Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning : A Complete Guide

Did you know? The food service industry generates nearly 4 billion pounds of inedible grease waste each year.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), restaurants in the US alone generate grease waste ranging from 8,000 to 17,000 pounds.

In the absence of a commercial grease trap, most of this waste is discarded directly into the sewage system or, worse, into local water bodies.

Commercial grease traps are assets used in commercial kitchens, hospitals, and schools.

If properly maintained, they can keep your business running smoothly.

However, for many food establishments, poorly maintained or clogged grease traps can be problematic and expensive if not cleaned regularly.

A grease trap collects Fats, Oils, and Greases (FOGs) in its tank, which, over time, begin to decompose and emit a rotting smell.

If left untreated, the smell could become bothersome and adversely affect the number of customers visiting the restaurant, eventually disrupting the company’s reputation.

Routine cleaning and maintenance of grease traps and associated equipment keep a kitchen a healthy and safe place to cook.

The removal of FOG formation also helps prevent sewers from overflowing, thereby preserving the local water bodies.

Keeping the grease traps in prime condition is critical to help restaurants avoid health, hygiene, and environmental consequences.

To understand the importance of grease trap cleaning, it is first necessary to understand the basics of the grease trap.

In this guide, we aim to help you become familiar with the inner workings of a commercial grease trap and provide guidance on how to clean them efficiently without harming the environment.

What is a Commercial Grease Trap?

A grease trap is a plumbing system designed to capture FOG before it enters the wastewater.

They are designed to capture fats, oils, and grease (FOG) before the waste goes down the drains and into the public sewer system or the septic tank.

There are two primary types of grease traps: interior and exterior.

• Interior traps near the kitchen sink hold smaller amounts of FOG.
• Exterior traps are located outside the building and are oversized, containing thousands of gallons.

They are part of most restaurants and food service businesses’ sanitary systems.

Many cities require grease traps in commercial kitchens due to their critical role in preventing costly sewer problems.

Grease traps come in different sizes and depend primarily on the amount of waste your business produces.

They are usually located inside or outside of the building.

Typically, the wastewater passes through the sewage, and the fat solids sink to the bottom of the tank.

The air-intake valves within the commercial grease trap help prevent back pressure, keeping the baffles in place.

Importance of Cleaning a Commercial Grease Trap

In commercial kitchens, where plenty of time is spent maintaining ovens, fryers, sinks, and other equipment, it is equally essential to check the commercial grease traps.

If FOG enters the drain, it can solidify and clog it.

This causes overflows and damage to the plumbing and fixtures.

Without proper grease trap cleaning, the system will not operate optimally and may even back up.

This can lead to terrible odours, and it is unsanitary.

Improperly filtered wastewater can lead to FOG buildup in drainage systems and sewers.

This can be costly financially and time-consuming to mend.

If a drain becomes clogged with grease, it may need to be manually treated at the source of the blockage.

Cleaning frequency varies depending on trap size and grease usage in commercial kitchens.

Usually, restaurants must clean the commercial grease trap frequently to keep FOG accumulation below 25 percent.

This results in cleaning at least once per quarter and sometimes as frequently as once a month.

Effect of Chemicals Used in Cleaning

Acidic chemicals can remove grease buildup. Most grease cleaners contain harmful, toxic chemicals that affect the environment.

Moreover, these chemicals do not guarantee complete FOG removal from the drainage pipes.

They usually wash down the drain and become part of the wastewater system, making it difficult to treat.

Sustainability Is Our Motto!

With a large amount of grease pollution and toxic chemical residues entering the water body, the environment is significantly impacted.

To remove harmful chemicals, microbes with enzymes such as lipase can clean the grease trap.

Lipase is found abundantly in yeasts, heterotrophic microorganisms that utilize organic compounds as energy and carbon sources.

These microorganisms are an excellent, sustainable source for cleaning commercial grease traps without harming the environment.

The lipase-producing microbes gradually remove the grease buildup.

The drain lines will be coated with beneficial bacteria, which help reduce the grease and other organic matter that clogs the drains.

Bioclean Septic Plus and OBCare Kitchen Drain Cleaner are biological products consisting of a consortium of microorganisms containing selective enzymes that help degrade food waste and fats, oils, and other organic matter.

Together, they can help degrade grease not only in the grease trap but also in the kitchen sink and drainage pipes that lead sludge to the grease traps.

The byproduct produced by the microbes is odorless and helps remove FOG.

The solution helps eliminate foul odor and reduce the sludge volume by 30-40%.

How does Bioclean Septic Plus and OBCare Kitchen Drain Cleaner work?

The Bioclean Septic Plus consists of a consortium of dormant microorganisms activated as soon as they come into contact with water.

These microbes contain enzymes such as protease and lipase that help break down fats, oils, and grease in grease traps.

The OBCare Kitchen Drain Cleaner contains enzyme-producing bacteria in the dormant stage capable of degrading grease from the kitchen sink and drainage pipes & helps in reducing the sludge coming to the grease traps.

Using these solutions, the byproducts produced by these microorganisms are non-acidic and non-corrosive.

Advantages of Using Our Solutions

In addition to being eco-friendly and organic, the solution helps restore commercial grease traps to optimal health naturally.

It also eliminates foul odors that originate from the grease trap.

Using this solution, the commercial grease traps and drainage pipes will have a uniform coating of FOG-eating bacteria.

This eliminates the need for manual cleaning, maintains a hygienic environment, ensures compliance with municipal guidelines, and ensures performance in cold temperatures.

Direction of Use

For OBCare Kitchen Drain Cleaner, mix 10 g in 500 ml of water and pour it into the kitchen sink.

This solution can treat up to 4-5 sinks and is to be used daily.

Note: Dosage will be based on your load factor and will be recommended by our subject matter experts.

After cleaning the grease trap, mix the required amount of Septic Plus with 2 liters of water and pour the mixture into the grease trap.

Microbial digestion by OBCare Kitchen Drain Cleaner is the simplest and cleanest way to eliminate commercial grease-trap waste and keep it working properly.

The microbes used are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) organisms. They have no pathogenicity towards humans, animals, or plants.

A properly installed, well-maintained grease trap is a focal point for hassle-free operation of a commercial or industrial kitchen.

Follow the best practices highlighted in this guide, use microbe-rich solutions to minimize grease entering the plumbing system, and take a step toward sustainable grease trap management that’s good for your business, customers, and the environment!

Bioclean Septic

Bioclean Septic is a microbial product that efficiently breaks down human waste. Bioclean Septic keeps your sludge levels in check.

Bioclean Septic Plus

Bioclean Septic Plus is a 10x concentrated microbial formula that breaks down human waste, food residue, fats, oils, and grease. A must where the toilet and kitchen lines are connected to the septic tank.

Bioclean Septic (Double Pack)

Bioclean Septic is a microbial product that efficiently breaks down human waste. Bioclean Septic keeps your sludge levels in check.