Don’t Delay in Getting Your Grease Traps Cleaned

How frequently should you clean your grease traps? When you run a commercial kitchen, grease can build up fast. Even if you’re diligent about scraping your plates and pouring off melted grease for disposal, plenty of it can still wash down your drains. While it should end up in your grease trap, the trap needs to be emptied and cleaned on a regular basis. Here’s how frequently you should get your grease traps professionally cleaned.

The quarter-full rule

The quarter-full rule states that you should get your grease trap cleaned every time it gets a quarter full. You might think that you’re okay to let the grease trap go until it’s completely full, but that could lead to serious plumbing obstructions. Instead of risking a major plumbing debacle, it’s better to figure out how long it takes for your grease trap to become a quarter full, then schedule regular cleanings to coincide with those times.

How long does it take?

Typically, a commercial kitchen’s grease trap will fill up after anywhere from one to six months. The best way to find out how long it takes your kitchen’s grease trap to fill up to a quarter full is to inspect it regularly, and keep track of how long you’re watching the trap. If it takes a week to meet the quarter full mark, you need either weekly cleanings or to get a larger grease trap.

Generally, you can expect to need cleanings quarterly—but only if your grease trap is appropriate for the size of your commercial kitchen. Talk to a grease trap installation company about getting a new grease trap if yours is filling up too quickly.

Improving grease trap efficiency

Grease traps are designed to handle all the fats, oils and cooking grease (FOG) that go down your drain, but they shouldn’t be your main grease disposal solution. Your kitchen workers should scrape all plates into the trash as thoroughly as possible. For large amounts of used cooking oil, pour them into sealed containers and wait for your kitchen grease recycling company to come pick them up.

You can also adjust the frequency of getting your grease traps professionally cleaned based on when you do the most business. For example, restaurants in tourist areas will naturally do more business during the popular tourism months. Scheduling extra cleanings during those times will make it easier for you to keep your grease traps cleaned and running well.

Call for help with your professional grease trap cleaning

When you need to establish and set the frequency of getting your grease traps professionally cleaned, call Safeway Used Oil & Grease. We will be happy to work with you to set grease trap cleaning appointments, whether you need them every week, every month or just a few times per year. Let us use our expertise to help you set a schedule and make sure your grease trap does its job. Call us today to learn more about our services or get started on your first appointment.

Categorised in: Grease Trap Cleaning