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

One of the most commonly 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 in a school, for the very first time can be a minefield. However, the industry-recognised TR19® Grease from the Building and Engineering Services Association (BESA) can help you understand how often your system should be cleaned – provided your contractor’s reports comply with the specification.

Our directors assisted with the original development and editing of the BESA’s Guide to Good Practice ‘Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems’ (TR/17 First & Second editions & TR/19 2005). Most recently we assisted with the further enhancement of TR19®, (including TR19® Grease and the recently released TR19®Air) so you can rest assured that our work is carried out to the latest specification.

Our very own Managing Director, Gary Nicholls, acts as an expert witness in kitchen extract fire litigation and is a former chairman of the BESA Ventilation Hygiene Group Branch.

Swiftclean employs and trains its own direct workforce to carry out contracted work from strategically placed locations throughout the UK so wherever you are based, you’ll know that we can reach you and that you will receive service excellence from trusted and expert service teams.

All the field crews that work on sensitive sites, such as schools and colleges, are DBS-enhanced cleared, giving you peace of mind. 

In addition to this, all our compliance engineers are trained in The Swiftclean Academy, based at our head office in Essex. We are one of only three centres in the UK that offers air and grease hygiene training to the TR19® Air and TR19® Grease specifications. 

Schools and colleges need to be able to prove their compliance in the event of a fire. All our kitchen extract post-clean verification reports are registered with the Vent Hygiene Register (VHR) – and we were one of the founding companies that joined this scheme. The VHR is run by the BESCA, the assessment arm of the BESA. It was introduced in response to growing awareness among building owners, operators and insurers of the fire risks posed by poorly cleaned and maintained systems. Your compliance reports will give you peace of mind that you have done all you can to prevent an outbreak of fire at your school.

We aim to send all our compliance reports out within 5 working days of a clean being completed – our current turnaround time is an average of just 4 working days – the quickest in the industry!

They contain clear, concise and transparent information enabling you to fully understand your system’s cleanliness and compliance post-clean.

Kitchen extract system cleaning frequencies

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!

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.

You might like to note that Swiftclean is the only company in the UK to be approved by AXA Insurance to carry out kitchen extract cleans.

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.