What is a grease trap?

 

Grease traps have been around for over a century and are also known as grease interceptors, converters, catchers, grease recovery, management devices, and FOG traps.

 

They can be found in a variety of settings.

Restaurants

Cafes \ Takeaways

Pubs, bars, and inns are all types of establishments that serve alcohol.

Hotels

Colleges and universities

Bakeries

 

Why are grease traps needed?

 

Every year, the UK's sewer system receives more than half a million tonnes of grease and fat.

Grease adheres to pipe walls, causing blockages, and fats and oils can damage waste water treatment equipment, resulting in millions of dollars in annual costs.

If allowed to enter a natural water course, FOG can cause serious environmental damage.

Legislation requiring food service operators to use proper FOG management is being strictly enforced.

If FOG waste is not properly managed, polluters may face significant fines.

FOG is a major issue in commercial kitchens, as it causes sewage to build up in pipes, necessitating costly repairs and equipment.

 

How do they work?

 

Grease traps work because animal fats and vegetable oils have a lower density than water, so they don't mix with it.

Fats and oils float on the surface of the water.

The flow rate of wastewater entering a grease trap is reduced to allow the wastewater to cool and separate into three layers.

The grease is trapped using a baffle system, which is why it rises to the top.

When solids settle at the bottom of a tank, they separate clear water from solids under an outlet baffle.

Solid debris is collected by strainers in grease traps, which reduces the amount of debris that settles at the bottom of the trap.

If they are allowed to accumulate for a long time, they will begin to escape through the outlet, and in some cases, they will back up through the inlet.

For this reason, the trap must be pumped out on a regular basis.

Depending on the amount of wastewater produced, the grease trap is usually cleaned every two to four weeks.

The addition of a biological grease treatment fluid can extend the time period by up to 8 weeks.

Non-pathogenic bacteria, nutrients, and enzymes are combined in the solution to break down FOG and improve grease trap performance.

Dosing is a common term for this procedure. Dosing can also be used at the outlet stage to prevent FOG build-up in internal pipes, click here to view more on Grease trap supplier.

 

Grease traps that are automatically activated

 

The principles of an automatic grease trap are the same as a traditional passive trap, but it will skim out the FOG on a predetermined schedule.

The FOG that has been skimmed is placed in a collector bin for easy removal and recycling.

When the programmed schedule is based on how much FOG is produced, operators don't have to check grease levels or measure FOG production.

They're similar to passive systems in that they come in a variety of sizes to meet a variety of needs.

They are more efficient and have lower operating and maintenance costs than those who made a larger initial investment.

 

A Grease Trap should be installed in the following situations.

 

You must have a grease trap installed if you are a larger or commercial business.

Imagine receiving a call or a visit from your local government informing you that your business has blocked the main drain supply and that you must pay for repairs.

 

This could be problematic for your company, click here to learn more about Grease management.