Signs Your Grease Trap Needs Cleaning

A grease interceptor rarely fails without warning. It gives you three or four signals first, usually over a couple of weeks, and they are easy to write off as the building being old.

Warning signs, roughly in order of appearance

• Drains emptying more slowly than usual, especially the dishpit
• Gurgling from floor drains when a sink empties
• A rancid or sour odour near the trap, floor drains or loading area
• Grease visible at the outlet side of the unit or at the lid
• Standing water in a floor drain that used to clear
• Flies or pests concentrating around the access point
• No service record in the last several months

What happens if you wait

Once accumulation reaches the outlet, grease begins carrying through to the sewer line, where it hardens. At that stage you are not dealing with a trap that needs pumping — you are dealing with a blocked line, a kitchen that cannot run, and a clean-up.

What happens during a professional cleaning

• Access is opened safely and the work area is set up
• Grease cap, liquid level and solids depth are measured before anything is removed
• The full contents are vacuumed out — grease, water and settled solids
• Interior walls, baffles and the inlet and outlet tees are cleaned
• Baffles, tees and lids are inspected and anything failing is noted
• The unit is refilled with clean water where appropriate and lids are reinstated
• You receive a service record with measurements, notes and a recommended interval

If it is already overflowing

Stop running water into the affected drains, keep staff clear of the wet area, ventilate the space, and call us. Volume removal is the immediate fix; after that it is worth finding out whether the cause was a missed interval or a blocked outlet.