Category: Grease Trap

Grease traps are a vital component of both residential and commercial plumbing systems, as they help to keep your plumbing running smoothly and prevent clogs. They also do a lot in preventing contamination of the environment. It’s valuable to understand the benefits of grease traps for both homes and businesses, as well as the importance of regular maintenance, including “grease trap service near me”.

Benefits of Grease Traps in Homes

Grease traps act as a barrier by trapping fats, oils, and grease before they have a chance to enter the plumbing system. By doing so, grease traps discourage pests like rodents and insects from entering your home. They also help to ensure that wastewater is managed appropriately and that it will not pollute the environment. Grease traps help to protect pipes from damage and reduce the costs associated with plumbing repairs. Searching for regular grease trap service near me (draneranger.com/grease-trap-service-near-me) is essential in keeping grease traps functioning properly and avoiding expensive blockages and repairs.

Grease Traps in Businesses

Grease traps are essential for businesses as well, in order to help ensure compliance with local regulations, while also protecting pipes from damage. In addition, grease traps for businesses help to manage wastewater and reduce the risks of contamination. They protect pipes from clogs and other damage caused by grease buildup. By preventing blockages, grease traps help to reduce the costs associated with plumbing repairs.

Looking for consistent and professional “grease trap service near me” can help to ensure that all parts are in working condition, which can help to extend their lifespan. Proper maintenance of grease traps is essential for businesses to protect plumbing systems, reduce the costs associated with plumbing repairs and maintain safety standards.

Grease Trap Service Near Me

Regularly cleaning and maintaining grease traps is essential in keeping everything functioning properly. Signs of a blocked or damaged grease trap include strange odors, slow draining, or gurgling noises from the drain. To prevent these problems, grease traps should be inspected and cleaned once a month. In addition, any debris that accumulates should be removed in order to avoid clogs. Searching “grease trap service near me” will get you in touch with a professional, who will keep them functioning properly and help you avoid costly repairs or blockages.

Here at Drane Rangers, we provide professional grease trap servicing. This saves you the dirty job of opening the trap and clearing blockages. With our trained technicians on the job, you can be sure that your grease traps will be clean and blockage free. Grease traps are an incredibly important part of any plumbing system, as they help to protect pipes from erosion and prevent environmental contamination. Searching for regular “grease trap service near me” is necessary for both residential and commercial properties in order to keep your drainage systems running smoothly throughout the year and avoid unexpected and costly repairs to your system.

A grease trap is hidden under the floor or somewhere out of sight and out of the way. However, it is vital that you maintain your system including grease trap cleaning. A grease trap is hidden under the floor or somewhere out of sight and out of the way. However, it is vital that you maintain your system including grease trap cleaning.

What Is A Grease Trap?

A grease trap is part of the plumbing system. The function of the grease trap is to separate fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from the wastewater on the way to the sewer. The water will continue to flow into the sewer and the FOG will remain in the trap. If this is a busy business, the trap may fill up fast.

How Often Do I Need to Complete Grease Trap Cleaning?

Most grease traps need to be cleaned every three or four months. If the business is busier it may require grease trap cleaning more often. Grease traps need to be cleaned and maintained by professionals. When your trap is full, let us come and clean it.

What Happens If I Don’t Clean My Trap?

There are many concerns that happen if you don’t complete grease trap cleaning on a regular basis.

• The most noticeable is the smell. When the FOG builds up, mold, decomposing and decaying food sit in the mixture of the grease.  This mixture can give a foul smell. This can be a health hazard to your employees and will drive your customers away.
• A grease trap backup can then go into the sewer system. This would require additional cleaning, and this could also damage the sewer system. The city could then have your company pay for the damage.
• If the grease trap is not cleaned properly, it could back up into the plumbing system. This could cause expensive unplanned repairs.
• Above all a full grease trap can damage your hard-earned reputation; and this is more costly than any fine or repair bill.

Cleaning the Grease Trap Is Good for the Environment

When we think of protecting the environment, a grease trap is not something that normally comes to mind, but a clean grease trap can help. When a grease trap becomes full and overflows into the sewer or backs up the plumbing, the FOG can then escape into major waterways or underground drain fields. This can then damage the natural environment. Grease trap cleaning can prevent damage to the environment (and avoid hefty environmental fines).

Grease trap cleaning saves money from fines and unexpected costly repairs. Watching your grease trap, knowing when it is filling up, and calling us to empty and clean the trap can save money. We have over 30 years of experience and with a simple call, we can arrange the cleaning and maintenance of your grease trap before it’s too late. Check us out to learn about all our services and how we can help you.

