Sunday Shutdown Ductwork and Fan Clean for a Lancashire Factory

Sunday shutdown ductwork and fan clean for a Lancashire bakery in Bolton: a real SMR Gas job, told through our own photos from the site.

• Job type: Weekend industrial ductwork and fan clean
• Location: Bolton
• Photographed: October 2026

The challenge

A bakery in Bolton had years of dust and debris built up inside its extract ductwork and fan. Left alone, that build-up restricts airflow, makes the fan work harder and adds to fire and hygiene risk. The site couldn't afford to stop production during the week, so the work had to be done while the bakery was shut.

Our solution

SMR's team went in on a Sunday during the weekend shutdown. Wearing full protective gear, four of our engineers worked inside the duct itself under permit-to-work and confined-space controls, clearing the build-up from around 40 metres of duct walls and bends, plus the fan. The whole job took six hours.

The result

The ductwork and fan were left clean and the system was ready for Monday morning, with no lost production and no disruption to the client's staff. Airflow through the system improved, and the site is now on a planned maintenance schedule with SMR.

Need planned maintenance or a shutdown job done without stopping production? SMR Gas Maintenance Ltd works 24/7 around your site across Preston and Lancashire. Gas Safe registered 562186. Call 07882 898492 or get in touch at smrgas.co.uk.

Customer name withheld. Photos taken by SMR Gas engineers on site.

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