EC Cleaners Network · Multi-Site Scheduling
A multi-site organisation can use one scheduling process without giving every kitchen the same cleaning interval.
The central programme should preserve the operating conditions and evidence at each site. Hours of use, cooking type, grease accumulation, previous measurements, system condition and any insurer or fire-risk requirements can all affect when that kitchen should next be reviewed or cleaned.
Do all sites currently follow the same cleaning cycle?
Send the site list, current due dates and any recent extract reports if available. EC can help organise the supplied information so different site intervals, evidence gaps and exceptions are easier to see and manage.
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Should every site use the same cleaning interval?
No. A common administrative framework can be useful, but the technical cleaning interval should reflect the conditions at the individual kitchen.
BESA’s January 2026 public guidance says TR19® Grease frequency starts with usage levels but should also take account of cooking type, system condition, grease accumulation and the results of risk assessment and deposit testing.
Standardise the scheduling method, not the technical interval.
What baseline frequencies does BESA publish?
BESA’s current public TR19® Grease guidance gives the following baseline frequencies by daily operating hours:
Heavy use
12 to 16 hours per day: every 3 months.
Moderate use
6 to 12 hours per day: every 6 months.
Light use
2 to 6 hours per day: every 12 months.
BESA also states that these are baseline recommendations and that more frequent cleaning may be required depending on cooking type, system condition and the results of insurance and fire-risk assessments.
Operating hours are not the whole calculation
Two kitchens can trade for the same number of hours and still produce very different grease loads. A lightly used bakery, a high-output fryer kitchen and a charcoal-led restaurant may place different demands on their extraction systems even if their opening hours are similar.
BESA says actual cleaning frequency should take account of factors including type of cooking, seasonal menu variation, grease accumulation rate and deposit thickness testing.
Hours help classify use. They do not replace evidence about what is actually accumulating inside the system.
What should the central schedule record for each site?
Operating hours
Record the normal daily and weekly use pattern rather than relying only on the site’s public opening hours.
Cooking type
Keep a simple record of the processes most relevant to grease and heat production.
Latest clean or inspection
Record the date, contractor and evidence package for the latest relevant attendance.
Deposit information
Where measurements are available, keep them with the report that explains where and when they were taken.
Recommended next point
Record the next review or cleaning date together with the evidence or recommendation behind it.
External requirement
Keep insurer, fire-risk, landlord or another documented requirement linked to the site.
Change trigger
Flag menu, equipment, operating-hour or building changes that may justify reviewing the current interval.
How should the next cleaning date be decided?
The next date should come from the current site evidence and operating conditions, not simply from copying the previous interval forward forever.
The latest report, current grease loading, deposit measurements where available, cooking pattern, system condition and any relevant external requirement can all contribute to the next review point.
What if the insurer or fire-risk assessor specifies an interval?
Keep the actual wording with that site’s record. BESA’s public guidance notes that insurance and fire-risk assessment outcomes can affect how frequently a system needs cleaning.
Do not automatically copy one insurer condition or one professional recommendation across the entire estate unless the requirement genuinely applies at portfolio level.
Use the source document, not a remembered rule about what insurers usually want.
New and acquired sites should not be dropped blindly into an existing cycle
When a new property joins the portfolio, collect the existing reports, certificates, cleaning history, operating pattern and access information before assigning the long-term interval.
If the evidence is missing or contradictory, a competent contractor or relevant professional may need to establish the current condition before the central team can rely on a routine future schedule.
What should trigger an interval review?
- Menu change. More grease-intensive or different cooking processes.
- Equipment change. New fryers, grills, solid-fuel appliances or altered cooking load.
- Operating-hour change. Longer service periods or increased production.
- Deposit results. Measurements or visual evidence show the current interval may not be appropriate.
- Repeated heavy contamination. Reports show faster accumulation than expected.
- Insurance or fire-risk action. A documented requirement changes the maintenance expectation.
- Access improvement. Previously inaccessible sections become available and reveal new evidence.
- System modification. Changes to ductwork, fan, canopy or other ventilation components alter the operating context.
