5 Signs Your Restaurant Grease Trap Needs to be Cleaned

When was the last time you cleaned your restaurant grease trap? While the cleaning frequency depends on how busy the kitchen is, a proper grease trap maintenance plan is essential. There have many been cases where the drains backed up, a flood resulted and the restaurant had to close down for a major cleanup.

To know when the grease trap needs to be cleaned, watch out for these 5 signs:-

1 – Strong Smell

Your restaurant grease trap catches food particles, greases, and other debris in the kitchen wastewater. Over time, microorganisms cause this waste to rot. That results in a strong noxious smell coming from the grease trap. Strong smells are not desirable anywhere in your kitchen, and the fumes can cause a health risk.  A cleanout of the grease trap will eliminate the bad smells. Schedule a service the first time you notice unpleasant odours.

2 – Slow or Clogged Drains

As grease accumulates in the grease trap, it solidifies into a dense mass. Over time, the buildup reaches a point where it restricts the free flow of wastewater in the drainage system. When that happens, you will notice your sink draining more slowly than before. It indicates that your grease trap requires immediate cleaning, or the problem could escalate to cause blockages and flooding.

In severe circumstances, the drains may be blocked already. While the blockage could be a result of other problems in the plumbing, an unmanaged grease trap can be a likely possibility. Blocked drains can be a serious problem that may force you to close the restaurant for a long time. Cleaning the grease trap the moment you notice slow drains can help avert the situation.

3 – Grease Mass is More than 25% of the Waste Water 

The signs discussed here so far are the result of a grease trap that has accumulated too much grease and food waste. To avoid them, it would be necessary that you schedule cleaning at the right time. That means removing the build-up before it clogs the drains or starts to smell.

The advice of experts is that you clean the grease trap when the amount of grease deposit exceeds a quarter of the wastewater volume. Then, cleaning is easy and only takes a short time. By cleaning the trap this early, you can avoid many of the problems that may affect the running of your restaurant.

4 – Greasy Spots in Unusual Places

Your restaurant grease trap separates fats and oils from the kitchen wastewater. However, it does so only if there’s enough space to collect the grease that gets trapped. If it’s full and cannot hold any more waste, the worst may happen. The grease going down the drain won’t settle in the trap but will find escape routes.

You may find the grease in the sink, drainage and water pipes, or other parts of the plumbing. Should you notice any grease deposit in those places, there’s a high possibility that you have a full grease trap that requires cleaning. Check it immediately and schedule a service.

5 – When It’s Been A Long Time Since the Last Cleanup

Generally, it’s recommended to clean a restaurant grease trap once every three months minimum. However, cleaning times vary depending on the level of kitchen activity. You may find yourself having to clean the trap monthly, or once every two months. Based on these time frames, how well do you remember the last time you had grease and other waste removed from the trap?

Maintaining your restaurant grease trap is an essential requirement in any kitchen that you shouldn’t ignore. Regular cleanups keep the kitchen drains in perfect working order, keep foul smells away and ensures a healthy environment for both your employees and customers. Legally you are obliged to appoint a competent registered cleaning company to carry out this work. Call us today on 0872745926 or email info@ecotec.ie us. A member of the team will be happy to answer any queries.