As a restaurant owner or manager, there are many responsibilities on your plate. In addition to providing your customers with safe and delicious food and maintaining a welcoming atmosphere, you also have to contend with what goes out of your building. Grease, in particular, can quickly accumulate at most eateries, and if special precautions are not put in place, such as cleaning grease traps, the material can lead to multiple problems.

What Are the Hazards of Grease Buildup?

Restaurants that use any type of fats, oils, or grease (FOG) must have a special cleaning regimen in place to remove and dispose of the buildup at the end of each night. If a plan is not made or followed, a grease fire could occur and put the entire building at risk. A greasy work environment also increases the risks of employee accidents. 

There’s also the issue of removing FOG safely. It should never be poured down the plumbing because it will eventually harden and block the lines and cause sewer or septic backups. Any fats and oils that do make it out of the system will become a hazard to the connecting wastewater system and the table water it flows back into. 

Why Should You Schedule Grease Trap Cleanings?

In many locations, it is a building code requirement for restaurants to have a grease trap installed. They prevent fats, oils, and grease from entering the sewage line and back into water sources. When cleaning dishes and cooking equipment that comes into contact with these substances, you won’t have to worry about them entering the plumbing. Instead, the FOG will solidify and rise to the top of the chamber and allow the remaining wastewater to flow into the pipes. 

Eventually, you will need to schedule your grease trap to be cleaned. This can prevent any unpleasant smells in your kitchen, sewer or septic backups, and unexpected equipment breakdowns. The trap should be cleaned approximately every three months, but this could vary depending on its size and the amount of water used in your establishment.

Don’t get stressed out about maintaining your grease trap. Instead, call the septic and sewer experts at All Clear Pumping & Sewer. They provide residential, commercial, and municipal septic installations and cleanings, water line repair and replacement, and many other services to the Jefferson City and Central Missouri region. Call them at (573) 634-0165 for an estimate, and visit their website to learn more about their range of services.