Do not hide overdue sites by resetting the calendar
If a clean or inspection is overdue, record the exception rather than simply moving the date forward. The central team should be able to distinguish between a site that has genuinely been reviewed and one whose planned date was changed administratively.
Historic project context
Different kitchens create different operating conditions even within the same estate. A care-home kitchen, high-volume restaurant, school kitchen and food-production site may all need the same management discipline while generating different grease loads and maintenance patterns.
Historic EC Cleaners project imagery is used to illustrate site-level operating context. It is not presented as evidence of the required cleaning interval at any current care-home or multi-site property.
A practical portfolio scheduling method
- List every site and system. Use a separate record where one property has several extraction systems.
- Record current usage. Hours, cooking type and operating pattern.
- Collect the latest evidence. Reports, photographs, measurements and current recommendations.
- Record the present interval. Show the current next review or clean date and the basis for it.
- Check external requirements. Insurer, fire-risk, landlord or other site-specific conditions.
- Classify changes. Menu, equipment, hours, contamination or system modifications that may alter the interval.
- Schedule centrally. Use the portfolio calendar to coordinate work without erasing local technical differences.
- Review after each attendance. Update the next point using the latest site evidence.
What EC can help organise
Site schedule
Customer-supplied due dates, previous attendances and current site records can be organised into one portfolio view.
Evidence linkage
Current intervals can be associated with the report, recommendation or external requirement behind them.
Change triggers
Sites with changed hours, menu, equipment or repeated heavy contamination can be surfaced for review.
Overdue exceptions
Late sites can remain visible without simply shifting the planned date.
EC does not determine the technical cleaning frequency for a system or replace the competent contractor, insurer, fire-risk assessor or other professional adviser responsible for conclusions within their own scope.
Multi-site kitchen extract cleaning frequencies: frequently asked questions
Should every site in a multi-site estate have the same kitchen extract cleaning frequency?
No. A portfolio can use one management process, but the cleaning interval should reflect the conditions at each kitchen, including operating hours, type of cooking, grease accumulation, system condition, previous evidence and any relevant insurer or fire-risk requirements.
What are the TR19 Grease frequency bands?
BESA’s January 2026 public guidance gives baseline frequencies of every 3 months for heavy use at 12 to 16 hours per day, every 6 months for moderate use at 6 to 12 hours per day and every 12 months for light use at 2 to 6 hours per day.
Are operating hours enough to set the cleaning frequency?
No. BESA says actual frequency should also take account of factors such as cooking type, seasonal menu variation, grease accumulation rate and deposit thickness testing. The interval should be reviewed when site conditions change.
Can head office use one national calendar for all locations?
Yes as an administrative framework, but the calendar should preserve site-specific due dates rather than forcing every kitchen onto one technical interval.
What if an insurer requires a different interval?
Keep the actual insurer wording with the site record and reflect it in the schedule where applicable. Do not assume one insurer requirement applies across every property unless that is documented.
How should a new or acquired site be added to the schedule?
Start with the existing records, operating pattern, latest cleaning evidence, access position and current condition. If the evidence is incomplete, obtain appropriate competent assessment before assigning a routine long-term interval.
How often should the portfolio schedule itself be reviewed?
Review it whenever a site changes menu, equipment, trading hours, contractor evidence, insurer requirements or system condition, and whenever a report recommends a different return point.
Managing different kitchen extract cleaning intervals across several sites?
Send the site list, current due dates and available reports. EC can help organise the portfolio schedule so operating differences, evidence, external requirements and overdue exceptions remain visible rather than being flattened into one national timetable.
Responsibility statement:
EC Cleaners Network is operated by Search and Submit Ltd. Search and Submit Ltd does not inspect, clean, test, survey, design, remediate, certify or technically approve kitchen extraction or ventilation systems. Independent appointed contractors and competent professionals remain responsible for technical assessment, safe working, quotations, physical delivery, reporting, certification and professional conclusions within their appointed scope.
TR19® Grease and TR19® Air are BESA specifications. References are descriptive and no BESA endorsement of or affiliation with EC Cleaners Network is claimed.