If a commercial kitchen’s grease trap is regularly maintained and works properly, there’s usually no problem! Unfortunately, some commercial kitchen grease traps are not regularly maintained, they do not work properly and they do become problems.

Professional and expert commercial grease trap cleaning is important to minimize grease trap problems and maximize kitchen efficiency.

Nearly every commercial kitchen is required to operate and maintain a grease trap in order to prevent sewage blockages. Grease traps primarily deal with fats, oils, and greases (FOG) that are produced during cooking, baking, frying, dish washing, and other commercial kitchen operations. But, as anyone in a commercial kitchen knows from experience, even making sure the amount of FOG materials that are washed away are kept to a minimum, preventing all of them from going down the sink is nearly impossible. That’s where commercial grease trap cleaning is comes in.

Commercial kitchen grease traps are designed to trap and intercept FOG, before the grungy fats, oils, and greases make it to the main sewer. Grease traps are installed in various places in a commercial kitchen—from under the sink to under the back parking lot, and they vary in both size and flow.

Commercial kitchens need a properly functioning and efficient grease trap, to reduce the chances of a grease trap getting full too quickly. Being pro-active with minimizing the solid food waste that goes down the drain, rinsing greasy dishes with cold water, and using biodegradable detergents for cleaning.

Even with the best of care, setting a scheduled maintenance and a commercial grease trap cleaning plan are vitally important.

Grease traps are always do dirty work! Commercial grease trap cleaning is important because FOG always rises to the surface of the water. A tube that dips below the water’s surface can pull out water that has separated from FOG liquids, as sludge and other non-FOG food waste quickly sink to the bottom.

Regularly scheduled commercial grease trap cleaning is often critical for the efficient and safe function of a commercial kitchen. Regularly emptying the grease and sludge collected by the grease trap is essential to keep the grease trap technology working properly. While some FOG materials may decompose naturally, the process is too slow to be timely, so the commercial kitchen grease trap needs to be evacuated every once in a while, no matter how well it’s used.

The recommended schedule for commercial grease trap cleaning varies. It is usually based on key factors like the kitchen’s size, type, and productivity, as well as the size, flow, and the amount of use that the grease trap has.

Unknowingly, some restaurants bring it on themselves!

Restaurant grease traps are essential parts of a kitchen’s daily operations. The business couldn’t function without it. Problems with a grease trap commonly referred to as a grease interceptor can quickly become a headache and a costly mess as it grinds a kitchen operation to a halt ––costing the business time and money.

Flushing trash. It’s a big mistake for grease trap problems. Pouring used cooking oil and other food-related waste down the drain inevitably causes grease trap issues, such as slow drainage, clogs, overflows, and foul odors. Trash, cooking oil, and other debris should never be flushed down your drain and into the grease trap.

Something stinks! A foul odor coming from around the grease trap is an indicator of a grease trap problem. Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) degrade the longer they sit in the trap, and will eventually lead to foul smells. Because bacteria eventually breaks down the solidified material, causing it to spoil and give off a bad smell. Grease trap cleaning service professionals explain that if the opening of the trap gets covered or clogged, the gases that form foul odors will flow ward from the grease trap and into the restaurant.

Slow drainage. The warning from grease trap cleaning service experts is that, if you notice the sink or other drainage areas in and around your kitchen are draining slowly, it could be an indicator of a problem with the grease trap. More specifically, a clog may have formed—or is forming—from solid food waste or other debris that has found its way into your drainage pipes and eventually your grease trap. When the fats, oil, and grease (FOGs) that your grease trap catches solidify, they eventually begin to build up and slow down the water flow to and from the trap.

Overflow! The most obvious symptom of a grease trap problem is an overflow. Maybe grease itself escaping through the manhole cover in the trap or a backup in the kitchen. An overflow means the problem has already gotten fairly severe and likely needs urgent help from a grease trap cleaning service. Grease spills are tricky messes to clean up. There is a specific way to handle them, and if done correctly, the spread of an overflow can be minimized.

A full cleaning by a certified and qualified grease trap cleaning service will eliminate the problems. Fix the clogs, pump out the sludge and grease, often hydrojetting to force out the debris into either the neighboring compartment or into the sewer line, and everything is scrubbed down to remove all remaining residue. Grease trap cleaning service pros agree that grease traps should be emptied every three months.

Grease traps (also known as grease interceptors, grease recovery devices, grease capsules and grease converters) are plumbing devices (traps) designed to intercept most greases and solids before they enter a wastewater disposal system.

