Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration
Commercial Kitchen Extraction System
Insurance claims for commercial kitchen fires may be denied where a current TR19 cleaning certificate cannot be produced. Maintaining your extraction system is a legal obligation and, increasingly, a condition of maintaining your cover.
Robinsons Facilities Services carries out extraction system maintenance, inspection, and repair across Yorkshire and the North of England, working with restaurants, hotels, schools, care homes, and other commercial catering operations on planned maintenance contracts and one-off cleans.
PPM contracts from £385+VAT per year. TR19 hygiene cleans from £450+VAT. Reactive repairs from £80+VAT per hour.
Call 01423 226578 or use the contact form to request a quote or book a visit.
A commercial kitchen extraction system removes heat, smoke, grease particles, and combustion gases from the cooking environment, preventing the grease build-up that causes most commercial kitchen fires. Adequate ventilation is a legal requirement under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. BESA TR19 defines the minimum cleaning frequency required to keep extraction ductwork safe and meet insurer requirements.
Regulatory context
Your legal obligations
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require adequate ventilation in all commercial premises. For kitchens producing heat, fumes, or combustion gases, a functioning extraction system is the recognised means of meeting that obligation.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to maintain a safe working environment. A poorly maintained extraction system that allows heat, smoke, or combustion gases to accumulate is a foreseeable hazard that duty holders are required to manage.
Gas appliances in commercial kitchens are subject to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
Any work involving gas-fired equipment must be carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers.
BESA TR19: the grease hygiene standard
BESA TR19 is the Building Engineering Services Association’s specification for grease ductwork hygiene. It defines how often commercial kitchen extraction ductwork must be cleaned depending on usage intensity, and sets the standard against which compliance is assessed.
TR19 compliance has moved beyond a maintenance best practice. Commercial property insurers increasingly require a current TR19 cleaning certificate as evidence that extraction ductwork was maintained to the recognised standard. Where a claim arises from a kitchen fire and no valid TR19 certificate exists, the insurer may dispute or reject the claim.
For full TR19 frequency requirements and a detailed description of what a TR19 clean involves, see our commercial kitchen duct cleaning page.
What the service includes
Extraction system maintenance and inspection
Our extraction system service covers all accessible components:
- Canopy and hood inspection and degreasing
- Grease filter cleaning or replacement
- Fan and motor inspection, including belt condition, bearing checks, and airflow assessment
- Visible ductwork condition assessment
- Interlock system function check
- Service record and compliance documentation
- Recommendations for remedial works where defects are identified
What a TR19 grease duct clean involves
A TR19 clean accesses the interior of the ductwork to remove accumulated grease and produces a compliance certificate for your insurance and fire safety records.
Our commercial kitchen duct cleaning service handles TR19 cleans, including full ductwork access cleaning and certificate issuance.
How it works
Step 1: Site assessment
We carry out an initial assessment of your extraction system, documenting condition, identifying any immediate hazards, and confirming the maintenance and cleaning schedule for your usage level.
Step 2: Minimal disruption to your kitchen
Our engineers carry out the agreed scope: canopy cleaning, filter maintenance, fan inspection, interlock check, and any remedial works. We work around your kitchen operating hours to keep downtime to a minimum.
Step 3: Documented and ready for inspection
We provide a written service record confirming all work completed and any outstanding actions. Contract customers can access this through the customer portal at any time.
Compliance specifics
BESA TR19 cleaning frequency
TR19 defines minimum cleaning frequency by kitchen usage intensity:
- Heavy use (12 to 16 hours per day): cleaning every three months
- Moderate use (6 to 12 hours per day): cleaning every six months
- Light use (under six hours per day): annual cleaning
These are minimums. High-grease menus (deep fat fryers, chargrills, wok cooking) accumulate grease faster than usage hours alone suggest. Actual frequency should be set by an inspection assessment, not applied generically.
Documentation
Extraction system maintenance records should be retained as part of your health, safety, and fire compliance documentation. Environmental Health Officers may request these records during food hygiene inspections.
