Most commercial kitchens engage in a daily challenge to handle fat, oil, and grease (FOG) output. Whether it's grease trap cleaning or manually separating out FOGs before waste disposal, it's an important pursuit that reduces mess and eliminates plumbing problems. To improve the efficiency of your commercial kitchen, below are some tips for reducing grease.

3 Essential Tips to Reduce Kitchen Grease

1. Clean Exhaust Filters

The vent fans in commercial range hoods have filters that collect airborne grease. If you wait too long to clean or replace these components, FOGs will accumulate and then start to leak from the filters. Once this happens, grease can collect on the exterior walls. 

In addition to causing a fire hazard, this can lead to environmental issues once the FOGs are washed by rain into surface waters or storm sewers. Clean or replace your exhaust filters monthly to prevent these problems.

2. Dispose of FOGs With Solid Waste

It's tempting to wash fat, oil, and grease down the drain. Unfortunately, it often doesn't travel far. Instead, it accumulates along the inside of your plumbing pipes and clogs your kitchen's grease trap, where you will eventually have to deal with it again. 

Instead, dispose of FOGs with your solid waste. Collect animal fats while they're liquid and let them cool and harden before discarding. Collect liquid oils in lidded containers and dispose of them in the waste bin, too. 

3. Have Your Grease Trap Cleaned Frequently

A commercial kitchen's large quantity of FOGs can overwhelm a septic or wastewater treatment system, so municipalities require grease traps attached to commercial plumbing. These intercept grease and oil before they leave the premises. 

But when full of FOGs, they stop working effectively. The rule of thumb is to check your trap weekly and to arrange for grease trap cleaning once it is 1/4 filled with FOGs. This circumvents plumbing problems and keeps grease out of the environment.

Regular grease trap cleaning helps control the accumulation of FOGs in your commercial kitchen, so contact Around the Clock Pumping in Anchorage, AK, for help. They offer 24/7 on-call service throughout the Kenai Peninsula to help businesses operate smoothly and efficiently. They also specialize in drain line cleaning and septic pumping. Learn more about them by visiting their website or call (907) 345-9126 to schedule grease trap cleaning.