If you are in the food business, you will generate a lot of used cooking oil. Therefore, you need to have a sound plan about how to handle the old cooking oil. Of course, it is beneficial to save all the used fryer oil for recycling. Recycling the oil ensures that only a minimum amount of it gets into the kitchen sinks. However, no matter how careful your kitchen employees are, some oil will definitely find its way into the kitchen sinks and down the plumbing. This is why installation, and proper grease trap maintenance, is required of any commercial kitchen.
Sounds like a plan: sell the used oil, and capture all of the grease that goes down the sink, so that it does not go into the sewer system. This is why you need to install a FOG interceptor, and clean it on time.
There are really no easy ways for restaurant grease trap cleaning. However, with proper preparation, you could make the job easier.
The best thing is to go for professional grease interceptor cleaning. That way, someone will be handling the hard work while your manager can take care of the business side of things.
To make sure that your commercial kitchen keeps running like a well-oiled cog, here are 10 easy ways to ensure timely cleaning and maintenance:
1. Ensure more frequent cleaning in the high season
It is recommended that the grease tank cleaning be done when the fats, oils, and grease gets to about a quarter of the tank. If you let it exceed this level, it will be too late.
Also, depending on the size of the grease interceptor, it is recommended that it is cleaned about once every 90 days. However, this schedule can be moved forward depending on the season. If there is a boom in business, you should be able to call the contractor to send their team to pump the grease tank.
It is better to clean the FOG trap earlier than wait until it is too late. That is why you need to work with a contractor who can accommodate your needs, just in case you need to move the pumping schedule forward.
Bottom line: Don’t wait until it is too late. If your kitchen experiences the same level of activity every day, at least ensure the contractor maintains a regular cleaning schedule.
2. Gather all the items that you need
This is what a contractor that maintains restaurant FOG tanks will do … they will first gather all the tools that they need for the job.
The technicians that will be handling the grease pumping will come with everything they need for the job. This includes things like:
- Coveralls
Gloves
Goggles
Safety shoes
Crow bar for wrenching the lid open
Scraper and steel scrubbers
Shop vacuum, and of course a special tanker for ferrying all the vacuumed FOG
Other things include soap, buckets, and brooms as they have the place of work clean. Some of this is specialized equipment, for instance, the shop vacuum and the tanker. Since you may not have these things, it is best to hire a contractor for the job.
3. Find the grease trap
For a large commercial kitchen, the grease trap will be located outside the kitchen, in a place close to where the kitchen sinks are located. It is installed underground, so if it is overgrown by vegetation due to neglect, it can be hard to find.
In some instances, the FOG trap is located under the kitchen flooring, with a trap door for easy access. It is also possible to have the grease tank installed in the basement. The technicians will know where to look for the grease interceptor.
If you have a small grease tank, your employees can clean it out easily. However, if it is a big one, say, those that have a volume of 500 or more gallons, you need to hire a contractor for the job.
4. Pouring hot water down the sinks
As the water with oils, food particles, and grease goes down the kitchen sinks, some of the material get lodged on the drainage pipes. To dislodge these, you will need to pour hot water down the sinks. This will also help to dislodge any stuck grease in the FOG interceptor, and enable it to float on top of the tank for easier vacuuming.
The hot water should be followed by cold water, after about 10 minutes. The cool water will solidify any of the grease that was liquefied by the hot water. It will also help the grease to float on top of the water on the tank for easier retrieval.
5. Open the grease trap to assess the grease amount
Using the crowbar, you will need to pry open the lid of the grease tank. Usually, there is a small groove cut into the lid for just that. Be careful about it, especially if the lid looks rusted over. If the cover is opened regularly, you should be able to pry it open easily. However, if not, it could take some strength.
Assess the amount of grease floating in the tank, which is usually a few inches thick. You can scoop it out and pour it into the transport plastic bags. When you are done removing as much grease as possible, only the water, and food particles will remain in the tank.
While most of the water was sieved out into the sewerage system, some of it remained in the tank. You will now need to vacuum it out with the food particles, and any remaining grease. You will use the shop vacuum for this.
While you are scooping the grease and vacuuming the water, ensure that the sink taps and the dishwasher are switched off, so there is no water coming down.
6. Clean the baffles, sides and the lid
Cleaning the baffles, the lid and the sides is an important part of the FOG trap cleaning process. This is where the scraper comes in handy to remove the grease stuck on the sides of the tank. Remember to inspect the lid for damage, especially to the rubber gasket that keeps it airtight. Inspect the baffles too, since they do the important job of keeping the grease inside the tank, so that it does not escape to the sewerage system.
After scrubbing the tank, lid and baffles, pour in more cold water, and then vacuum it all out with the shop vacuum.
7. Check for blockages
Blockages are common with grease traps, especially when you have not cleaned it in a long time, or when too much hot grease is poured down the kitchen sinks. Thus, after cleaning and vacuuming the grease trap, you should check for any blockages from the kitchen side. If the water drains too slowly from the sinks, that is an indication of blockage.
The grease interceptor should also release water into the sewerage system without delay. Remember, blockage can also occur on the outlet side, so you need to take care of that too.
8. Rinse the grease trap with warm water
There are many benefits of rinsing the grease trap with warm water, but the most vital one is that the water eliminates the smell of old grease. This leaves the tank smelling fresh and ready for the next uptake of grease.
Run warm water down the sinks for some time, and then vacuum it all out. You can also use dish soap to help eliminate the smell completely.
9. Replace the lid and clean the area of operation
To reduce risks of falling, or harboring bacteria, make sure you leave the area of operation clean. This means cleaning out any grease that might have sprinkled around, cleaning your tools and ensuring everything in in good shape.
The location of the grease interceptor should be clearly marked and possibly with warning signs to keep people off the lid. Remember, the lid can sustain damage easily, especially if your FOG trap is too old.
10. Maintain FOG tank maintenance log
You must keep proper records for the grease trap cleaning schedule. This is required by the authorities and from time to time, their inspectors will demand to see the logs. The logs must include the time the grease tank was vacuumed, the name of the contractor, the date, and any special details, such as damage to any part of the tank.
Conclusion
To complete the FOG trap maintenance process, you need to dump the grease, that is, if your employees were doing the job.
The whole idea behind installing a grease interceptor is to keep the old grease from getting into the soil and the water sources. Therefore, you have to dispose of the grease responsibly.
Store the grease in double-lined garbage bags and tie them tightly. For good measure, you can mix the grease with cat litter to solidify it, or use sand. For proper disposal, ensure the grease bags go to the dumpster, where they will be sorted for proper end disposal.
To ensure the proper running of the FOG trap, keep to the recommended cleaning schedule, well, unless you experience surges in business.
Learn to inspect the trap from time to time to know its condition, and most importantly, have a professional team to do the job occasionally.
Also Read: How Grease Trap Cleaning Services Can Save Your Business in 2024