TR19 compliance certificates form part of your fire risk and insurance evidence.
Why Robinsons Facilities Services
We have been carrying out commercial building maintenance across Yorkshire and the Humber for decades. Our extraction system work covers planned maintenance contracts, reactive attendance, and one-off TR19 cleans.
Our engineers are Gas Safe registered, which matters in commercial kitchens where extraction systems are integrated with gas cooking equipment. We hold UKAS ISO 9001 quality management accreditation, SafeContractor, and CHAS approval.
Contract customers have access to a customer portal with service records, maintenance schedules, and compliance documentation available at any time, and a separate 24/7/365 out-of-hours call-out facility for urgent attendance.
We cover Yorkshire and the North of England, including Harrogate, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, York, Hull, Middlesbrough, and surrounding areas.
Pricing
PPM and compliance contract from £385+VAT per year
Covers planned extraction system servicing on an agreed schedule. Includes priority response, preferential rates, customer portal access, and the separate 24/7/365 out-of-hours call-out facility.
TR19 hygiene cleans: one-off or quoted works from £450+VAT
TR19 clean pricing varies with kitchen size, ductwork configuration, and current grease accumulation. As a guide:
- Small kitchen (single canopy, cafe or takeaway): from £450+VAT
- Restaurant or pub (two to four canopies, moderate ductwork): £500 to £900+VAT
- Hotel or large venue (multiple zones, complex or lengthy ductwork): £900 to £2,000+VAT
We confirm costs before any visit.
On-demand repairs from £80+VAT per hour
Pay-as-you-go attendance during business hours. Costs confirmed before the visit. PPM contract customers receive preferential rates.
Call 01423 226578 or use the contact form to request a quote or book a visit.
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Commercial Kitchen Extraction System FAQs
Yes. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require adequate ventilation in all commercial premises. For kitchens producing heat, smoke, or combustion gases, a functioning extraction system is the accepted means of meeting that obligation. Failure to maintain it is a breach of the duty, not a minor administrative oversight.
BESA TR19 is the Building Engineering Services Association’s specification for grease ductwork hygiene in commercial kitchens. It defines the minimum cleaning frequencies required to manage fire risk from accumulated grease, based on the intensity of kitchen use. TR19 cleaning certificates are accepted as evidence of compliance by insurers, environmental health officers, and fire risk assessors.
Planned preventative maintenance contracts start from £385+VAT per year. TR19 hygiene cleans start from £450+VAT. Reactive repair attendance starts from £80+VAT per hour, with costs confirmed before the visit. For a detailed TR19 clean quote based on your kitchen size and configuration, see our commercial kitchen duct cleaning page.
Under BESA TR19, minimum cleaning frequency is set by how intensively the kitchen operates. Heavy-use kitchens (12 to 16 hours daily) require cleaning every three months. Moderate-use kitchens (6 to 12 hours daily) every six months. Light-use kitchens (under six hours daily) annually.
Yes. Where a kitchen fire occurs and the insurer finds that extraction ductwork was not cleaned to TR19 standard, the claim may be challenged or denied on the grounds that the system was not adequately maintained. A current TR19 cleaning certificate is increasingly treated by commercial property insurers as a baseline compliance requirement, not an optional document.
A standard service covers accessible components: canopy degreasing, filter maintenance or replacement, fan inspection, and a condition check of visible ductwork. A TR19 clean accesses the inside of the ductwork to remove accumulated grease, and results in a TR19 compliance certificate. A complete maintenance programme includes both.
A standard extraction system service typically takes two to four hours depending on system size and configuration. A full TR19 grease duct clean takes longer, particularly where access panels need to be cut or where grease accumulation is significant. We confirm scope and timescale before the visit.
Robinsons Facilities Services is based in Harrogate and works across Yorkshire and the North of England, including Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Wakefield, Huddersfield, York, Hull, Middlesbrough, and surrounding areas. Contact us to confirm coverage for your site.
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