What Is Grease Trap Cleaning, and Why Do I Need It?

If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant or commercial kitchen, you’re probably familiar with grease traps, but for the rest of us, we might not think about them all that often. Many people still pour grease and cooking oil straight down their drains, which can not only clog the pipes but also makes it harder for a wastewater treatment plant to clean the water. You might be able to get away with that at home for a while (while risking costly plumbing repairs in the process), but restaurants are required to utilize grease traps. Even these devices aren’t invincible, though, and they require grease trap cleaning in Toledo, OH from time to time.

How grease traps work

Grease traps are plumbing fixtures designed to capture food waste, grease and oils while allowing water and other liquids to travel down the drain. This is helpful for the environment, but it is organic matter, which means it can decompose or rot. This causes foul odors, and eventually the trap will fill up.

In a restaurant, the wastewater from three-compartment sinks is drained into the grease trap. As the water cools, the oils and fats solidify and rise to the top, while food waste settles at the bottom. The dirty water is then free to move into the septic system, without the grease, fat or food. Generally, grease traps can catch up to 85 percent of the grease and food in wastewater, which drastically cuts down on how much work the wastewater treatment plant has to do. If the trap is allowed to fill up, it will no longer be effective.

Cleaning your grease trap

Regular cleaning is important to maintain the effectiveness of your grease trap. Ace Diversified Services offers grease trap cleaning in Toledo, OH, which is performed on-site. To clean your trap, our professionals use a truck and hose to pump the waste out of the grease trap, leaving it clean and empty. This can be done with both in-ground interceptors (the pumping will take place outside) and indoor grease traps and interceptors.

Some people choose to use additives in their grease trap, which help to either emulsify or suspend the waste, allowing the water to drain freely. This can also cut down on odor and make it easier to clean and maintain your grease trap.

In-ground grease traps often hold about 2,000 gallons of waste, which is why a truck is necessary for pumping and carrying it away. Depending on your kitchen’s size and output, you might need to pump and clean your grease traps more frequently than others. We also recommend having a professional use a power washer to deep clean and sanitize your grease trap about once per year.

Schedule professional grease trap cleaning in Toledo, OH

Keeping your grease trap clean and well-maintained is a key part of keeping any professional kitchen running smoothly. The experienced professionals at Ace Diversified Services can assist grease trap customers weekly, monthly, quarterly or semi-annually. Whatever the size and nature of your business, we can customize a schedule to meet your needs. Call us today to find out more about our cleaning services.

Categorised in: Professional Grease Trap Cleaning