From tiny mom-and-pop eateries to massive chain restaurants, maintaining a high kitchen maintenance standard can be difficult. Although most kitchen maintenance is focused on ensuring that the frequently utilized equipment like ovens, sinks, and fryers are in top form, it’s difficult to ignore the vital grease trap.
The oven and the fryer are often thought of in commercial kitchens as the “bread and butter; however, it’s this Grease Trap Installation that connects the whole functioning of the kitchen. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that inspecting and maintaining the condition of the grease trap needs to be the top priority. To keep your grease trap running at its maximum efficiency, we’ve listed four methods to increase the efficiency of the maintenance of your grease trap.
What is a Grease Trap?
A grease trap has been around for over a century and is also known as a grease interceptor, grease converter, grease catcher, or grease recovery/management device. They’re used in a variety of settings, including:
- Restaurants
- Cafes
- Schools and colleges
- Pubs, bars and inns
- Takeaways
- Hotels
- Bakeries
An automatic grease trap is a container that collects the wastewater that contains FOG before it enters a drainage system. By trapping FOG in the receptacle and allowing clear water to escape, the receptacle intercepts FOG.
Why is grease trap maintenance important?
Awful odors
When foul smells are mixed with or overpower the smell of food in a restaurant, it can be very off-putting. The smells from the grease trap can spread outside the kitchen and even permeate the surrounding area, even though you may think they are only present in the kitchen away from diners. Your restaurant and kitchen will smell delicious when your drains and grease traps are cleaned regularly!
Blockage of the drain
Liquid FOG (fats, oils, and grease) goes down the drains, but these fats quickly harden, causing seals and blockages. Without proper grease trap maintenance, grease can accumulate in the drainage system and spill into the main sewage line, causing serious issues that may require extensive repairs to the sewage system and pipework. Clean your grease trap once to three months to avoid hassles.
Costly tank replacement
Taking care of your drains is not the only thing you need to worry about! Grease traps can disintegrate if solid food waste and FOG are trapped inside, releasing hydrogen sulfur gas. The hydrogen sulfur gas generates toxic sulphuric acid, which can cause the steel and walls to disintegrate, so they must be replaced. The cost of replacing a grease trap is high and can be avoided if you choose properly.
Penalties
Most municipalities’ FOG handling requirements include grease trap installation and equipment maintenance. A restaurant or commercial kitchen that fails to meet these requirements may face fines. To avoid this, the best thing you can do is to be informed about the rules in your area and to partner with a local grease trap cleaning company that can perform regular maintenance on your grease traps.
Regular Inspection of Grease Trap
You should use grease traps as your first defense against fats, oils, and grease (FOG) entering your sewer lines and septic tanks. The solidification of FOG in your systems can cause a sewage back-up if FOG enters your systems. It is very unhygienic and can immediately shut down your business. The grease trap must be checked regularly to ensure it is functioning properly. Having a regular Grease Trap Inspection is easier and safer than dealing with a nasty blockage caused by grease.
Get Your Grease Traps Cleaned and Maintained by Professionals
Although there are a few things you can do to maintain the integrity of your grease trap, if you don’t have professional experience, you shouldn’t attempt to perform full grease trap maintenance yourself. Grease traps that aren’t cleaned are also a fire hazard, as they can easily catch fire and spread rapidly. Your grease trap can be seriously damaged if you do one thing wrong, resulting in further headaches.
Furthermore, professionals are familiar with the laws, rules, and regulations that must be followed. There are guidelines at the local, state, and federal levels. They are responsible for ensuring your grease trap is up-to-code to prevent penalties. It is always important to keep a documented record of all Grease Trap Cleaning and Maintenance so that you can consult an expert if you have any questions or concerns.
Install Steel Screens Under Your Sink
Installing steel screens under your sink can prevent food pieces and grease from entering sewer collection lines. Surely you are wondering why you need a screen under your sink if scraping all the food off utensils? Imagine this, you work during rush hours, your staff doesn’t have much time, and perhaps some food or gravy gets mixed up in the sink. Screens can always be helpful in such cases.
Keep in Mind The Water Temperature
Be sure the water temperature is below 144 degrees F when you use hot water to wash dishes or pour boiling water down the drain. A temperature of 144 degrees will melt fats, oils, and grease, allowing the disposal of water through screens and grease traps and into sewer systems. When the grease and oils solidify, serious problems will occur. Your establishment will also be fined if it allows these substances to enter the sewer system.
Conclusion
Commercial kitchens and restaurants require regular grease trap service since grease traps perform a lot of heavy lifting. Owners often overlook a grease trap because they can’t see its importance in their kitchen. In many ways, this can have a detrimental effect on a business. Keep your grease traps in great shape by hiring a professional for grease trap maintenance if you have them in your business.
Crews Environmental, a leading restaurant grease trap cleaning service provider, offers restaurant grease trap cleaning services to help commercial kitchens keep their grease traps clean and efficient. We will clean the traps and perform any maintenance necessary to keep the durability of your Grease Trap. To detect potential problems before they occur, we will keep a history of all maintenance services we provide, including inspection reports of grease traps.
