Grease traps play a pivotal role in both commercial and residential settings, preventing fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from entering and clogging the local sewage system. Regular maintenance and cleaning are essential to ensure their optimal functionality. Here's a step-by-step guide to cleaning a grease trap, and meeting a strong level of grease trap maintenance.
Table of Contents
These are the steps you should follow for grease trap cleaning.
Wear Protective Gear: Before starting, wear rubber gloves, safety goggles, and an apron. The waste inside grease traps can be unsanitary and emit strong odours.
Ventilate The Area: Ensure the area is well-ventilated to disperse any foul smells and harmful fumes.
Gather Necessary Tools: You'll need a bucket, a scoop (like a small shovel or trowel), a scrub brush, a steel pot scrubber, a plastic bag for waste, and a hose with warm water.
Turn Off The Flow (If Applicable): If your grease trap has a flow control valve, turn it off to stop the water flow while cleaning.
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Open The Lid: Carefully remove the grease trap lid using a pry bar if necessary. Be gentle to avoid damaging any gaskets or seals.
Inspect For Damage: Before cleaning, inspect the trap's parts, including the lid, gaskets, and baffles, for any signs of wear or damage.
Skim The Top Layer: Using the scoop, remove the thick layer of grease that's floated to the top. Place this in the plastic bag.
Extract The Water: Beneath the grease layer, there will be water. This can be carefully scooped out into a bucket.
Remove Solids: At the bottom, you'll find solid food particles and sludge. Scoop out this waste and dispose of it in a plastic bag.
Scrub The Sides: Using the scrub brush and water, scrub the sides, bottom, and baffles of the trap to remove any clinging grease or sludge.
Use A Scrubber: For tougher spots, a scrubber can be effective.
Rinse: Once scrubbed, rinse the entire trap with warm water.
Check Local Regulations: Before disposal, check with local regulations. Some areas have specific guidelines or facilities for disposing of grease trap waste.
Seal The Waste: Ensure the plastic bag containing the waste is sealed tightly to prevent leaks and odours.
Replace All Components: Ensure baffles and other internal components are correctly positioned.
Secure The Lid: Place the lid back on the trap and ensure it's sealed properly to prevent odours and ensure efficient operation.
Turn On The Flow: If you turned off a flow control valve earlier, turn it back on now.
Log The Cleaning: Maintain a logbook detailing when the trap was cleaned, the amount of waste removed, and any observations or issues. This is especially important for commercial establishments as local authorities or health inspectors may request it.
Determine Frequency: The frequency of cleanings depends on the trap's size and the amount of FOG your establishment produces. However, a general rule is to clean it when 25% of its volume is filled with fats oil, and grease as well as solids, as its efficiency diminishes after this point. You often don't need a professional FOG report to tell you there is an issue with a tank or drain in or around your premises.
Set Reminders: To ensure regular maintenance, set reminders or schedule professional cleanings in advance.
While many can manage smaller traps, larger grease tanks, especially in commercial settings, can be challenging. Consider hiring reliable commercial plumbing services for regular maintenance and cleaning.
This is the process we follow at Rider Drains, which ensures we provide our customers with an efficient and effective cleaning service every time. If you are looking for peace of mind when it comes to managing a grease trap, we are more than happy to assist you, so please contact us today.
Not all grease traps are the same, and it is helpful to take a more bespoke approach for specific tanks. We'll delve into the specifics of cleaning a grease trap, focusing on both restaurant settings and under-sink installations.
When cleaning grease traps located in a restaurant or commercial kitchen setting, it is helpful to take the following approach for proper grease trap maintenance.
Preparation
Before you begin the grease trap cleaning process, ensure you have the necessary tools. This includes rubber gloves, a pot scrubber, a shop vacuum, clean water, and a nose plug to combat any bad odours.
Accessing The Trap
Locate where your grease traps are installed. In many commercial kitchens, they might be found in the restaurant's basement or near the kitchen floor. Remove the moulded plastic lid or septic tank cover to access the trap's contents.
