If you run a business that discharges large quantities of grease into the drains, you are required to have a grease trap. But what does this mean, and what should you do with it? We provide the answers to everything you need to know about grease traps.
Many people work in businesses that are subject to the requirement to have a grease trap connected to their drainage system. Commercial kitchens in hospitals, canteens, restaurants and even smaller cafés and catering businesses are examples of establishments that are required to have a grease trap.
WHY FAT SEPARATORS ARE SO IMPORTANT
Did you know that grease is classified as hazardous waste? There are good reasons for this, and it is by no means insignificant that a number of procedures governing the handling of grease are required. For example, a grease trap is an important measure to prevent excessive amounts of grease from entering the drainage system, and businesses that discharge large quantities of grease into the drainage system as part of their operations – such as those handling or producing hot food – are therefore required to have a grease trap.
Fat that ends up in the wrong place often causes sewers and drainpipes to become blocked, creating unpleasant problems for you and everyone else connected to the same sewer network. Not only is it unpleasant, but it’s usually quite expensive to sort out once things have gone wrong.
When you pour fat straight down the drain, it will usually flow freely until it reaches a point further down the pipework, where the temperatures are lower and the fat solidifies. There, it builds up as an increasingly thick layer on the inside of the pipe walls and significantly reduces the flow capacity – until the drain becomes blocked. Then you’ve got a problem.
HOW THE GREASE TRAP WORKS
The grease trap works in such a way that when you pour fatty cooking residues down the sink, they pass through the grease trap, which causes the fat and water to separate. Fat is lighter than water and will therefore float to the top, with the water at the bottom. The water will therefore flow on into the drain, whilst the grease remains in the separator until a waste collection service arrives to collect it.
Photo: Odin Maskin
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF
As the business owner, you are responsible for ensuring that the grease trap functions correctly. It is important that the grease trap maintains the correct temperature. The ideal temperature for separating water and grease in the machine is 41 degrees at the inlet to the grease trap and 30 degrees in the outlet pipes.
There are also certain items that must under no circumstances be disposed of in the grease trap. Deep-frying oil solidifies more quickly than ordinary oil and must therefore be disposed of in other ways, as must waste water from sanitary facilities, dishwashers, oil-contaminated waste water, cooling water and surface water.
HOW TO GO ABOUT GETTING A GREASE TRAP
The installation of a grease trap must be documented, and this must be carried out by authorised professionals. It’s a good idea to have thought through where you can install the grease trap. The location must be dry and free from the risk of freezing, and it must be easily accessible for regular emptying and maintenance.
Contact a company that offers grease trap emptying services and arrange a contract for emptying and maintenance. VITEK has extensive experience in emptying and managing grease traps and can guide you through the process.
THE RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW
After a period of disposing of fatty waste, it will naturally become necessary to empty the grease trap of grease. The rules on this vary from council to council.
The simplest thing to do is therefore to contact your local authority to get a full overview of the rules that apply to you. It is also the local authority that must hold the documentation relating to the installation of the grease trap, and they will then register it before you can start using it.
VITEK provides services for the emptying of grease traps in Bergen and the surrounding area (Hordaland).
Do you have any further questions, or do you need to book an appointment to have your grease trap emptied? Please get in touch with us for a no-obligation chat and a competitive quote.