It’s no secret there are state laws that address the need for grease traps, but what these laws specifically require from your business is less known. Since grease traps play such an integral role in preserving our sewer systems and environment, Massachusetts relies on more than one board or authority to determine the laws. To avoid violating these laws, let’s take a look at your responsibilities when it comes to Massachusetts codes and regulations regarding grease traps. [Read more…]
COVID-19’s Effect on Massachusetts Bars, Breweries, and Their Grease Traps
COVID-19 has had an unforeseeable impact on the grease traps of bars and breweries in Massachusetts. With over two hundred breweries and several hundred more bars in Massachusetts being forced to rethink the way they perform business, many weren’t prepared for the impact it would have on their business’s grease trap or lack thereof. With the state’s new regulations aimed at curtailing the spread of the virus, it’s time we take a look at COVID-19’s effect on Massachusetts bars, breweries, and their grease traps. [Read more…]
Ward Off Pests by Regularly Maintaining Your Grease Trap
Thoroughly sanitizing your kitchen regularly is a good way of preventing food-borne illness and pest infestation. However, sometimes surface sanitation only is not enough to defend against pests; sometimes, it requires the maintenance and cleaning of the equipment working behind-the-scenes: namely, your food grease trap. Knowing the importance of warding off pests by regularly maintaining your grease trap is essential when it comes to operating a safe and successful kitchen. [Read more…]
Does My Business Need a Grease Trap?
Grease traps serve a critical role in your county’s infrastructure, by removing grease and other oils from your sinks and drains before it hits the public sewer systems and ultimately the wastewater treatment plants. Because of this, businesses and facilities that produce this kind of grease waste need to be regulated, and part of that is mandated grease traps. If you’re not sure if your business meets these requirements, review the blog below as the first step to getting some answers. [Read more…]
Origins: The One-Quarter Rule for Grease Traps
A handy graph.
We’ve seen full grease traps, usually after they start to backflow into kitchens and parking lots. These grease traps and interceptors haven’t seen maintenance or pumping for months when we’re called in for an emergency consultation. Once we are done, we try and get these clients on a regular schedule, depending on how much FOGS (Fats, Oils, Grease, and Solids) they produce, their best practices, and what capacity they have. Read more about that in our blog, How Often Should My Grease Trap Be Cleaned? for some rules of thumb. [Read more…]
Restaurant Inspections: Grease Trap Requirements
Your restaurant will be inspected by multiple people for a multitude of reasons: county health inspectors monitoring health and safety standards, as well as private commercial inspectors when it comes to partnerships or sale of your restaurant. Whether the goal is an audit and business valuation or staying up-to-date on your county’s health code, it’s important to understand every part of your restaurant and kitchen, especially your grease interceptor or grease trap requirements. [Read more…]
Restaurant Kitchen: Oil and Grease Hazards
Your kitchen is the beating heart of your restaurant, from a burger bar to a five star. From pan searing to deep frying, oil and grease are a part of your kitchen. However, when improperly handled or stored, they can become a hazard to both your employees and the health of your kitchen. This article looks at three of the most common oil and grease hazards that can happen in the kitchen of a restaurant, and the best ways of cleaning them up as well as avoiding them in the first place. [Read more…]
Grease Trap vs Grease Interceptor: Differences
The Endura Poly Trap. A terrific affordable trap suitable for many, BUT NOT ALL, applications.
Whether you’re starting a new restaurant, overhauling an old, or just replacing your machinery, one thing is certain: you need a grease trap or grease interceptor for your business. This is more than just common sense on the maintenance of your pipes: it’s required by your local laws. As you look into your waste grease solutions – either shopping around online, browsing articles, or talking to specialist – you’ve probably heard both the terms of “grease trap” and “grease interceptor”. So what’s the difference? [Read more…]
The Solids in Fat, Oil, Grease and Solids
Here at Food Grease Trappers, we’re all about keeping Fats, Oils, and Grease out of the sewers and storm drains. After all, the laws preventing these are there for good reason, as if those substances collectively known as F.O.G. make it into the sewer, they clog pipes and lead to overflows in your restaurant, the local water and sewer system, and puts unnecessary strain on and damage to treatment plants. But it’s not the only culprit: F.O.G. is actually F.O.G.S. with the last standing for “solids” and this last category exacerbates all the others, providing them with object to congeal around, which leads to the formation of Fatbergs. [Read more…]
How Do Grease Interceptors Work?
Example of a Passive Grease Trap with baffled compartments.
Until you work in the food service industry, you’ll probably never hear about them. But the owners, operators, and managers of this industry understand the importance of grease interceptors (also known as grease traps) in the workplace. While policy is what requires the installation of these traps in the food service industry, the role and importance of the grease interceptor is one not only for the community, but also making sure the business doesn’t suffer from a sewer overflow. [Read more…]
