Grease Trap Cleaning in Reading, PA
Commercial kitchens send fats, oils and grease down the drain in volume, and a grease trap is what keeps that grease out of the sewer line. When the trap fills up, it stops working, the kitchen drains slow, and the lines past it clog. We pump the trap and jet the connected lines so your kitchen keeps running.
A Grease Trap Only Works While There's Room in It
A grease interceptor works by slowing the wastewater from the kitchen enough that grease, which is lighter than water, floats to the top and solids sink to the bottom. The cleaner water in the middle flows on out to the sewer. That works until the grease and solids layer gets too deep. Then the grease has nowhere to separate, and it starts passing straight through the trap and into the line beyond it, where it cools, hardens, and clogs.
Cleaning the trap means pumping out the accumulated grease and solids so the interceptor can do its job again. Jetting the connected lines means clearing the grease that has already hardened in the pipe past the trap. Both together are what keeps a commercial kitchen draining, and neither one alone is the full answer.
Signs the Trap Is Overdue
- Kitchen drains running slow across the board
- Foul odors from the trap or the floor sinks
- Backups in the floor sinks or cook line drains
- A trap full of hardened, deep grease
- Grease passing through into the line past the trap
- It has been longer than usual since the last cleaning
How a Grease Trap Does Its Job
Wastewater from sinks, floor drains, and the cook line enters the interceptor. Inside, the flow slows. Grease, being lighter than water, rises and collects as a layer on top. Solids like food scraps settle to the bottom. The water in between, cleaner than what came in, exits through an outlet near the middle of the trap and continues to the sewer line.
As long as there is room for the grease layer to sit on top and the solids layer to settle below, the trap separates the grease from the water. When the combined grease and solids layer gets too deep, the trap stops separating and grease starts going through. That is the point at which cleaning is overdue.
Pumping and Jetting, In Order
- 1
We assess the trap
We check how full the trap is and the condition of the connected lines before we begin.
- 2
We pump the trap
We pump out the accumulated grease and solids so the interceptor has room to separate again.
- 3
We jet the connected lines
We hydro jet the waste lines past the trap to clear grease that has hardened in the pipe walls.
- 4
We test the flow
We run water through the kitchen lines to confirm the drains are flowing freely again.
The 25 Percent Rule of Thumb
A common rule of thumb in the industry is to clean a grease trap before fats, oils, grease and solids fill about 25 percent of its depth. Past that point, the trap can no longer separate grease effectively and the connected line is at risk of clogging. How fast you reach that point depends on your kitchen's volume, and local requirements vary, so businesses should check with their municipality or sewer authority for any specific rules that apply to their operation. We do not install or repair grease traps, we clean them and jet the lines connected to them.
What We Do
- Pump out accumulated grease and solids
- Hydro jet the connected waste lines
- Clear clogs downstream of the trap
- Help you judge when cleaning is due
What We Don't Do
- Install grease traps
- Repair or replace damaged interceptors
- Size traps for a new or remodeled kitchen
- Set your municipality's compliance schedule
When Cleaning Won't Solve It
If your kitchen drains clog again right after the trap is cleaned and the lines are jetted, the trap may be undersized for your volume, or a connected line may be damaged or misgraded. Cleaning and jetting will not fix an undersized or damaged trap. We will tell you honestly when the problem is the cleaning schedule, the trap itself, or the line, so you are not paying us to clear the same clog every few weeks.
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Grease Trap Questions
How does a grease trap actually work?
A grease interceptor slows wastewater from the kitchen so that fats, oils and grease float to the top and solids settle to the bottom, while the cleaner water in the middle flows out to the sewer line. Over time the grease and solids layer builds up until the trap can no longer separate anything, and that is when it needs to be cleaned out.
How do I know the grease trap is overdue?
Slow kitchen drains, foul odors from the trap or the line, backups in the floor sinks, and a trap that is full of hardened grease are all signs it is overdue. If the grease layer is deep, the trap has stopped doing its job and the line past it is at risk.
How often should a grease trap be cleaned?
A common rule of thumb is to clean a trap before fats, oils, grease and solids fill about 25 percent of its depth. How fast you reach that point depends on your volume. We can help you judge it, and local requirements vary, so check with your municipality or sewer authority for any rules that apply.
Do you jet the lines connected to the trap?
Yes. We pump the trap and we hydro jet the connected waste lines to clear grease that has hardened along the pipe walls. Pumping the trap alone does not clear the buildup downstream of it.
Do you install or repair grease traps?
No. We clean, pump and jet the lines connected to grease traps. If a trap is undersized, damaged, or needs to be installed or replaced, that is a different service and we will tell you so.
Kitchen Lines Slowing Down?
We'll pump the trap and jet the lines. Call Drainmasters inc.
Call (610) 914-2564Areas we serve: Reading and Berks County. Outside our main area we serve the rest of Berks County with a trip charge.