract system, for the very first time can be a minefield, however, TR19® Grease can help you understand how often your system should be cleaned – and provided your contractor’s reports are compliant with the TR19® Grease specification, this will help.

Unless recommended otherwise, all operational grease extract ductwork systems will usually require cleaning annually as a minimum.

All cleaning frequencies should be based upon accurate historical levels of grease accumulation to maintain grease deposit levels below 200 microns as a mean average across the system. (To get a better understanding of this, 200 microns is about half the thickness of an average business card).

If you notice any sections of your ducting system gathering grease levels over 500 microns, then you need to act. These areas are commonly known as ‘hot spots’ or ‘high points’ and we can help you get these back to compliant levels in no time. Just remember that it’s best to act fast, taking into consideration the severity of fouling at 500 microns and the level of risk it poses. We’re here to help you keep your ducting system in tip-top shape!

It is recommended to add an urgent, localized cleaning of high point areas to the system cleaning schedule to control the risk of high grease level accumulation.

Specific cleaning intervals stated by landlords, system designers or insurers should be identified by the owner/operator and notified to the cleaning and maintenance contractor.

Conditions and warranties within commercial liability/property insurance policies, should stipulate minimum cleaning frequencies for grease extract ductwork systems. However, some insurance contracts may require a higher frequency of cleaning than recommended in TR19®Grease. Failure to comply with such requirements may invalidate the property insurance policy – so make sure you have read the details on your documentation.

We hope this helps clear things up, but if you’re still not sure if your system needs a clean, you can contact us today, or even try using our Kitchen Extract Cleaning Compliance Checker:

Compliance Checker: Kitchen Extract Cleaning – Swiftclean (UK) Limited