The essential need for grease trap cleaning service and scheduled maintenance is because grease traps work on the basis that animal fats and vegetable oils (grease) are 10 to 15 percent less dense than water and that grease won’t mix with water. Fats and oils float on top of water.

Restaurant and food service kitchens produce waste grease which is present in the drain lines from various sinks, dishwashers and cooking equipment such as combi ovens and commercial woks. Rotisserie ovens have also become big sources of waste grease. If not regularly and properly removed by a grease trap cleaning service, the grease can clump and cause blockage and back-up in the sewer.

Common wastewater contains small amounts of oils which enter into septic tanks and treatment facilities to form a floating scum layer. This scum layer is very slowly digested and broken down by microorganisms in the anaerobic digestion process. Large amounts of oil from food preparation in restaurants can overwhelm a septic tank or treatment facility, causing the release of untreated sewage into the environment.

Professionals who provide important grease trap cleaning services explain that high-viscosity fats and cooking grease such as lard solidify when cooled, and can combine with other disposed solids to block drain pipes.

FOGS (fats, oils, grease, and solids) are the major enemies of the drains and garbage disposals of commercial kitchen. Grease trap cleaning service technicians explain that when the FOGS start to cool, they solidify, and result in a thick, waxy substance that adheres to the walls of drainpipes. The end result is in slow drains and often total clogs.

When the outflow from the kitchen sink enters the grease trap, the solid food particles sink to the bottom, while lighter grease and oil float to the top. The relatively grease-free water is then fed into the normal septic system. The food solids at the bottom and floating oil and grease must be periodically removed in a manner similar to septic tank pumping. A traditional grease trap is not a food disposal unit. Unfinished food must be scraped into the garbage or food recycling bin. Gravy, sauces and food solids must be scraped off dishes before entering the sink or dishwasher.

A grease trap is basically a box of water that traps grease and food waste (for example from washing dishes) and prevents it from blocking the waster system pipes. Over time – the grease trap will become completely blocked with grease preventing water flow through it. It’s time for a grease trap cleaning service.

Commercial grease trap cleaning is essential maintenance that often gets forgotten or skipped. Commercial grease trap cleaning is essential maintenance that often gets forgotten or skipped.

Sure signs of grease pit trouble are:

. when drains back up frequently

. there is pest infestation around the drain

. grease flows back into the sink

. slow draining

. odors coming from the drain

FOGS (fats, oils, grease, and solids) are the major enemies of the drains and garbage disposals of commercial kitchen. In their natural, liquid form, people don’t think twice about pouring it down the drain.

Commercial grease trap cleaning professionals warn that, when the FOGS start to cool, they solidify, and result in a thick, waxy substance that adheres to the walls of drainpipes. The end result is in slow drains and often total clogs.

A grease trap is basically a box of water that traps grease and food waste (for example from washing dishes) and prevents it from blocking the waster system pipes. Over time – the grease trap will become completely blocked with grease preventing water flow through it.

The structure has a baffle inside that retains the wastewater long enough for the grease to solidify and rise to the top, while the clean water flows through.  At the surface, the grease trap has removable lids used for inspections and cleanings.

Regular commercial grease trap cleaning—using the proper, professional equipment and techniques— usually takes from 20-30 minutes and is crucial for efficient operations and helps keep the number of down.

A safe and recommended commercial grease trap cleaning rule of thumb is to use the One Quarter Rule. Every three months. It complies with local regulations and for some busy restaurants, the traps should be emptied more often.

Keeping an eye on the grease trap and when it is a quarter of the way full (every three weeks), it is time to clean it out. The reason for the One Quarter Rule is because, at that point, the trap becomes no longer effective.

Commercial grease trap cleaning technicians vacuum the grease trap, scrape the grease trap clean and flow test to confirm proper draining.

Commercial grease trap cleaning works with cool water to allow the FOGS to float to the top. Wait ten minutes once the hot wastewater has been released from the dishwasher or sink and cools. The grungy fats, oils and greases are accessed by carefully prying off the grease tank cover. A delicate and critical component, known as the gasket, can be damaged if lifting off the cover without precaution.

Not only do commercial grease trap cleaning professionals efficiently remove and thoroughly clean grease traps, a key part of commercial grease trap cleaning is disposing of the waste safely.

Grease and oil are unavoidable in the restaurant business and getting rid of it safely is absolutely necessary to keep a kitchen running smoothly. Wastewater that is produced in the kitchen is often full of grease and oil from either the cooking process or left over on dishes after a patron has finished their meal, and all this wastewater goes down the drain. This can cause major issues if there isn’t proper equipment in place to capture all the fats, oils and grease (FOGs) before it makes it to the sewers. FOGs will combine with everything else drained into the city systems by every business, and eventually cause clogs that cost cities and municipalities millions of dollars to clear up (“greasebergs”). The protective equipment is called a grease trap, but without restaurant grease trap cleaning regularly, the traps can get clogged too.

