Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) are present in all commercial kitchens and many food processing plants. Untreated volumes of FOG entering the main drainage system will eventually build up into a “fat berg” which is capable of causing major blockages. This will often have a detrimental impact on the business and environment.
With a grease trap or grease interceptor, FOGs are filtered from the wastewater prior to entering the drainage system.
To find out more about grease trap cleaning, installation or maintenance, get in touch today and our friendly team will be happy to help.
How do grease traps work and what happens if you don’t clean them?
Filtered fats, oil, and grease are safely stored in the trap until cleaned out and disposed of appropriately. This allows the rest of the wastewater to flow freely into the drain.
Conversely, if you don’t keep grease traps regularly maintained and cleaned, grease can build up and solidify, causing major issues for drainage systems and in extreme cases even huge blockages, such as the aforementioned fat bergs’. To illustrate the point, watch this video of a giant fatberg discovered in London sewers in 2017:
In addition if you fail to clean your grease trap interceptor regularly, grease from the primary chamber can spill into the secondary ‘cleaned’ chamber and cause issues to the effectiveness of future treatments until the system is restored to working order.
How often does a grease trap need to be cleaned?
While this is dependent on how busy your restaurant or other commercial unit is, the general rule of thumb is that a grease trap should be cleaned every 1-3 months. This is to ensure that drainage works effectively at all times and that the cleaning process is as straightforward as possible – and in turn, cheaper for you in terms of paying for cleaning and grease management.
Keep your grease traps in good order by scheduling regular maintenance anywhere from 4-12 times per year, depending on your needs.
To find out more about grease trap cleaning, installation and maintenance, get in touch today and our friendly team will be happy to help.
