If you are a restaurant manager, you have to oversee many things in the business. This is why it is important to delegate all the jobs to enhance the smooth running of the business. But it is not every job that you can delegate to the employees. Some, such as emptying the FOG tank, should be handled by professionals.
It is essential to hire a grease trap cleaning service, for the following benefits:
- They have the required equipment for the job
- They will make recommendations such as replacing the lid, gasket, or any other components
- They will check the working parts such as the baffles
- They will clean in the inlet and outlet pipes
- They ensure the entire grease trap is in good working order
The grease trap installation is a legal requirement for businesses that generate used cooking oil. Whatever oil find its way into the sink, it will be trapped in the grease tank.
If you are letting grease go out to the sewerage system, you could be fined, and in extreme cases, your business could face closure. Installing the tank is just the beginning. You have to keep a regular cleaning schedule.
Here is why it is vital to clean it:
1. It keeps your business compliant
Installing the grease tank is just part of what you need to do to keep your food business compliant with the law.
The municipal authorities do not want to have to send teams to unclog pipes, or clean streets because of sewage backing up. If this happens and the problem is traced to your place, you will pay hefty fines and your business might even be closed. Even if you are ordered to close for just a few days, the loss of business could be astronomical.
Cleaning the grease tank on a regular basis is recommended. It can enhance the safety of your business, and the tank itself.
During the cleaning, any anomalies in the tank will be revealed, and you can take care of these problems before they escalate.
2. It keeps the grease tank healthy for long
The grease tank is usually made of steel. With time, this can start wearing away, especially because the liquids coming in have food materials, which turn acidic soon after. This starts to eat at the walls. If it is not maintained well, it can sustain serious wear and tear, and even become perforated.
Another vulnerable part of the grease interceptor is the lid. It has a rubber gasket that seals the odors inside the tank. If the gasket becomes worn out, gases will start to escape from the trap. The company offering the cleaning service is going to look at the condition of the gasket and the entire lid. If something needs replacing, they will do it.
Other things that they look at include the baffles inside the tank. These prevent the liquids from swirling around too much, which could cause frothing. The baffles need to be strong and sturdy all the time.
The outlet and inlet pipes should be clear of any blockage all the time. The cleaners are going to clear the pipes. This ensures proper inflow and outflow of water from the tank, so only the solid grease remains for vacuuming.
3. It makes your business compliant
All restaurants are required by the law to install grease traps. They are also required to keep the grease trap clean. Therefore, it is important to maintain a regular cleaning schedule and the frequency depends on the size of the grease tank.
Big tanks can be cleaned once every three months, but it is best to contract a FOG trap company so that they can create a schedule depending on how busy your business is.
If you have small, in-house interceptors installed under the kitchen sink, one of the kitchen staff can handle the emptying and the cleaning. However, this should be done during the off-peak hours when there is no food, and no customers.
The local health authorities will perform grease trap inspections, to ensure that none of the effluent is finding its way to the sewerage system. You do not want them to catch you flatfooted because they could order you to close down your business until you comply.
4. Proper waste collection
Imagine having to remove all the solid grease from the FOG interceptor on your own. It is stinky and laden with bacteria. Where would you dispose of the same?
However, when you hire a grease trap service for the cleaning and maintenance of the tank, you don’t have to worry about this. They will vacuum the grease out, pack it in the right bags and take it with them for proper disposal.
Because of the nature of this kind of waste, it can breed bacteria fast. It can also attract rodents, and this would not be good for your food business. Besides, the nasty odor would be really unwelcoming for your guests.
5. To avoid business disruptions
When the grease trap is cleaned out in good time, your business runs without disruptions. There will not be many visits from the local health authorities, and you will never have to close your business.
When the FOG tank is not cleaned in good time, the grease can even start backing up. It can disrupt your kitchen plumbing system too, and this could be costly in the future.
If there are health concerns in the kitchen, you could lose a lot of business that way. It will be hard to regain your clientele once they lose their confidence in your restaurant.
6. Cleaning the trap regularly is more economical
If you maintain a regular trap cleaning schedule, you are going to pay less money. If you neglect cleaning it for too long, you will pay more money per cleaning session.
Usually, the cleaning companies charge by the hour. If there is a lot of old, sticky grease, it will take longer to clean the grease trap. The old grease also gets more acidic and there is a higher risk of damaging the walls.
To save money, clean the FOG tank more frequently so that the job becomes easier.
Conclusion
Frequent grease trap cleaning is essential as it prevents loss of business, and it keeps you compliant with the authorities.
In line with keeping the grease trap clean and well maintained, you should also sensitize your kitchen staff on the need to keep the used oils out of the sink.
If they pour hot oil down the sink, it will cool down and solidify when it comes into contact with the cold pipes. This creates a recipe for a plumbing disaster in the future.
You can hire the right grease trap cleaning company like Grease Collection, that can offer regular services is crucial to restaurant business.
