How Often Should You Be Getting Your Grease Trap Cleaned?

If you own or manage a commercial kitchen then you should already be aware of the important role your grease trap plays in helping you maintain a clean and efficient kitchen and plumbing system. But do you know how often you should really be getting your grease trap cleaned to keep it running smoothly?

Unfortunately, the answer is not one-size-fits-all. For a general guide, it should be every 3-6 months, but it really depends on your type of kitchen and the amount of grease you use and wash down your drains–it may need to be more frequent or you may get away with a little longer. 

Today we’ll explore why it’s so important to maintain your grease trap and how you can know how often you should be scheduling your grease trap cleaning.

Why is Grease Trap Maintenance Important?

Before we even talk about cleaning frequency and factors, it is important that you truly understand the role these traps play in your kitchen. Grease traps are a critical and legally required component of commercial kitchens, as they capture grease, oils, and fats and prevent them from entering the sewage system.

Without these traps–or if they’re not maintained sufficiently–food solids can clog your pipes and cause them to backup or overflow. This can create an unsanitary environment and will require costly repairs to get your grease trap and kitchen running smoothly again.

How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Grease Trap?

Now, as we said, there’s no definitive answer for how often you should be cleaning your grease trap. There are guidelines, but it can depend on factors such as:

• Type of business: Commercial kitchens that generate large amounts of grease, oils, and fats, such as Asian food restaurants, fast food chains and fish and chip shops, may require more frequent cleaning, especially if you commonly pour or wash the grease and oils down your drains.
• Cooking methods: Kitchens that use deep fryers, grills, or sauté pans frequently generally use high amounts of grease, oils or fats to cook with. If these appliances and utensils are then emptied down the drain and into your grease trap it may require more frequent cleaning. 

At Tropical Coast Plumbing, as a guideline, we recommend that commercial grease traps are cleaned every 3-6 months–any sooner may be too frequent and any longer can lead to plumbing issues. However, as mentioned above, if you frequently cook with lots of grease, oils, and fats and wash them down your drain, we advise opting for more frequent cleaning sessions–closer to the 3 month mark or quarterly at the least.

Signs Your Grease Trap Needs to be Cleaned

If you’re still unsure, it’s best to just pay attention to your grease trap as it will provide signs if it’s being neglected for too long. Signs that your grease trap requires cleaning include:

• Slow-draining or backing-up sinks
• Unpleasant odours from drains
• Grease buildup on the walls or surfaces of the trap
• Water levels rising above the recommended level
• Alarm indicators sounding

How to Choose the Right Cleaning Service

Now that you know when to clean your trap, it’s important to select a trusted and reliable plumbing company who has experience and knows how to dispose of fats and grease safely. Consider: 

• Experience: Look for services that have years of experience cleaning all types and sizes of grease traps.
• Equipment: Plumbers that are adequately adept in cleaning grease traps will have specialised equipment to clean traps effectively and dispose of greases and fats safely.
• Safety: Experienced plumbers will be able to explain their safety procedures and how they will ensure that all food solids will be handled and removed with care.
• Communication: High-quality plumbers will provide clear and transparent communication throughout the process so you know what to expect and how to better manage your trap in the future. 

At Tropical Coast Plumbing, our plumbers have many years of experience cleaning and maintaining a wide range of grease traps for commercial kitchens right across North-East and Central Queensland. We have all the latest technology and equipment to provide the best clean and safe disposal of food solids. We are also committed to providing exceptional service so you can have peace of mind that your grease trap will function effectively.

Keep Your Grease Trap Clean with Regular Servicing

In conclusion, regular cleaning and maintenance is essential for ensuring your grease trap works as it should to protect your kitchen and sewage systems. While the frequency may vary depending on how your kitchen uses and disposes of grease and oils, it’s important to stay vigilant, pay attention to your grease trap and address any issues promptly.

At Tropical Coast Plumbing, our team is dedicated to helping commercial kitchen’s operate safely and efficiently by keeping their grease traps clean. Contact us today to schedule your next cleaning session or learn more about our grease trap cleaning services.