Maintaining your grease trap is essential if you want it to continue functioning well over time. Without proper maintenance, smelly bacteria will begin to stink up your facility, and your grease trap will become susceptible to clogging. These clogs can cause oil and grease to flow back up and out of the pipes in your kitchen and other parts of your plumbing system. To prevent these annoyances and health hazards from occurring together, read on to learn five kitchen tips for keeping your grease trap clean.
Keep the Garbage Disposal Usage to a Minimum
Grease traps contain oils and fats, and while you can’t keep out all food particles, you want to mitigate the amount that sits in the trap. Discarding larger chunks of solid food can help mitigate clogs and give bacteria less surface and food to grow on. So use your garbage disposal only when necessary. This way, larger chunks don’t turn into thick sludge.
Use the Dishwasher Properly
Another way to prevent clogs from solid food waste is to make sure you remove larger food particles from dishware before going into the dishwasher. While it may seem like extra cleaning time, scraping or rinsing off food before washing them will save you from clogs in the long run.
Install Strainers or Filters
Having strainers or filters installed on drains can prevent smaller food particles that go unnoticed from accumulating and backing up your drain. They can also catch objects that accidentally fall into the drain, such as silverware, rags, and gloves. Incidents like these are common, but they can cause damage to your grease trap. Therefore, preventing these solids from going down the drain is critical for long-term maintenance.
Don’t Pour Grease Directly Down the Drain
No matter how high quality or well installed it is, a grease trap can’t withstand a large amount of grease poured into it at once. Grease, oils, and fats can solidify and stick to pipes. Over time, these solids accumulate, turning into partial or even total blockages. While the solution may seem as easy as a quick clean, these clogs can cause damage, and your plumbing may need extensive repair services.
Hire Professionals for Consistent Maintenance
Finally, the ultimate tip for keeping your grease trap clean is to hire professionals. You can get waste disposal services in South Carolina from Providence Environmental to consistently remove waste and clean your grease trap. Depending on how large your facility is, your grease trap may need cleaning every one to three months, with larger businesses needing a thorough cleaning once a month. Consistent cleaning and disposal can keep your grease trap in top condition and increase its functionality as well as its lifespan.