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…]
Signs Your Grease Trap Needs Replacing
While we don’t perform installations here at Food Grease Trappers, we’ve inspected our fair share of grease traps that are far beyond recovery. Sometimes cleaning and maintenance isn’t enough to revive a grease trap that has fallen into disrepair. Fortunately, there are signs you can watch out for to prevent catastrophe – signs we here at Food Grease Trapper are well aware of. However, to protect your business, it’s best that you’re also aware of the signs your grease trap needs replacing. [Read more…]
Matching Grease Trap Maintenance to Your Restaurant’s Busy Season
You’ve got full lines, you’ve got full tables, you’ve got full waitlists and full kitchen orders: the last thing you want is a full grease trap. Between the risks of wastewater backing up (a combined sewer overflow ends your business fast) and the fines that can be leveled at you for having a non-functional grease trap, it’s important to have a plan. In this blog, we’re going to look at how to better track the risky seasons for your business, know what to look for, and how to schedule out grease trap maintenance to avoid any issues.
[Read more…]Does My Entertainment or Sporting Venue Need a Grease Trap?
Whether your business involves ball games, crowds, or both, chances are you’re going to have to buy more than just cracker jacks: you’re going to have to make sure that your food venues that produce wastewater meet the requirements of your municipality and county. For most places in the US (and almost everywhere in New England), this means having grease traps installed. This blog is designed to go over the requirements of grease traps for entertainment or sport venues where food vendors operate under special circumstances.
[Read more…]Is Your Grease Trap Ready for Your Restaurant’s Peak Season?
When your restaurant is busy, it’s easy to forget details like maintenance, especially something as out-of-sight, out-of-mind as a grease trap hidden in a backroom or a grease interceptor beneath the pavement out back. However, it’s at these peak seasons for your restaurant that your grease trap is at most risk – when it’s filling faster and not being monitored. Failure to keep this equipment ready for your busiest time can cause serious business-stopping issues from sewer overflow to health and safety violations. Time to get ready. [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…]
Grease Traps in the News: February Edition
While grease traps aren’t usually news worthy in themselves, the problems they can cause when not maintained or installed improperly (or when not installed at all) are. Below are three stories about grease traps in the news, and why it’s so important for restaurants to keep them up to spec. [Read more…]
How Often Should My Grease Trap Be Cleaned?
Does the question “how often should by grease trap be cleaned?” remind you of the question “did I leave the stove on?” It probably should. When we get this question, the answer usually is “a while ago.” Regardless if you have an existing trap or are planning an installation, this is a good question to get answered. We’re going to give you a few pointers on what are good rules of thumb for a full grease trap, as well as dangerous (and costly) situations to avoid, including if your current cleaning cycle means you need a new grease trap. [Read more…]
Grease Trap 101: Grease Trap Maintenance
This trap was WAY overdue for service. The generally accepted rule is that a trap must be emptied when the grease level reaches 1/4 of the traps depth. This trap was 100% grease, which renders it useless allowing all grease, fats and oils to escape into the facility pipes as well as the sewer system or municipality system.
Over the last few years, every community has updated their Fats Oils Grease and Solids (or FOGS) policies as they relate to Food Service Facilities. The State Plumbing Code has always required a grease trap be attached to all three bay pot and pan sinks, but many Municipalities now require them on all food service fixtures as well as dishwashers OR that restaurants must have an exterior 1500-gallon grease interceptor to accept all kitchen waste. Surprisingly, the State Plumbing Code doesn’t mention anything about regular Grease Trap maintenance! It’s amazing the number of foodservice folks who assume the grease trap magically dissolves the collected FOGS and there is no need to ever open it! [Read more…]
