A grease trap is a device that specializes in removing fats, oils, and greases (FOG) from wastewater before it goes on and enters the drainage system. It is a crucial element for commercial kitchens, as it helps avoid clogs in the sewers, and reduces the chances of overflows.
However, along with installation, it’s also necessary to maintain the grease trap to make sure that it remains functional for years to come. This helps the plumbing system to remain at par, assists in avoiding costly repairs, and reduces the chances of emergency shutdowns, or penalisation for health code violations.
Let’s explore this article till the end to find out the importance of hiring a grease trap cleaning service, and how it contributes to a cleaner and healthier kitchen space.
Best Grease Trap Maintenance Hacks
- Conduct periodic inspections
Regular inspections are one of the best ways to determine and maintain the efficacy of a grease trap. It helps you stay aware of future issues beforehand so you can have the best possible solutions to eradicate them effectively.
A periodic inspection at the end of every quarter helps keep signs of FOG buildup in check. This eventually makes you stay prepared for your next step. So, schedule periodic inspections and make sure to hire professionals for the best and most effective results.
- Establish cleaning schedules
Along with regular inspections, prepare a scheduled cleaning routine. This is the ultimate way for you to stay away from costly repairs. Here’s how.
Frequent cleaning of grease traps ensures that fats, oils, and greases (FOG) don’t solidify, or accumulate within it. This reduces the risks of potential blockages and helps keep your kitchen clean and hygienic.
Also, while setting the frequency of the cleaning schedule, make sure to consider the restaurant’s size and cooking volume as well. This will help you determine how often or later you need to clean the grease traps.
- Focus on staff education
Staff education is one of the most holistic grease trap maintenance hacks to ever exist! If the restaurant staff knows the proper ways of FOG disposal, it can substantially reduce the risk of clogs and repairs, and eventually lead to a better and more hygienic ambiance inside the kitchen!
So, teach the kitchen personnel to segregate excess oil and fats into separate containers, rather than directly pouring down the drain. Proper disposal practices can help reduce water pollution and also lessen the risks of legal disputes.
- Scrape before wash
One of the best ways to maintain grease traps in Ireland is to scrape the utensils before washing them! This may sound rather basic and simple a practice, but is highly effective to keep your plumbing systems optimal!
Train the kitchen staff to scrape off excess oil and grease from the silverware before washing. This significantly reduces the amount of FOG entering into the drainage system, thereby reducing the risks of clogs and the costly repairs that follow.
- Install sink strainers
Since grease traps are essentially made to filter our FOG, you must make sure that it doesn’t become a dumping ground for solid food particles! Here’s why.
Solid food accumulation clogs the grease trap, disabling its primary function. As a result, it fills up faster and requires more frequent clean-ups, which ultimately contributes to higher maintenance costs.
Sink strainers act as the perfect tool to get rid of such inconveniences. It traps the solid food particles and allows only the liquid to flow through it. This ensures a reduction in frequent clogging, thereby preventing unpleasant odours, and saving hefty repair costs.
- Make a separate grease container
Grease containers are one of the most essential tools that you should have in commercial kitchens. Why? Because it serves as a great palace to dump all the used oil.
So, rather than pouring the used oil into the sink, and letting the grease trap do its job, you can pour it directly into the grease container, solidify it, and dispose it effectively. This takes the pressure off the grease trap, reduces the chances of clogs, and saves enough of the time and money that you would have otherwise invested in the maintenance of the grease trap.
Wrapping It Up
As important as grease traps are for commercial kitchens, they need proper maintenance and care to stay functional for a longer period. Otherwise, the repair costs add up with the already-expensive grease trap installation cost and might make your business more susceptible to disruptions. Looking for a grease trap cleaning company in Ireland? Reputed organizations like Greaseco can be your trusted partner to help you avoid costly repairs behind plumbing fixtures. Contact them and get your grease trap maintenance done for optimum operation, hygiene, and cost-effectiveness.