Grease Trap Cleaning

If you are a restaurant owner or operate any type of commercial establishment that is required to have a grease trap, you are probably well aware that keeping the grease trap clean is a very important but unpleasant job.  Grease traps are installed in the drain lines of restaurants, commercial kitchens, and other establishments to trap grease and oils before they get into the municipal sewer lines.

When grease traps get too full, they not only stop doing their job and can allow grease and oil to get into the municipal sewer system but also cause wastewater backups into your kitchen or restaurant.  In addition, in some areas failing to properly maintain your grease traps can lead to citations and fines.  You can avoid these problems by having the grease traps cleaned regularly.

Some businesses with small grease traps can have them cleaned by an employee by hand, but most businesses are better off by having scheduled grease trap pumping by a commercial sewer septic and wastewater hauling company.  With regular service you can be sure that your grease traps will be professionally cleaned, stay in good operating condition, and that the waste grease will be properly disposed of.

The frequency of grease trap cleaning varies depending on your business and the size of the grease traps.  Weekly cleaning or every other week is common, but if the grease trap is usually more than half full at regular cleaning intervals you should increase the frequency.

It is a good practice to keep a log of the grease trap cleaning.  The log can help you establish an efficient cleaning schedule and may be needed for compliance with local rules and regulations.  Keeping your grease traps clean is not just good for the sewer system, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for your business.

Benefits of Regular Grease Trap Cleaning

If you own or operate a commercial kitchen, restaurant, or other type of industrial or commercial food production facility you are probably familiar with grease traps.  Most wastewater contains small amounts of grease and oil that are handled by septic systems or municipal waste water treatment systems.

However, the wastewater from restaurants and other commercial food production facilities contain a large quantity of grease and oil that would quickly clog their sewer lines and are too much for a septic system or municipal wastewater system to handle.  A septic system would quickly fail and a municipal wastewater system would be unable to adequately treat wastewater with that much oil and grease in it.

In order to keep these waste disposal systems from becoming overwhelmed, grease traps are installed in the drain lines from kitchens and other food preparation facilities.  These collect most of the grease and solid materials from the waste water and keep it out of the septic system or municipal water treatment system.

Regular grease trap pumping and cleaning is important to keep the grease trap functioning properly.  Failure to keep a grease trap clean will soon result in a grease trap that is too full to work properly.  Full grease traps are also clogged with solid kitchen waste that begins to rot and creates a strong odor.

Grease, oil and other materials will flow into the sewer system and clog up the pipes.  Before it does that, grease will get into the municipal water treatment system which can lead to fines and penalties. Grease and oil that gets into a septic system will clog up the drain field and cause the entire system to fail. It is very expensive to replace the drain field.

The bottom line is to avoid unpleasant smells, work interruptions, fines, and expensive plumbing repairs by having regular grease trap cleaning and  pumping by a professional commercial plumber or sewer septic service.