Grease Trap Guide for Philadelphia Restaurants

What a Grease Trap Does

A grease trap or grease interceptor sits between your kitchen fixtures and the sewer line. As wastewater flows through, it slows down and cools. Fats, oils and grease float to the top, food solids sink to the bottom, and the cleaner water in the middle flows out to the sewer.

Smaller grease traps are usually inside the kitchen, often under or near the sink, and are cleaned by hand. Larger grease interceptors are tanks, often in ground, that handle more flow and are pumped. Both stop working well once they fill up.

Philadelphia kitchens range from small takeout spots with an under sink trap to large restaurants and institutions with outdoor interceptors. Many operate in older buildings where the kitchen drains run through old cast iron and clay laterals, so grease that escapes the trap can cause trouble quickly.

How Often to Pump a Grease Trap

There is no single schedule that fits every kitchen. A coffee shop that rinses milk pitchers produces far less grease than a cheesesteak grill or a fryer heavy kitchen. A common guideline is to clean the trap before the combined grease and solids layers reach about 25 percent of its depth. For many restaurants that works out to every one to three months. Very busy kitchens or small traps may need monthly or even more frequent service.

The best way to set your interval is to measure. Have the trap checked on each visit and adjust the schedule based on how full it is.

Seasonal changes affect the schedule too. Holiday rushes, outdoor dining seasons and menu changes can all increase the grease load. If your volume jumps, check the trap sooner rather than waiting for the usual date.

Signs Your Grease Trap Is Full

Watch for these warning signs between scheduled pumpings.

If you notice more than one of these signs, do not wait for the next scheduled visit. An overdue trap can turn into a floor drain backup during a busy service, which is far more costly than an early cleaning.

• Sinks and floor drains in the kitchen drain slowly.
• A rancid or sewer smell near the dish area or the trap lid.
• Grease or water coming up around the trap or floor drains.
• Gurgling drains during heavy dish washing.
• Clogs in the line after the trap.
• It has been longer than your usual interval since the last cleaning.

FOG Basics for Philadelphia Kitchens

FOG stands for fats, oils and grease. When FOG goes down the drain, it cools and hardens inside pipes, both in your building and in the public sewer, where it contributes to blockages and overflows. The Philadelphia Water Department has rules for food service businesses on fats, oils and grease, which generally cover having proper grease control equipment, maintaining it and keeping records of service.

Requirements and inspection practices can change, so check PWD's current guidance for what applies to your business. A sound habit for any kitchen is to keep a log of every grease trap cleaning with the date, who did it and what was found.

Records also help when something goes wrong. If the sewer line backs up, a log showing regular grease trap cleaning helps a plumber rule out the trap and focus on the line itself, which saves time during an emergency.

Kitchen Habits That Protect Your Trap and Drains

Good daily habits stretch the time between pumpings and protect your lines.

Post a simple sign above the dish sink listing what can and cannot go down the drain. Clear reminders help busy staff make the right choice during a rush.

• Scrape plates and pans into the trash before washing.
• Collect used fryer oil and cooking grease in a separate container for recycling, never down the drain.
• Use strainers in sinks and floor drains to catch food solids.
• Avoid pouring very hot water or chemicals into the trap to push grease through; it just moves downstream and hardens.
• Train new staff on what goes in the sink and what goes in the trash.

Getting on a Grease Trap Schedule

Fullerton Plumbing provides grease trap cleaning, grease trap pumping and grease interceptor service for restaurants across Philadelphia and the suburbs. We measure the trap, clean it fully, check the baffles and lines, hydro jet slow kitchen lines when needed and leave a written service record. We schedule around your hours and give an upfront quote before work starts. Call (518) 776-7838 24/7.