Among a restaurant’s most important features is its grease trap. Grease traps are messy. While a necessary feature in any restaurant kitchen, grease traps aren’t exactly the easiest to clean. However, cleaning grease traps is necessary. Failure to clean a grease trap can come with numerous consequences. Andrew’s Plumbing is here to fill you in on the importance of grease trap cleaning for your business or restaurant.
Define Grease Trap!
Grease traps are a plumbing device that prevents grease from being disposed of into the municipality’s sewer system. Fats, oils, and grease are also known as “FOGs.” FOGs are difficult to deal with because they stick on the inside of pipes and accumulate in growth over time.
Grease traps work by separating water and FOGs once they enter the trap. Grease floats to the top and solids sink to the bottom. Clean water exits on the other end of the trap through a designated opening.
Understanding Grease Traps and Grease Interceptors
While grease traps and grease interceptors share the same function, they do have some differences. Here is how grease traps and grease interceptors differ from each other:
Grease Traps
- Smaller
- Only have a flow rate of 50 gallons per minute
- Fill up faster
- Needs to be cleaned more frequently
- Better for smaller commercial applications like coffee shops and sandwich shops
Grease Interceptors
- Larger
- Can well exceed a flow rate of 50 gallons per minute
- Made from concrete
- Doesn’t have to be cleaned as frequently
- Takes longer to fillBetter for larger commercial applications like schools and malls
Indications That Your Grease Trap Needs a Cleaning
Consequences of Skipping Grease Trap Cleaning
The Grease Trap Cleaning Process
Benefits of Regular Grease Trap Cleaning
Aside from regular cleaning, maintaining your commercial kitchen’s grease trap is achievable by being mindful of what is going down the drain. Small amounts of FOGs and other food particles should be placed into a garbage or holding tank. For the disposal of large amounts of FOGs, follow proper procedures. Additionally, make sure all plates are free of FOGs before they enter the sink.
Grease trap cleaning should be performed one to every three months. This keeps the grease trap and your commercial kitchen from experiencing a slew of previously mentioned issues. If your grease trap is smaller, it should be cleaned more frequently. Local codes and regulations may also affect cleaning intervals as well.
Effortlessly Manage Your Used Cooking Oil and Grease Trap with Our All-in-One Solution!
Looking for comprehensive grease trap services in Arizona? Andrew’s Plumbing has your all-in-one solution. Contact us today for all of your grease trap needs and keep your business running efficiently with no issues. Andrew’s Plumbing also offers many other plumbing services like hydro-jetting.