If you run a commercial kitchen, one of the biggest costs you can inadvertently incur is due to failing to clean your grease trap regularly. The best approach to avoiding these costly clean-up jobs is to have a regular cleaning and maintenance routine that keeps the trap empty and enables your drains to operate smoothly.

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How grease traps work

Found in your sink, grease traps exist to capture any oil, fat or grease that goes down the plughole to prevent it entering the mainstream sewer. If allowed to flow down to the sewer, this mix will solidify and stick in the pipes, catching further debris and causing a blockage. It may not be attractive, but your grease trap is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment in your kitchen! Unfortunately, most chefs only take notice of this important item when something goes wrong; at this point, the blockage may need attention from an expensive professional company.

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The right cleaning schedule

Aim to empty your grease trap a minimum of once every three months. If your kitchen is especially busy, ramp up the emptying and servicing schedule accordingly, perhaps to every month. Follow good practice with a record of when the trap was cleaned and by whom. The clean should be quality checked and approved.

The risks of failing to clean your grease trap

In addition to solidifying in the pipe, you can find your entire kitchen system compromised by health and safety risks; in addition, your kitchen could even flood. Remember that local laws can apply, which means that failure to clean your grease trap could result in heavy penalties. A great range of stainless steel grease traps is available from suppliers such as ukgreasetrapsdirect.co.uk/stainless-steel-grease-traps if it is time to upgrade your equipment for the best performance.

Set up a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule. Wait until the premises are shut, clean all the pots and pans beforehand and then remove the grease trap lid. Make a note of how much grease and fat is in the trap so that you can see whether your servicing schedule is appropriate, then remove the water with a bucket before scooping out the matter and scraping the sides and bottom. Always remember to replace the trap after you have finished cleaning it.