As a responsible restaurant owner, ensuring that your kitchen equipment is maintained well enough to function at its full potential should be a top priority. In order to best approach this goal, it is also important to understand exactly what you’re dealing with and how often maintenance procedures might be required.
Fats, Oils, Greases and Solids (referred to as FOGS) are a major problem within the restaurant industry. In response, grease traps (also known as grease interceptors) have been implemented by all food service facilities to intercept harmful greases and solids before they enter our wastewater disposal system. If left unfiltered, these sticky FOGS start to build up and harden within the pipes, constricting water flow and causing large amounts of damage for your restaurant equipment and the water treatment plants that filter our local water supplies. As a result of this huge risk, city laws have been put in place in the form of health inspections, serving restaurants who fail to comply with expensive fines and possible restaurant closure.
Now, how often do grease traps need cleaning?
While there are many different models of grease traps available to select from, the general mechanics are consistent across all. By industry standards, a grease trap should be cleaned out after a quarter of its contents has filled up with FOGS. Beyond this point, the grease trap begins to lose its effectiveness and the risk for overflow and water flow blockages increase dramatically. On average, it should take roughly 1-3 months to fill your kitchen’s grease trap to 1/4th of the way full. In the event that your grease trap is filling up faster than the prescribed time, it may be beneficial to up-size your grease trap to meet your restaurant’s needs.
If you are looking for more ways to reduce the amount of grease your restaurant produces, feel free to follow some of the following tips for best practice:
- Compost Leftovers – be sure to scrape off any leftover food particles from all utensils, plates and cookware before washing
- Prepare for Potential Spill – (for kitchens with deep fryers or other high-oil stations) have a powerful oil absorbent prepared for potential spills to avoid washing oil down the drain
- Dispose of FOGS in an appropriately marked container
- Avoid using harsh chemicals to dilute odour and solids
- Contact MAINTAIN IT for commercial kitchen maintenance services
Whether you are opening a brand-new restaurant or looking to extend the life of your current kitchen equipment, the easiest way to handle grease trap maintenance is to leave it to the commercial maintenance professionals! Allow our team to schedule regular servicing appointments that best fit your schedule, meet municipal requirements and protect your business from FOGS. Feel free to contact our team at (905) 696-0486. Happy Cleaning!