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Kitchen extraction cleaning - scope
Canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning sound similar, but they are very different things - and confusing them is how kitchens end up with a hidden fire risk they think is handled. Canopy cleaning does the visible hood; full extraction cleaning does the whole system, ductwork included. Here is the real difference between the two. This is general commentary.
The short answer
Canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning sound similar and are often confused - but they mean different things, and the difference matters a great deal. Canopy cleaning: cleaning the canopy (the hood over the cooking) - the visible, accessible part of the extraction system - and usually the grease filters in it. So canopy cleaning addresses the parts you can see and easily reach: the hood and filters. This makes the visible extraction look clean, and cleans the first parts where grease collects. Full extraction cleaning: cleaning the whole extraction system - the canopy and filters, but also (and crucially) the ductwork (the enclosed duct runs carrying the air from the canopy to outside) and the extract fan. So full extraction cleaning goes beyond the visible canopy to the hidden ductwork and the fan - the whole system, not just the accessible parts. The key difference: it is the ductwork. Canopy cleaning stops at the visible hood and filters, leaving the ductwork untouched; full extraction cleaning includes the ductwork. And this difference is critical, because the ductwork is where the grease build-up is most significant and most hazardous - the main fire risk in the system. Grease builds up throughout the extraction, but the ductwork (enclosed, hard to reach, running through the building) is where the fire risk concentrates and where a grease fire can spread. So cleaning only the canopy, while leaving the ductwork grease-laden, leaves the main fire risk in place - which is why a canopy clean alone is not a compliant extraction clean (it does not clean the whole system to the standard, TR19 Grease). Only full extraction cleaning - reaching and cleaning the ductwork - genuinely controls the fire risk. So the difference between canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning is whether the ductwork (the main fire risk) is cleaned - and confusing them (believing a canopy clean is a full clean) leaves a hidden fire risk you think is handled. So canopy cleaning is the visible hood; full extraction cleaning is the whole system, ductwork included. This is general commentary on extraction cleaning scope.
Key points
Canopy cleaning
Canopy cleaning means cleaning the canopy - the hood over the cooking - and usually the grease filters in it: the visible, accessible parts of the extraction system. The canopy (or hood) is the part of the extraction you can see, positioned over the cooking to capture the grease-laden air; and the grease filters sit in it. Canopy cleaning cleans these: the interior and exterior surfaces of the canopy (where grease collects), and the filters (cleaned or replaced). So canopy cleaning addresses the accessible, visible parts of the system - the hood and filters that you can see and reach.
This is worthwhile as far as it goes: the canopy and filters are the first parts where grease collects (the filters being the first line of defence), so cleaning them removes grease and keeps them working, and makes the visible extraction look clean. But canopy cleaning stops there - at the visible hood and filters. It does not go into the ductwork behind and above the canopy (the enclosed duct runs carrying the air away), nor to the fan. So canopy cleaning is a partial clean - the visible, accessible front end of the system - not the whole system. Understanding this is the key to the difference: canopy cleaning is the hood and filters, and no more. The following sections cover what full extraction cleaning adds (the ductwork and fan), and why that difference matters so much. So canopy cleaning is the visible hood and filters. So the visible hood and filters is what canopy cleaning covers. This is general commentary.
Full extraction cleaning
Full extraction cleaning means cleaning the whole extraction system - the canopy and filters, but also the ductwork and the fan - not just the visible front end. A full extraction clean includes everything canopy cleaning does (the canopy and filters), and then goes further, to the parts canopy cleaning leaves out: the ductwork - the enclosed duct runs that carry the extracted air from the canopy through the building to outside, where grease builds up on the internal surfaces (reached through access panels); and the extract fan - which also accumulates grease and needs cleaning. So full extraction cleaning does the complete system, from the canopy through the ductwork to the fan.
This is the crucial addition: the ductwork. Full extraction cleaning reaches into the enclosed ductwork (via access panels) and cleans the grease off the internal surfaces throughout - the hidden part of the system that canopy cleaning cannot and does not reach. So where canopy cleaning does the visible front end, full extraction cleaning does the whole system including the hidden ductwork where the grease build-up (and fire risk) is greatest. This is what makes it a full, and compliant (TR19 Grease), extraction clean - it cleans the whole system, not just the accessible parts. So full extraction cleaning is the whole system, ductwork included - the complete clean that controls the fire risk throughout. The difference from canopy cleaning is exactly this extra scope: the ductwork and fan. So full extraction cleaning is the whole system, ductwork included. This is general commentary.
