You should never pour bleach or other chemicals into your grease trap. Not only does this cleaning solution not help, but it can also be harmful to the grease trap and the environment. Bleach, emulsifiers and other chemical products can destroy natural bacteria that eats fats, oils, and grease (FOG) in the grease trap and turn them into water and carbon dioxide.

If your business has a commercial grease trap, you likely know about the strict FOG regulations Fulton County and other Georgia counties and cities enforce.



Luckily, maintaining your commercial grease trap doesn’t have to be a dreadful DIY task. Hiring a professional company like Southern Green Industries to clean your grease traps ensures your kitchen operations can run efficiently, clog free and in compliance with your local regulator.

How Does a Grease Trap Work?

The purpose of a grease trap is to intercept and hold FOG before they make their way into the general wastewater system. A grease trap accomplishes this by being placed between drains of a commercial kitchens and the sewer system.

Although grease traps come in many different designs and sizes, they generally follow the same operational pattern: water flows into a tank where FOG is captured. FOG-free water is allowed to continue on to the sewer system while the solids, fats, oils and grease are trapped in the tank.

Grease traps also include access ports so grease and solids can be removed from the tank on a regular basis by a properly equipped and trained grease trap cleaning company.

Why Commercial Kitchens Need Grease Traps

In general, grease traps are meant to reduce the amount of FOG entering the sewer system. When food is prepared and cooked in a commercial kitchen, plenty of food waste goes down the drain, including FOG. Septic tanks and water treatment facilities aren’t able to handle such large volumes of fats and greases.

A commercial grease trap separates fats and oils from wastewater and prevents them from going down the sewer. Without grease traps, FOG could easily clog and damage sewer lines and cause polluted wastewater to back up into your business.

It’s important to have your grease traps professionally cleaned periodically to prevent expensive backups and health code violations.

Grease Trap Dos and Don’ts

Do:

• Schedule regular grease trap cleanings
• Make sure your grease trap is properly sized for your food establishment
• Maintain a cleaning log to stay in compliance with local regulations
• Train your employees to remove as much food waste as possible from pots and dishes before washing
• Recycle cooking oil instead of pouring it down the drain

Don’t:

• Pour bleach and other chemicals down the drain as they will destroy beneficial bacteria and harm the environment
• Pour hot water into a sink as it liquifies FOG and forces it down sewer pipes
• Connect your garbage disposal to a grease trap
• Connect dishwashers to the trap
• Treat your grease trap with enzymes or biological agents as they may cause clogs, backups and costly repairs

How to Keep Your Commercial Grease Trap Working Effectively

Whether you have a small indoor, under-sink grease trap or a multi-tank outdoor trap, it should be regularly cleaned and drained. Allowing your grease trap to overflow can have devastating consequences on your Atlanta business, such as costly repairs and days-long shutdowns.

At Southern Green Industries, we’ll help you maintain your grease trap by providing superior service at an affordable price.

Why Choose Southern Green Industries in Atlanta

When you choose Southern Green Industries for your Atlanta business, you can expect:

• Flexible appointment times to accommodate your busy schedule and prevent operational disruptions
• Customer-friendly and highly trained staff
• Competitive prices, especially for clients who make use of oil recycling credits
• 100 percent regulatory compliance guarantee
• No-contract and one-off cleaning services are available (in addition to long-term worry-free grease trap cleaning contracts)
• Zero-landfill cooking oil recycling
• Free oil collection containers ranging in size from 5 to 500 gallons for clients who use our waste oil recycling
• Printed and electronic manifests for you and your regulator
• To get a free grease trap cleaning quote or to schedule an appointment, call (404) 419-6887 or contact us online.