Operating a restaurant or food services business is a rewarding experience, but it comes with unique challenges and maintenance tasks. Most businesses don’t have to think about how they are going to dispose of grease, because it just doesn’t come up in their day-to-day operations. In a restaurant, however, excess grease is part of everyday life. Restaurants and similar businesses use grease traps to keep fats, oils, and grease (FOG) out of wastewater. Over time, the grease builds up, and someone has to clean the trap. That someone would be our team at All Drain Services.
How do you know when it’s time to book grease trap cleaning services? Here are the telltale signs.
Types of Grease Traps
Grease traps operate by slowing the flow of wastewater, allowing lighter grease to float to the surface and heavier solids to sink. The separated wastewater can then flow into the sewer without taking the grease with it. These traps help to prevent sewer clogs and protect sewer systems from FOG buildup.
There are three types of grease traps:
- Under-sink or compact traps: These are smaller units usually installed inside a kitchen.
- Grease interceptors: A larger option, these are vaults (generally underground) that collect the separated grease. They have a much greater capacity than under-sink traps.
- Automatic interceptors: These interceptors automatically skim FOG from the trap and transfer it to a separate collector bin. Collecting the grease in a separate receptacle reduces the need for frequent manual cleaning.
Signs It’s Time to Clean the Trap
While you should schedule cleaning services at regular intervals, there are also signs that indicate it’s time to clean the grease trap. Here are the most common:
- Slow drains
- Foudl ordors
- Visible buildup
- Frequent backups
- Overflows
- Grease in unusual places
- Pest attraction
- Long interval since the last cleaning
Grease traps are essential to the efficient and safe operation of a commercial kitchen. If you have any of these issues in your kitchen, don’t delay! Get in touch with our team at All Drain Systems for professional grease trap cleaning services. The recommended service interval is about three months, and the best way to keep up is to schedule regular services.