Cost & commercial
Filters and the fan are two of the quiet levers behind an extraction quote. What kind of filters you run, how degraded they are, and whether your fan is an easy reach or a roof climb can swing the figure well before duct length enters the sum.
The short answer
Filters and the fan are two of the quiet levers behind an extraction quote. What kind of filters you run, how degraded they are, and whether your fan is an easy reach or a roof climb can swing the figure well before duct length enters the sum.
The detail
Filter type sets how much grease reaches the duct and how much cleaning the filters themselves need. Well-set baffle filters spin most grease out and are cleaned or swapped quickly; mesh or degraded filters let grease carry past into the duct, meaning more internal cleaning and a higher price for the same kitchen.
Filter condition matters as much as type. Baffles that are pitted, corroded or clogged with baked-on polymerised grease no longer filter and cannot be restored by degreasing. Replacing them is a line on the quote, but running them past their life quietly raises every future duct-cleaning bill by letting grease through.
Fan access is the bigger swing. A fan mounted at low level in the plant space is a quick clean and inspection; a roof-mounted fan needs safe height access, sometimes edge protection or a hoist, and that brings working-at-height time and cost that has nothing to do with how dirty the fan is.
Where the fan sits also affects how the whole system is reached. A roof fan usually means a vertical riser and a longer path, more access panels, and more of the job done at height. Two kitchens with identical cooklines can quote very differently purely on where the fan ended up and how the duct routes to it.
What it means for you
Tell the contractor what you run and where the fan is. Flagging your filter type, their age, and a roof versus internal fan lets a quote be accurate rather than cautious - a contractor who cannot see the fan will price for the harder case to be safe, which can cost you.
Budget for filter replacement as part of the picture. Degreasing cannot rescue collapsed baffles, and worn filters are the reason duct-cleaning costs creep up. Replacing them at the right point protects the duct and keeps later quotes lower - it is spend that pays back.
Phoenix Duct Clean surveys filters and fan access as part of quoting, so the figure reflects your actual system and you are not paying a safety margin for unknowns a quick look would have cleared up.
The service behind the guide
Sibling guides
one-off vs scheduled costs · the certificate you pay for · preparing your kitchen for a visit
Questions
Because they decide how much grease reaches the duct and how much work the filters need. Good baffle filters keep the duct cleaner and cost little to service; worn or mesh filters let grease through, raising the internal cleaning bill.
Yes. A roof-mounted fan needs safe working-at-height access, which adds time and sometimes equipment, and usually means a longer vertical path with more access points. An internally mounted fan is quicker and cheaper to reach.
Replace them once they are pitted, corroded or holding baked-on grease that will not clean off. Degreasing cannot restore a failed baffle, and running them on lets grease into the duct and raises every future clean.
A quote is possible but cautious - an unseen roof fan is priced for the harder case. A quick survey of the fan and filters lets the figure reflect your actual system rather than a safety margin.
They do. Filters that capture more grease keep the duct cleaner, so internal cleaning stays lighter and quicker over time. The filter is the cheapest place to stop grease before it becomes a duct-cleaning cost.
Phoenix Duct Clean · by the numbers
Book a survey and get a quote that reflects your actual system, not a cautious estimate.