If you’ve spent any time in a commercial kitchen, you’re familiar with a grease trap. But do you know why it’s so important to perform regular Oviedo grease trap maintenance? Here’s the skinny on why a healthy grease trap is healthy for your bottom line.
Most cooking produces fat, oil, and grease. Also known as FOG, this combination of greasy waste can wreak havoc on a sewage system. Grease can clog pipes and cause unpleasant odors. And if you operate a commercial kitchen, you’re risking being shut down or fined if you don’t have proper grease trap maintenance on your routine maintenance plan. Our Oviedo grease trap maintenance team at Acme offers some tips for keeping your grease trap, and your kitchen, running smoothly.
Why Are Grease Traps Necessary?
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the annual production of collected grease trap waste and uncollected grease entering sewage treatment plants ranges from 800 to 17,000 pounds/year per restaurant. That’s a lot of grease! We all want to keep our water systems clean so it’s important to do your part by sending grease where it belongs – into the grease trap.
How Does A Grease Trap Work?
A grease trap acts as a buffer between the sink and your pipes. It’s a container that catches all the FOG before it washes away with the sink water. Since grease collects in this container, it is necessary to have it cleaned out regularly. The busier your restaurant is, the more frequently you’ll need to have your grease trap cleaned.
How Can Restaurants Avoid Overfilling Their Grease Trap?
There are some best practices that our team of Oviedo grease trap maintenance technicians recommends that you can put in place at your restaurant to keep the majority of grease out of your grease trap, thus helping you go longer between cleanings.
- Train restaurant staff to wipe down pots, pans, and plates into the trash before they go to the sink.
- Recycle cooking oil.
- Use strainers to catch food and other solid particles before they wash down the drain.
Making sure everyone in the kitchen knows the best ways to keep your grease trap from filling too quickly is a smart way to avoid the problems that can stem from improper grease trap maintenance.
What Issues Can Result From Improper Grease Trap Maintenance?
Other than the aforementioned foul smells, clogs, and fines, you could face expensive repairs if a piece of food or fat gets lodged in your pipes. Here’s a breakdown of what can happen with a disruption in your cleaning schedule.
- Rotting smell – When grease sits for too long, it smells awful. You don’t want this smell to adversely affect your guests and staff and hurt your reputation.
- Clogs in your drainage – When grease leaks into your water system, it can cause clogs that may result in the need for repairs. You can also be fined if it is discovered that you are polluting your city’s water supply.
- Repairs – You may not know that when food waste breaks down, it releases gas that turns into sulphuric acid. Not only does it smell foul, but it can also break down and damage the interior walls of your grease trap.
- Fines – Florida requires that your signed, completed service manifest is kept onsite for one year. Failure to do so can result in fines or even being shut down.
It is in your business’s best interest to have your grease trap cleaned regularly by a professional Oviedo grease trap maintenance company like Acme. Our certified team will clean your grease trap and haul away your waste to an approved site. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to grease. Contact us today to be added to our grease trap maintenance schedule.