Following a regular grease trap maintenance schedule is important for ensuring steady capabilities. You should get your grease traps serviced every 30 to 90 days. The particular interval depends on two factors:
- What type of food is cooked at your Raleigh, North Carolina restaurant?
- What is the volume of grease used in your kitchen?
Most of the maintenance work focuses on grease trap pumping. In this article, you will learn exactly what this is and what its benefits are.
What is grease trap pumping?
The purpose of grease trap pumping is the removal of accumulated fats, oils, and grease. These are taken to a processing facility after removal from your grease trap.
How does grease trap pumping work?
This procedure is carried out using a truck that has a large tank for the grease. A hose connects your grease traps with the collection tank. All the contents from your grease traps get transferred to the truck's tank.
After the solid and liquid waste has been removed, the workers will scrape the grease trap surfaces for hardened FOGs (fat, oil, and grease). Some service providers use pressured water to remove hardened fats.
Many sources can contribute to the build-up of FOGs:
- Animal fat
- Butter
- Fried foods
- Cooking oils
- Cream
- Milk
- Salad dressing
- Shortening
Grease trap maintenance workers inspect the trap thoroughly after pumping it empty. They check that there are no issues with the baffle, walls, floor, and lid.
Do you have in-ground grease interceptors?
In this case, the grease is pumped outside of your restaurant. After the pumping is complete, always ask to see inside the trap before the workers close the lid to ensure that all of the grease was removed.
Every service needs written records. You need this for two reasons:
- Health and safety inspectors may ask for this evidence when conducting an inspection of your restaurant
- Grease trap maintenance workers can better solve any recurring issues if they see the bigger picture
Why is grease trap pumping important?
This is an essential service for your restaurant. Here are the top reasons why it is vital to regularly pump your grease trap:
- Irregular maintenance or a complete lack of servicing creates a hazard in your kitchen. The grease trap affects indoor air quality, and grease traps full of FOGs can increase fire risk.
- All the waste materials left to rot in your grease trap create unpleasant odors. The only way to protect your customers and workers from these smells is to order grease trap pumping services.
- How do you make sure your grease trap works efficiently? Cleaning it on a regular basis is the key. The whole plumbing system may take a toll when a dirty grease trap is left unattended. You could face serious clogging issues, and all that waste could even make its way back through the drains.
- Grease spills pose environmental hazards. Take care to maintain your grease trap to ensure that none of the particles escape into the surrounding environment. Otherwise, you could be held liable for pollution, which could lead to hefty fines.
- Like with many other things, postponing the cleaning service results in bigger expenses. The pumping and cleaning of your grease traps get more difficult over time. The FOG particles harden and get stuck on the sides of the drains.
- Did you know that FOGs and solids break down into hydrogen sulfur gas? This chemical turns into sulfuric acid, which is a highly toxic substance. When it remains in the grease trap, the inner workings of the grease interceptor may acquire serious damage.
- Your trap could start creating blockages in the city's sewer system. Your local sewer authority could charge you for this if they discover the hardened grease is coming from your establishment.
- Keeping your workers healthy is an aspect that cannot be ignored. Rancid grease fumes contribute to a less healthy working environment. Breathing in these foul odors may cause your employees and kitchen staff to fall ill more often. It is not good for their immune function and respiratory system.
What to do after grease trap cleaning?
You can take action to lengthen the period between the services:
- Remove fats, oils, and grease from kitchen utensils, pots, pans, baking trays, and anything else that washed in your kitchen. (You could use a towel for this.) Dispose of this greasy waste before washing.
- Never connect high-temperature dishwashers to your grease trap
- Put oil and grease in designated containers
- Tell your workers to always keep grease particles out of the wash water
- Never connect garbage disposals to your grease trap
- Eliminate solid items so that these will not reach the trap
- Opt for baking instead of frying as it uses less fat
- Clean the kitchen exhaust filters, because these control the vaporization of fats and oils
Bottom Line
Grease trap cleaning removes any fat, oil, and grease particles from your trap. It is an essential procedure in the device's maintenance schedule. The benefits of pumping include:
- Providing a healthier work environment
- Improving safety
- Saving you money
- Keeping away unpleasant odors
- Lowering the risk of blockages
- Avoiding a build-up of toxic substances
- Ensuring the trap's durability
- Lessening the risk of pollution
Always hire a reputable grease trap pumping service provider so you can be sure that your grease trap is in good hands. When you use a lot of fat and oil in your kitchen, maintaining a clean grease trap is essential for a successful restaurant operation.