It is common to hear about grease traps at commercial establishments, such as restaurants, pubs, and cafeterias. Heavy duty grease traps are essential in these places because fats, oils, and grease (FOG) build up in large quantities. These eateries also require routine grease trap maintenance to ensure that waste water does not back up and cause a sewage over flow.
But in a residential home, grease trap maintenance is just as important. In a house, grease traps are often located under the kitchen sink, and are typically smaller units that only process about 50 gallons of water per minute, or less. This plumbing device is usually located near the water flow valve. The waste water gets cooled as it flows from the drain to the trap, causing FOG to rise to the top of the waste water, trapping food debris at the bottom. Since these units are much smaller than ones in a commercial kitchen, they also have a tendency to overload faster.
The first indication that your grease trap needs cleaning would be a foul odor coming from the sink. The smell can spread and fill your entire kitchen, and even your home. If you have a septic tank, you will start to smell the same unpleasant odor when you step outside your house, as the sewage could be seeping into your grass. In this case, you will need to have your septic tank pumped.
You could clean out the trap on your own, but it is not necessarily the best smell or sight, so it might be better to hire a residential plumber to clear the FOG from your grease trap. Grease trap cleaning services utilize different chemicals that break down FOG, and they will also open the grease trap to pull out all the excess debris from the bottom and sides of the trap. Once the FOG and food bits are cleared from the grease trap, it will function normally.
So be sure to schedule routine maintenance on your grease trap if you want to avoid clogged sewer lines, an overflowing septic tank, and a revolting smell from taking over your house. It might cost you close to $100 dollars to get your septic tank pumped and clean out your grease trap, but it will worth it. Find out more here.