What are Grease Traps

Grease traps are the best line of defense in protecting public sewers and plumbing. Restaurant grease trap cleaning could be done by a business owner, but without the proper knowledge, it’s going to be hard, dirty and probably done wrong, so calling in the professionals is always the best option.

The way grease traps work is that they capture FOGs that are drained down sinks, toilets, basins, etc. When water enters the grease trap, the FOGs naturally won’t mix with water and will float to the top, while any solid wastes will sink to the bottom of the interception tank. Around the middle of the tank is where any displaced wastewater that is safe for sewers ends up, and that will drain into the sewer lines. Of course, like any tank or trap, there is a limit to capacity. As FOGs and solid waste build up, the likelihood of them ending up in the sewers gradually increases, which means grease trap cleaning is absolutely necessary to prevent FOGs from getting into sewer systems and wrecking havoc.

How Often to Clean Grease Traps

Depending on the size of your business, restaurant grease trap cleaning should be done every 30-90 days by a professional. The process is quick, and affordable. Avoiding cleaning can be costly, especially if the city fines you for FOGs related blockages or you get a backup into your own building.

Other Advantages to Restaurant Grease Trap Cleaning

Proper restaurant grease trap cleaning will help prevent the backing up of smells or liquids back into your restaurant, or outside your restaurant; smells that will greatly deter customers and result in closures. Clogging your grease trap will also damage it and result in the need for expensive repairs you could have avoided with regular restaurant grease trap cleaning schedules.

Professional restaurant grease trap cleaning also means you don’t have to worry about where everything that gets cleaned out of the grease trap goes. The company performing your servicing will handle the waste in an environmentally responsible way that complies with local regulations.

If you are in need of restaurant grease trap cleaning in the Houston and Sugar Land area, and are looking for a BBB accredited business with a highly trained and certified team, then look no further than Drane Ranger for all your grease trap cleaning needs.

For any commercial kitchen manager, one of the most important parts of kitchen maintenance is the grease trap or grease interceptor. Commercial grease trap cleaning can be a dirty job if you don’t know what you are doing. That’s why most kitchen managers hire commercial grease trap cleaning specialists to routinely take care of this unpleasant job.

What Does a Grease Trap or Grease Interceptor Do Exactly?

In any busy kitchen, there is a lot of grease on the dishes, pots, pans, and utensils. If this grease makes its way into the drainage system during the washing process, it can wreak havoc on the plumbing and sewers. Once the liquid grease cools and solidifies, it can create huge blockages that are extremely costly to repair. Grease traps and grease interceptors are designed to catch this grease before it makes its way into the plumbing.

If sewers and drainage systems become clogged with grease, it can cause terrible backups into your restaurant. These types of clogs have also been known to cause sewers problems in the streets of a neighborhood as well. Either way, not properly handling kitchen grease can cause huge issues, restaurant shutdowns, and high repair costs. Most municipalities have laws regarding the proper disposal of kitchen grease. Routine commercial grease trap cleaning is often required by law.

Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning

Both grease traps and grease interceptors work to keep the fats, oils, and grease out of the drainage and sewer systems. Grease traps are smaller and are usually found under the sink in a commercial kitchen. They need to be emptied daily and cleaned professionally monthly.

Grease interceptors are larger units that are usually found in high-volume restaurants. These interceptors are usually stored outside and require commercial grease trap cleaning specialists to empty and clean them.

It is important to regularly schedule grease trap and/or interceptor cleaning. The grease can cause an unpleasant smell if neglected. These units can also fail if they are not cleaned regularly, which causes unsanitary backups in your kitchen and costly restaurant shutdowns. The best solution is to set up a recurring cleaning schedule with a commercial grease trap cleaning company.

Working With Professional Cleaners

It is important to hire a professional commercial grease trap cleaning service to ensure that your grease traps and interceptors are properly maintained. Professional cleaning companies have the tools and knowledge to get the job done cleanly, efficiently, and effectively. Routine cleaning and inspection means that your grease traps and interceptors will remain working properly and cause fewer problems in the future.

At Drane Ranger, our team of specialized commercial grease trap cleaning personnel are trained and experienced in cleaning a wide range of grease traps. We are committed to our customers and your business. With Drane Ranger, you can expect courteous, clean, and expert service exactly when you need it.

