But it’s not only the orders that overwhelm those who work in commercial kitchens. There are many cases when commercial grease trap flooding takes over. It’s a very chaotic scenario that can be seen as a common dilemma that has to be dealt with immediately. As much as possible, commercial grease trap flooding should be prevented. The consequences have already been witnessed and experienced and they weren’t as easily accepted. There have been commercial grease trap flooding accidents that have resulted to the electrocution of some kitchen staff, which could have been prevented if proper maintenance and monitoring were performed regularly. It’s difficult to accept that commercial kitchens are the major causes of FOG (fats, oils, grease) overflow in the US. The food industry is one of the foundations of American tourism and business. So many people flock to the country each year and food makes them enjoy their stay.
Every commercial kitchen is obliged to follow the grease ordinance. This is the government’s way of resolving the FOG crisis. The owners of these kitchens should install grease traps in their operations area. There should be legal permits issued to the traps. The maintenance should also be done regularly. The FOG collected after a pump out should be collected and disposed of by a licensed hauler. It is tedious to consider all the regulations but commercial kitchen owners should comply if they want to operate smoothly.
FOG overflow is the problem that sets in when the grease interceptors or grease traps are neglected. There are so many reasons as to why the traps are not well-maintained but it should be set right. During a FOG overflow, the excess FOG spills into the untreated wastewater. When the FOG laced effluent flows into the pipes, the FOG solidifies and sticks to the inner walls of the sewer lines. The FOG accumulates in the pipes and blocks the flow of the effluent towards the wastewater treatment system. The effluent backs up into the commercial kitchen and brings forth commercial grease trap flooding.
No matter how busy the commercial kitchen is, there should be people assigned with the task of inspecting and monitoring the grease traps. With regular monitoring, the pump out schedule could be established. By standard, the grease traps are pumped out at least four times in a year. But the owners of these food establishments have their grease traps pumped out every week just to stay away from lawsuits and large fines.
Proper disposal of grease and solid waste materials should be performed by those working in the kitchen. Sealable containers should be used in this endeavor. Drains should be fitted with strainers or meshes to catch grease and food particles. Through filtering the wash water, the amount of FOG and solid wastes that enter the grease trap is left at a very low minimum.
The safest additive to use on commercial grease traps is the bacteria-based one. Bacteria are living, breathing, eating organisms that eliminate the FOG in the grease traps and convert them into less harmful forms. They also get rid of the bad odors while keeping the environment safe from contamination. It is a wise and practical investment for the commercial kitchen owner to use bacteria. They will even save more on pumping out fees because of these efficient helpers.