Tips to Keep Your Grease Trap Well Functioning
The grease trap filter plays a crucial role in commercial kitchens, separating food, oil, and grease (FOG) from the wastes let out into common municipal sewage. This is required by law, and for your drainage system to function efficiently. Here are a list of dos and don’t to pay attention to, in order to keep the grease trap in your Houston restaurant stay in good shape and functioning well.
● Do install the trap properly
A grease trap, when installed correctly, collects debris, grease, and oily matter, preventing them from seeping down into the common sewage line. However, in scenarios where the trap is not installed properly, the filter may allow the FOGs to leach out. Inspect your trap from time and time, and should you suspect that the system isn’t segregating grease as it should call a professional right away.
● Do clean and maintain the grease trap regularly
Performing routine cleaning and maintenance work on the grease trap keeps the entire drainage system functioning well. It prevents problems like blocked drains, slow-emptying pipes, and back-ups onto the kitchen sink. When the grease filters don’t function properly and leach out FOGs, you risk non-compliance and may have to pay hefty fines or risk your restaurant license being barred. However, here is a word of caution. The cleaning and maintenance job is best done by professionals who know the means, what equipments and solvents to use, and how to perform the job thoroughly without causing damage to the trap or any connected part.
● Do clean the drainage pipes as well
The greasy and oily matter that escapes the kitchen sinks can collect on to the walls of the drainage pipes that lead to the trap. This too can affect proper drainage and functioning of the grease filters. So, remember to clean not just the parts of the trap, but also the pipes connected to it. Cleaning of drainage pipes is typically done using a jetting line service and most grease trap cleaning service providers in Houston also perform this task.
● Do keep a check on what goes down the kitchen sink
The grease trap is basically designed to collect oily matter and food particles, but when there is too much solid debris collecting on the filters or the pipe walls, the whole system can go for a toss. Hence, it is important that you install additional filters or strainers into kitchen sinks to ensure that little or no solid food particles enter the drain pipes and grease trap.
● Don’t pour boiling water or solvents into the trap
In a bid to clean grease traps in a quick and cheap manner, some restaurant owners resort to using solvents or hot water on the parts. The trouble with this is that the former can affect the enzymes, which help break down the grease in the trap, or even damage the trap itself. Boiling water, on the other hand, liquefies grease and makes it easier for the fat content to seep through into the drain, thus ruining the whole purpose of the trap.
● Don’t dispose of collected grease into the drain
Grease that is removed from the trap as part of the cleaning and maintenance activity cannot simply be thrown into the garbage or flushed down a drain. It needs to be disposed of in a manner compliant with local laws. Professional grease trap cleaning Houston companies do this as part of their service, but should the personnel leave the grease behind, ensure that you get rid of the waste in a way that is okayed by the authorities.
● Don’t try DIY fixes
Problems can occur with the grease trap from time to time, but when it happens, never go the do-it-yourself way. Unless you are an expert with commercial kitchens and their drainage or sewage systems, performing the repairs yourself may actually lead to more trouble than what exists. It may even warrant a complete replacement of the grease trap system, thus costing you precious time and hard-earned money.
Proper and timely maintenance is important any day. Paying attention to these dos and don’ts can help your restaurant kitchen run smoothly and can go a long way in keeping your grease trap functioning well.