Why the difference matters
The difference between canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning matters critically because of what is in the difference - the ductwork - which is where the fire risk mainly lives. Grease builds up throughout the extraction system, but the ductwork is where the build-up is most significant and most hazardous: it is enclosed (so grease accumulates unseen), hard to reach (so it does not get cleaned by casual cleaning), and runs through the building (so a grease fire in the ductwork can spread rapidly through the system and the building). So the ductwork is the heart of the extraction fire risk - and cleaning it is the heart of controlling that risk.
This means the difference between canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning is the difference between leaving the main fire risk in place and removing it. Canopy cleaning, by stopping at the visible hood and filters, leaves the ductwork grease-laden - so the main fire risk remains, however clean the canopy looks. Full extraction cleaning, by cleaning the ductwork, removes that main fire risk. So the extra scope of a full clean (the ductwork) is not a minor addition but the difference between controlling the fire risk and not. This is why a canopy clean alone is not a compliant extraction clean (as covered in why a canopy clean alone isn't TR19 compliant): the standard requires the whole system, including the ductwork, cleaned - because that is where the fire risk is. So the difference matters because the ductwork holds the fire risk, and only full extraction cleaning cleans it. So the ductwork holds the fire risk - which is why the difference matters. This is general commentary.
The dangerous confusion
The dangerous confusion is thinking that a canopy clean is a full clean - believing the extraction is properly cleaned and the fire risk handled, when only the visible part was done. Because canopy cleaning makes the visible extraction look clean, and both are loosely called 'extraction cleaning', a kitchen can easily believe that a canopy clean has dealt with the whole system - that the extraction is cleaned and the fire risk controlled. But if only the canopy was cleaned, the ductwork is still grease-laden, and the main fire risk remains - so the belief is false, and the kitchen is exposed to a hidden fire risk it thinks is handled.
This confusion is exactly how kitchens end up with a hidden fire risk and the 'years of missed cleaning' situation: canopy-only cleans, believed to be full cleans, leaving the ductwork uncleaned behind an apparent cleaning history. So it matters to be clear about the difference, and to ensure that when you need the fire risk controlled (which you do), you get a full extraction clean (the whole system, ductwork included), not just a canopy clean. When arranging or checking your extraction cleaning, the key question is whether the ductwork is being cleaned - not just the canopy. If only the canopy and filters are done, the fire risk in the ductwork is not being controlled, whatever the invoice says. So the dangerous confusion - thinking a canopy clean is enough - must be avoided by understanding the difference and ensuring a full clean. So do not mistake a canopy clean for a full clean. So thinking a canopy clean is enough is the dangerous confusion. This is general commentary.
Get the full system done
So the difference between canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning is scope - canopy cleaning does the visible hood and filters, full extraction cleaning does the whole system including the ductwork and fan - and the key difference is the ductwork, where the fire risk mainly lives. Only full extraction cleaning cleans the ductwork and so genuinely controls the fire risk; canopy cleaning alone leaves it in place. So to control the fire risk, get the full system done - ductwork included - not just the canopy. Ductwork included, or the risk remains.
This is the practical conclusion: when you need your extraction cleaned to control the fire risk and meet your compliance duty (which is why extraction cleaning is done), you need a full extraction clean - the whole system, including the ductwork, cleaned to the TR19 Grease standard and verified (with internal inspection and before-and-after photographs). A canopy clean alone, however tidy it makes the visible hood look, does not do this - it leaves the ductwork grease-laden and the main fire risk uncontrolled. So do not settle for, or mistake, a canopy clean when you need a full extraction clean. Ensure the ductwork is cleaned (ask, and check the proof) - because that is the difference between a clean that controls the fire risk and one that only looks like it does. So get the full system done, ductwork included - because without the ductwork, the fire risk remains. This is general commentary on extraction cleaning scope.
Questions
The difference is scope, and specifically whether the ductwork is cleaned. Canopy cleaning does the visible canopy (the hood over the cooking) and usually the grease filters - the accessible, visible parts of the system. Full extraction cleaning does the whole system: the canopy and filters, but also (crucially) the ductwork (the enclosed duct runs carrying the air from the canopy to outside, where grease builds up) and the extract fan. So the key difference is the ductwork: canopy cleaning stops at the visible hood and filters, leaving the ductwork untouched, while full extraction cleaning includes the ductwork. This matters because the ductwork is where the grease build-up is most significant and most hazardous - the main fire risk in the system - so cleaning only the canopy leaves the main fire risk in place, while full extraction cleaning removes it. Only full extraction cleaning cleans the whole system to the standard (TR19 Grease) and genuinely controls the fire risk. So the difference is that canopy cleaning does the visible hood, while full extraction cleaning does the whole system, ductwork included. This is general commentary.
