Grease Trap Cleaning

Grease trap removal costs can differ significantly from one job to another, influenced by several factors. Key among these are the size and location of the grease trap. Homeowners and businesses might see bills ranging from $100 to $500 for a standard grease trap removal job, but large commercial traps or more complicated projects can push those numbers much higher. If you need to remove a grease trap, it's smart to get several quotes from different companies to see what your job might actually cost.

Indeed, a plumber can clean a grease trap. The skills and tools required to do the job as it needs to be done are not exclusive to grease trap cleaning specialists. A good plumber can—and will—do the job effectively but won't necessarily do it on a consistent basis or for a reasonable price. Thus, for the same reasons that you would call your friendly neighborhood plumber to clear a drain, you might consider doing so to clean a grease trap.

Usually, the task of cleaning grease traps is assigned to the property or business owner, especially if the establishment is serving food, like a restaurant. And even though the owner and staff may do some regular maintenance on the grease trap, they often hire professional waste management companies or specialized grease trap cleaning services to do the kind of work needed to keep the establishment in compliance with local health and safety regulations.

How often you clean your grease trap can depend a lot on how much grease your trap is actually catching (and how big your trap is). But in most cases, it’s best to clean the trap every 1 to 3 months—otherwise, you could be setting yourself up for some serious plumbing problems.

The easiest way to clean a grease trap is to do it in these simple steps: First, put on your trusty protective gloves and eyewear. Then take a moment to turn off the water supply before carefully removing the lid of the grease trap. With a small bucket or scoop, remove the solid waste from the grease trap. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides of the trap to remove any stubborn grease that is left clinging to the walls. (Properly) dispose of the solid waste according to your local rules and regulations, and then turn your attention to the remaining liquid grease and debris. The best tool for this is a wet-dry vacuum; using it will leave the grease trap nice and clean and ready for the next step.

Generally, a grease trap can last around 5 to 10 years. The exact lifespan depends on three main factors: how well it was installed (the quality of the installation), how often it's cleaned (maintenance), and how much grease and solids it's forced to handle (the volume of grease and solids). If any two of these three factors are in a grease trap's favor, then it has a good chance of lasting a long time.

Using a vacuum cleaner to clean a grease trap is not advised because it could result in clogs and possibly damage the vacuum. The grease trap is full of stuff that has the potential to harden and create some not-so-nice problems within the vacuum system. Better to stick with the equipment that is purpose-built for what we're trying to accomplish, which is cleaning the grease trap.

Due to local regulations, it's usually not allowed for a person to empty their grease trap. These regulations exist for a good reason: Grease traps must be emptied in an environmentally safe way, and too many people try to dispose of grease trap contents in ways that endanger the environment. The other main reason that trained professionals should handle grease traps is that they're just darn good at it; grease traps are properly cleaned and inspected when professionals do the job.

If a grease trap is to smell anything other than heavenly, it must be addressed regularly to prevent an accumulation of grease and debris. There are a few key elements to this odor-elimination protocol: First, ensure that the trap is clean and that all of its parts are functioning as they should. This includes verified proper ventilation, which is crucial to both the odor and health aspects of the grease trap. If ventilation isn’t out of the trap and into the open air, think about relocating it. A better-situated grease trap will smell much better.

Failing to frequently clean a grease trap can lead to a series of unfortunate events, such as frequent blockages and overflowing during peak times. Such occurrences are likely to lead to some very unpleasant odors and conditions that most hardly consider sanitary. A flooded false floor in the kitchen may be more hazardous than most of us want to envision. However, there are a number of other reasons to maintain a grease trap and keep it in good working order. Grease is a frequent stumbling block for our plumbing woes, and neglecting to maintain the traps may set up a situation unseen until too late.