If you own a restaurant, your facility has grease traps. These crucial pieces of equipment capture cooking oils and fats before they enter the sewer line, preventing fires and blockages. Grease trap cleaning should be a part of your regular kitchen maintenance to keep your restaurant up to code. 

What a Grease Trap Does 

Grease traps are plumbing equipment that contains liquid food waste. Restaurants commonly have above-ground traps that are used to prevent fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from entering into a septic system or sanitary sewer.

These substances float to the top of the tank because they’re lighter than water. A well-maintained grease trap won’t stop all food waste from reaching the drain, but most of this waste will float so it can safely be removed and cleaned.

How to Regularly Check It 

A full grease trap can inhibit the function of a restaurant kitchen, cause a pungent smell, and damage plumbing. Before that occurs, schedule a weekly cleaning with a reliable drain cleaning service. They will locate the grease trap near the walls of the dishwashing station or in the basement near the ground. Consider scheduling a cleaning in the early morning, as the smell may be too intense for customers.

A professional will start by removing the lid slowly. They may stick a ruler inside to note how many inches of grease are in the trap. They’ll remove the water first with a bucket or pump, then scrape the debris with a shovel in a separate container. Then, they’ll scrub the tank and pour the water back in the grease trap. 

How Else a Rooter Service Can Help

Your local municipality may request an inspection because sludge is leaking into the local water system. You must conduct regular grease trap cleanings before this occurs, so be sure to check for spillage every week.

If the trap is leaking, the system stops filtering FOG out of the water, the system continually backs up, or becomes too difficult to clean, call your rooter service for a replacement. 

 

 

When you need professional grease trap cleaning in Rhode Island and Connecticut, the team at American Rooter can help. This Watertown, CT, family-owned drain cleaning company has offered drain cleaning services for over 38 years. They clean grease traps for restaurants across Litchfield County and beyond to ensure fats, grease, and oils don’t clog the system. Call (860) 274-7338 to book an appointment or visit their website for a full list of services.