No - canopy cleaning alone is not enough, because it leaves the ductwork (where the fire risk mainly is) uncleaned. Canopy cleaning does the visible hood and filters, which is worthwhile as far as it goes (removing grease from the first parts where it collects, and keeping the filters working) - but it stops there, leaving the ductwork grease-laden. And the ductwork is where the grease build-up is most significant and most hazardous (enclosed, hard to reach, running through the building, where a grease fire can spread) - the main fire risk in the system. So cleaning only the canopy, while leaving the ductwork uncleaned, leaves the main fire risk in place, however clean the canopy looks. This is why a canopy clean alone is not a compliant extraction clean: the standard (TR19 Grease) requires the whole system, including the ductwork, cleaned, because that is where the fire risk is. So canopy cleaning alone is not enough to control the fire risk or meet the standard - you need a full extraction clean including the ductwork. So no - canopy cleaning is not enough on its own. This is general commentary.
Because the ductwork is where the grease build-up is most significant and most hazardous - the main fire risk in the extraction system. Grease builds up throughout the extraction, but the ductwork is where the build-up concentrates and is most dangerous: it is enclosed (so grease accumulates unseen), hard to reach (so it does not get cleaned by casual or canopy cleaning), and runs through the building (so a grease fire in the ductwork can spread rapidly through the system and the building). So the ductwork is the heart of the extraction fire risk, and cleaning it is the heart of controlling that risk. This is why the difference between canopy cleaning and full extraction cleaning (which is whether the ductwork is cleaned) matters so much: it is the difference between leaving the main fire risk in place (canopy cleaning) and removing it (full extraction cleaning). Cleaning the visible canopy while leaving the ductwork grease-laden does not control the main fire risk. So the ductwork matters so much because it holds the main fire risk - which is exactly why a full clean, reaching the ductwork, is necessary. This is general commentary.
Check that the ductwork is being cleaned - not just the canopy and filters - and that there is proof it was. When arranging extraction cleaning, the key question is whether the whole system, including the ductwork, is being cleaned to the standard (TR19 Grease), or only the visible canopy and filters. Ask specifically about the ductwork: is it being cleaned? Is there adequate access (access panels) to reach it? And crucially, will you get proof the ductwork was cleaned - internal inspection and before-and-after photographs of the ductwork internals, plus a proper report and certificate? A full extraction clean can show you the ductwork was cleaned; a canopy-only clean cannot (because it did not clean it). So to ensure a full clean, confirm the ductwork is included and insist on the proof (photographs, report). If a clean does only the canopy and filters, or cannot show you the ductwork was done, it is not a full extraction clean, and the fire risk in the ductwork is not being controlled. So make sure by confirming the ductwork is cleaned and proven. This is general commentary.
Because the canopy is the quick, easy, visible part - so a cheaper or superficial clean does it and skips the harder, hidden ductwork. Cleaning the canopy and filters is fast and accessible (the visible front end), while cleaning the ductwork is the harder, costlier work (reaching it through access panels, cleaning the whole run, verifying it). So a cheaper or superficial 'extraction clean' does the easy canopy and leaves the ductwork - which makes it cheaper, and makes the visible extraction look clean, but leaves the main fire risk untouched. This can happen because there is no access to the ductwork, because the cleaner only offers or does a canopy clean, or because the buyer does not know the difference and thinks a canopy clean is a full clean. The problem is that this leaves the fire risk in the ductwork uncontrolled behind an apparent clean - the dangerous confusion. So some cleans do only the canopy because it is the easy, cheap, visible part - but that is not a full extraction clean, and it does not control the fire risk. This is why understanding the difference, and ensuring the ductwork is done, matters. This is general commentary.
Yes - full extraction cleaning includes the extract fan, along with the canopy, filters and ductwork. The extract fan (which draws the air through the system) also accumulates grease over time, and needs cleaning as part of a full clean - both to keep it working efficiently (a grease-laden fan performs poorly and can be damaged or seized by grease) and because the grease on it is part of the system's fire risk. So a full extraction clean does the whole system: the canopy and filters (the visible front end), the ductwork (the hidden runs where the fire risk mainly is), and the fan (which also loads up with grease). This whole-system scope - canopy, filters, ductwork and fan - is what makes it a full, compliant clean, distinct from a canopy-only clean that does just the visible hood and filters. So yes - full extraction cleaning includes the fan, as part of cleaning the complete system. This is one of the components a full clean covers that a canopy clean does not. So full extraction cleaning does include the fan. This is general commentary; see what extraction cleaning covers.
Canopy cleaning does the visible hood; only full extraction cleaning does the ductwork where the fire risk lives. Our extraction cleaning does the whole system - canopy, filters, ductwork and fan - to TR19 Grease, with the proof it was done. Ask us for a full extraction clean, not just a canopy clean.
