Grease interceptors and commercial kitchen drains

What fails in a restaurant drain system

The grease interceptor is meant to cool wastewater so fats float and stay behind. It only works when it is pumped on schedule and its baffles are intact. Skip either and the fat escapes downstream, then hardens in the cooler stretches of pipe.

• Cracked or missing inlet and outlet baffles, so fats pass through.
• A full trap that has not been pumped since the last change of operator.
• Kitchen branch lines coated so thickly that a cable just punches a small hole.
• Floor sinks under dishwashers and steam tables backing up onto the tile.
• Pre-rinse spray valves and faucets leaking at the swivel.

Signs your kitchen needs a plumber today

• Water pooling around a floor sink during dish rush.
• A sour smell from the trap lid or a floor drain.
• The three-compartment sink drains one bay at a time.
• Grease visible at the downstream cleanout.

How we handle a grease job

1. Open and measure. We lift the interceptor lid and check the grease and solids depth against its capacity.
2. Clear the line. Kitchen branches get hydro jetting with a nozzle that scours the full pipe wall.
3. Camera the run. We push a camera to confirm the pipe is clean and check for sags where fat collects.
4. Repair the hardware. Baffles, gaskets, inlet tees and floor sink traps are replaced as needed.
5. Hand over a note. Findings, what we cleared and a suggested pumping interval for your volume.

Keeping it flowing between visits

• Plates get scraped into the bin, not the dish pit.
• Put a basket strainer in each floor and prep sink.
• Write down each pump-out with the date and the hauler.
• Never pour fryer oil down any drain; it goes to the rendering bin.