How To Maintain Your Grease Trap

The grease trap in your restaurant can be one difficult thing to maintain. If you don’t clean it every day, you will end up with dirty counters, and no one wants that in any decent restaurant. Also, neglecting the problem too long will only aggravate it, so you might as well get it cleaned when its only lightly greasy.

For those who don’t know what a grease trap is, it’s an engineered product designed to stop fat and grease from entering and clogging up the sewer lines. It needs to be frequently cleaned, because the trapped grease solidifies, and can obstruct the flow of water into the kitchen.

But you’re in luck.

This great post by GreaseCycle will help you to ensure that your grease traps stay fully functional at all times.

Contents

The following tips will be extremely useful for sure.

  • Clean The Traps

Obviously, you can’t expect a decent grease trap to work if you never clean it. In fact, if you are running a commercial kitchen, you should be cleaning the grease traps at regular intervals to maintain the sanitation of your establishment. You can appoint someone to clean smaller grease traps. For larger ones, however, hire a professional cleaning service to get the job done.

  • Don’t Pour Hot Liquids Down The Trap

On the one hand, it might make sense – the hot water can melt the accumulated grease in the tap, allowing it to pass through the sewers easily. But, over time, the grease can solidify in the drainage pipes and clog them completely. This can cost you major money in repairs.

How To Maintain Your Grease Trap

Don’t use enzymes to treat your grease trap

Many companies offer to treat your grease trap with bugs and enzymes. You should not subscribe to these claims.

The injected enzymes in the trap melt the grease, and the top layer is then scooped off. The bottom layer remains solid and rots over time, emitting an unpleasant and even pungent odor.

This is in no way desirable if you are running a food establishment. You will receive complaints in no time at all.

  • Pick A Trap Of Proper Size

You must know how much grease you generate in one day. Purchase a trap according to that. If your grease trap is too small, then it will keep getting clogged up and will not be able to handle the daily fat and oils coming from your kitchen. On the other hand, a really big grease trap is unnecessary if your kitchen is of medium size and does not handle too much load.

  • Schedule Your Grease Trap Cleaning

You will need to maintain a schedule for the cleaning of your grease trap. The dates can be decided according to the number of times it was cleaned manually or pumped by a professional cleaner. Keeping a record of these activities can reveal whether or not your grease trap is working effectively.

Conclusion

A grease trap is a valuable addition to any kitchen. But, it is a device that requires some amount of maintenance. A grease trap can turn from a boon to a bane pretty soon if you do not take proper care of it. To maintain a clean and hygienic food environment, clean your grease traps at regular intervals.

Erin Emanuel