How to choose a ventilation survey provider

They assess your extraction system's real condition - how grease-laden it is, its access and cleanability, its condition, and what cleaning or work it needs - giving you information you can't easily get yourself. A ventilation (or grease-loading) survey inspects and assesses the extraction system: measuring the grease loading, checking the condition of the canopy, ductwork and fan, assessing the access and cleanability, and identifying any problems or work needed. Because much of the system is hidden (the ductwork and fan), you can't readily assess it yourself - so the survey provides knowledge you'd otherwise lack, to base decisions on (the cleaning frequency you need, whether there's a problem, whether the system is compliant and safe). So a survey provider gives you an assessment of your system's real state and needs. Choosing a good one means getting a thorough, honest, clear assessment. So they assess your system's condition and needs. So they assess the system and report on it. This is general commentary.

One that is thorough (assessing the hidden parts, not just the surface), independent and honest (an objective assessment, not a sales pitch), and clearly reported (findings, evidence and actionable recommendations). A good survey has several qualities: thoroughness - it reaches and assesses the whole system, opening access panels to inspect the ductwork, checking the fan, measuring the grease loading (not just glancing at the visible canopy); independence and honesty - it's an objective assessment you can trust, not a device to oversell cleaning or work you don't need; and a clear, evidenced, actionable report - setting out what was found, with evidence (photographs, grease-loading measurements), and clear recommendations you can act on. Plus competence (knowing the standards, TR19 Grease). A survey with these qualities genuinely tells you your system's state and what to do; one lacking them misinforms. So a good survey is thorough, honest and clearly reported. So thorough, honest and clearly reported. This is general commentary.

Because a survey's value depends on being an honest, objective assessment - if it's really a sales pitch, it may exaggerate problems to sell you cleaning or work you don't need, so you can't trust it. A survey is meant to tell you the truth about your system, so you can make good decisions. If the survey is biased - used mainly to drum up cleaning or remedial work - it may exaggerate problems or recommend unnecessary work, misleading you into spending on things you don't need (or distrust of genuine findings). So independence, or at least honesty and objectivity, is important for the survey to be trustworthy. This matters especially when the same company would do any resulting work (a built-in incentive to find problems) - in which case look for a provider with a reputation for honest assessment, or consider an independent survey. So independence matters because it's what lets you trust and act on the survey. So it ensures the assessment is honest. This is general commentary.

The findings (the system's condition and grease loading, any problems), the evidence (photographs of the hidden parts, grease-loading measurements), and clear, actionable recommendations (what cleaning or work is needed, at what frequency). A useful survey report sets out: what was found - the condition of the system, the grease loading, and any problems (inadequate access, heavy build-up, a struggling fan); the evidence - photographs of the parts inspected (especially the hidden ductwork and fan) and grease-loading measurements, so you can see the basis for the findings rather than just taking them on trust; and clear recommendations - what cleaning or remedial work is needed, at what frequency, and any priorities, stated so you can act on them. An evidenced, clear, actionable report is both trustworthy (you can see the basis) and useful (you know what to do). A vague, unevidenced report is neither. So the report should contain findings, evidence and actionable recommendations. So findings, evidence and recommendations. This is general commentary.

No - a survey assesses and informs (telling you the condition and what's needed), while a clean does the work (removing the grease); they're related but distinct services. A ventilation survey inspects and assesses the system - telling you its condition, grease loading, and what cleaning or work it needs - but it doesn't remove any grease. A clean removes the grease (does the actual work of cleaning the system to TR19 Grease). So they serve different purposes: the survey is the assessment, the clean is the action. They're related - a survey can inform a clean (establishing what's needed) or verify one (checking it was done) - and some companies offer both. But they're distinct, so be clear whether you want a survey, a clean, or both. And where one provider does both, the survey's independence matters (an honest assessment, not a sales pitch for cleaning). So no - a survey assesses; a clean does the work. So no - they're distinct services. This is general commentary.

Yes, and it can be convenient - but it's where independence matters most, so look for an honest provider (or consider an independent survey) to be sure the assessment reflects what you need, not what they want to sell. Many extraction companies offer both survey and cleaning services, which can be convenient (one provider assessing and then doing the work). The concern is the built-in incentive: a company that profits from cleaning has a reason to find (or exaggerate) cleaning needs in its survey. So where the same company does both, the provider's honesty is especially important - look for a reputation for objective assessment and an evidenced report (photographs, grease-loading measurements) you can check, so you can trust the findings. If in doubt, an independent survey (from a provider who doesn't do the cleaning) removes the conflict. So yes, one company can do both - just weigh the independence, or get an independent survey, so the assessment is trustworthy. So yes, but weigh the independence. This is general commentary.