Removal Of FOG Waste
Using a powerful shop vac, extract the oil and grease waste and food waste. Ensure that the shop vac is suitable for wet and dry conditions when you clean a grease trap.
Scrubbing
With the scrubber and some tepid water mixed with a bit of dish soap, scrub the trap sides, the trap's baffles, and all the grease trap's parts. This will remove any leftover grease sludge, excess waste, and food solids.
Disposal
Properly dispose of the grease trap waste. It's essential to follow local regulations and guidelines. Some kitchens use kitty litter to solidify the grease, making disposal easier.
Regular Maintenance
To ensure your grease trap works effectively and doesn't lead to obnoxious odours or drainage issues, regular cleaning is vital. Depending on the usage, some commercial kitchens might need monthly maintenance, while others might stretch it to quarterly.
Check out: Drain Preventative Maintenance
With a grease trap installed under the kitchen sink, please follow these steps.
Access And Preparation
Under-sink grease interceptors are typically smaller than larger grease traps found in major kitchens. Start by removing the lid, wearing gloves, and preparing your tools, including a small shop vac and a scrubber.
Emptying The Trap
Use the shop vacuum to remove the grease, oils, and food waste. Given the smaller size, this process is usually quicker than with a larger grease trap.
Cleaning
With clean water and dish soap, scrub the interior of the trap, ensuring all fatty oils and residues are removed.
Final Steps
Once cleaned, ensure the drainage system connected to the trap or tank is free from blockages. Regularly check the trap to ensure it stops filtering grease effectively, indicating a need to clean through the system.
Proper Maintenance
Under-sink traps, especially if connected to an automatic dishwasher, can accumulate fats, oils, and grease quickly. If you find waste constantly backs up, regular cleaning avoids this, and the sewer system remains free from leftover waste and blockages.
Delve into: Why Do My Drains Keep Blocking?
A grease interceptor is essentially a larger version of a grease trap. Both devices serve the same primary function: to capture and separate food solids, fats, oils, and grease from wastewater before it enters the sewer system.
You properly clean a grease interceptor the same way you clean a grease trap, making sure you work effectively in the kitchen.
Dissolving grease in a grease trap is not the primary objective of the trap. Instead, grease traps are designed to separate and collect fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from wastewater. There are products and methods that can help break down grease, making it easier to manage and clean grease traps, but virtually all carry concerns.
If considering any of these methods, it's essential to ensure they are compliant with UK regulations.
Bacterial and enzymatic additives are cited as an option but they don't entirely dissolve the grease, they only reduce the volume of solidified grease. This might speed up the cleaning process, but the benefits aren’t worth the additional cost or work.
Emulsifiers and detergents can break down grease, but they are not recommended for grease receptors. While they might dissolve grease temporarily, the grease can solidify further down the sewer line, leading to blockages.
High-temperature water can liquefy grease, but like emulsifiers, this is a temporary solution. The grease can re-solidify as the water cools, leading to blockages further in the plumbing system. Regularly flushing a trap with hot or cool water and soap is not recommended.
Acidic or caustic cleaners can dissolve grease, but they can also damage the grease trap and plumbing system. They can also disrupt the wastewater treatment process and may be harmful to the environment and local water systems.
Therefore, it is best to not dissolve grease when you clean a grease trap.
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Prioritise Safety: Wear protective gear and work in a well-ventilated area.
Clean Regularly: Address the trap before it reaches 25% FOG capacity.
Use The Right Tools: Equip yourself with a scoop, scrub brush, and proper waste containers.
Proper Waste Disposal: Adhere to local regulations when disposing of waste and solids.
Whether you're managing a bustling commercial kitchen or ensuring your home's under-sink system remains efficient, understanding how to clean your grease trap or tank is essential. Regular grease trap maintenance prevents a host of issues, from bad odours to significant plumbing problems. If you ever feel out of depth, consider seeking reliable commercial plumbing services.
Remember, a clean grease trap not only ensures smooth operations but also plays a part in environmental protection by preventing FOG from entering our water systems.
