Commercial kitchens use a lot of oil, fat, and grease, which can cause blockages if too much ends up in your grease trap. If you want to minimize problems with buildup between professional cleanings, ongoing grease trap maintenance is key. Here’s how to take care of your kitchen’s grease trap.

A Guide to Grease Trap Maintenance

1. Avoid Using Garbage Disposals

Many restaurants don’t install garbage disposals in their kitchens, as they allow food waste into the grease trap. When too much food and sludge fill the trap, it can become clogged, possibly resulting in backups, overflowing, and damaged pipes. If your kitchen has garbage disposals, instruct your staff not to use them and put up signs as a reminder. Consider having them uninstalled.

2. Clean Oil/Grease Spills Immediately

In a busy commercial kitchen, cooking oils, sauces, melted butter, and other foods containing grease are bound to end up on the floor at some point. However, it is critical that these messes are cleaned up as soon as possible. Restaurant oil and grease spills can end up in floor drains and cause blockages. Most importantly, they are a major slipping hazard.

3. Never Pour Grease Down the Drain

Grease traps may be capable of handling the small amounts of waste left on dirty plates, but they are not meant to constantly take large loads of grease. Kitchen staff should never pour fats, oils, or grease directly down the drain. Excess grease can be poured into a heat-safe container to be picked up by grease recycling services. You should also encourage your staff to scrape plates as clean as possible before putting them in the sink or dishwasher.

4. Install Drain Filters

Even when dishes are scraped, solid food waste and grease can still end up down the drain and in your grease trap—especially during peak dining hours. As a final mode of protection, install filters on all of your drains. This includes sinks, floor drains, and dishwashers.

5. Check for Proper Installation

Your grease trap won’t be very effective if it is not installed properly. Inspecting the trap periodically for continuous function is an important but often overlooked step in grease trap maintenance. It should contain some grease, unless it was cleaned recently. A grease-free trap probably means kitchen oils and fats are making their way into your pipes and the sewage system.
 

When your restaurant needs professional grease trap maintenance, contact Valley Proteins in Winchester, VA. This reliable company provides grease removal and recycling services to food service establishments throughout the United States, protecting the environment and helping clients operate more sustainably. Their comprehensive services include grease trap repairs, pumping, disposal, and preventative line jetting. Visit them online for more information and call (800) 871-3406 to schedule a service.