Drane Ranger has been serving the Houston, Pearland, Alvin, and Sugar Land areas since 1985. We carefully follow all regulations for commercial grease trap cleaning and disposal.

What exactly happens if your grease traps are left unattended, and why is it so important to get regular grease trap cleaning and maintenance? We answer these questions and tell you where to get professional, reliable grease trap service.

The Dangers of Ignored Grease Traps

As you probably know, grease traps help to capture the fats and other contaminants present in wastewater coming from your kitchen. They do this by letting the water settle and cool so the grease rises to the top and any solids, like food waste, settle on the bottom. The water is then flushed out to be taken by the local wastewater infrastructure. The grease and waste, however, remains in the trap.

When people ignore their grease traps, this waste accumulates. In some types of restaurants, it can accumulate very quickly, leading to a number of issues. Top among them is major plumbing issues. Since your grease traps are connected to your plumbing system, they will eventually get so blocked up that pipes will not be able to push through water. The result can be burst pipes, total drain blockages and much more, all of which can shut down a restaurant in its entirety.

The more immediate sign will be a noticeable and terrible smell wafting through your establishment. Since the food and grease waste is building up instead of being properly removed, it will start to rot, and the smell will travel through your plumbing system.

How to Prevent Grease Trap Issues

If you want to eliminate the risk of these smells and plumbing issues, then the best thing to do is invest in regular grease trap cleaning and maintenance from a dedicated and experienced company. Grease trap cleaning companies can set up a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule to ensure your traps are taken care of regularly, leaving you to focus on other parts of your business.

Working with an experienced company will also ensure that your grease traps are in good condition throughout their lives, and the experts can make sure you are within local guidelines and regulations.

Where to Find Professional Grease Trap Cleaning Services

Did you know that businesses with grease traps in the Houston area must clean and empty the traps every three months? Even then, this may not be enough for some restaurants to keep a safe, clean and comfortable environment for their staff and customers. If you own a business with a grease trap, then make sure you contact the professionals here at Drane Ranger. We can work with you to make a grease trap cleaning schedule that keeps your traps clean and ensures you are in compliance with local rules and regulations. Contact us today to learn more and let us take care of the greasy work so you don’t have to!

Commercial kitchen grease traps are vulnerable to overflow if they are not operated correctly. It is highly important that the trap is emptied at regular intervals. There are lots of businesses that offer grease trap cleaning in Houston. Typically, they will discharge the contents of the trap and make sure that the chambers and lines are clean.

What is a grease trap?

A grease trap is essentially a septic tank that commercial kitchens use to dispose of cooking grease. They are installed between the drain and the sewer. As the hot liquid grease goes down with other solid and liquid waste, it settles into a tank. At this phase, the solid food waste sinks to the bottom, the fat and grease floats to the top, and the water sits in the middle. The water then travels into the municipal sewer system to be treated as regular sewage, while the solid food waste and grease remains. All restaurants will have some kind of grease disposal system because, when it cools and solidifies, grease is notorious for causing blockages in sewer systems. The solution to this problem is the installation and use of grease traps. Their only downside is that they require regular cleaning and discharge. This is why there is lots of demand for grease trap cleaning.

Why do grease traps overflow?

Grease trap overflow is associated with clogging in the lines. Typically, lines become clogged when the grease trap is not discharged often enough. A grease trap will have three lines: an incoming line, an outgoing line, and a crossover line. The incoming line is how the waste from the kitchen sink first enters the trap. The waste is now in the first chamber, where the settling process takes place (i.e. fats at the top and solids at the bottom). The water in the middle then leaves the first chamber and travels into the second chamber via the crossover line. The second chamber’s role is to keep the water separate from the solid and fatty waste. Its contents get released into the municipal sewer system as normal wastewater. The role of grease trap cleaning in Houston is to deal with the solid waste as it builds up in the first chamber.

As the trap continues its process of separating the solids and releasing the water, the contents of the first chamber pile on top of each other. When the chamber is full, it must be emptied. If this is not done, the trap will overflow. When there is overflow, the incoming and crossover lines both become clogged because the excess grease has nowhere else to go. This results in clogged drains, and rotten smells coming from the drain. All of the solid food waste is accumulating and starting to rot. A typical grease trap cleaning in Houston will involve a discharge of the first chamber waste into a vacuum truck, where it is taken away for disposal.

Why is it so critical to schedule regular grease trap cleaning in Houston?

There is also an inspection and cleaning of the incoming and crossover lines to ensure that they are not clogged with any grease or solids. The best thing you can do for your grease trap is to stay on top of the discharge timetable. Otherwise, all that rotting waste that backs up will turn into a public health violation.