In Need of a Grease Trap Cleaning? Have Your Staff Follow These Tips to Control FOG

It is no secret that a regular grease trap cleaning is critical to the health of your restaurant or food processing facility. However, what few people know is there are ways to help control the fats, oils, and grease that accumulates in your fryer to maintain a healthy, optimally performing grease trap between cleanings.

We have gathered the following tips and insight over our 100 years of servicing grease traps and performing grease trap cleaning services to restaurants and food processing facilities around the Southeast.

What is FOG and When is It a Problem?

“FOG” refers to the fats, oils and grease that accumulate in the used cooking oil from the fryer. These materials also come from the food that we eat, so when the plates are washed the FOG can find itself traveling through the inner piping of your facility. FOG should never go down the pipes. When the fats, oils and grease material is washed down the drain and makes its way into the pipes, it will then cool and harden within the pipes themselves, causing a massive blockage.

Blocked pipes are not only bad for the rest of the facility’s drainage, but they can also cause overflow in your grease trap. In this instance, the used cooking oil or “yellow grease” will pour out and overflow, causing a very messy – and expensive – disaster. Being diligent in your used cooking oil disposal practices is the best way to protect your facility from a problem in between grease trap cleanings.

Throw Away All Food from Plates

In addition to accumulating in the fryer, these FOG materials can also come from plates of food. Our first tip is to be sure all staff are trained to dispose of leftover food and food materials in the garbage or other receptacle, rather than rinsing it down the drain. Often your grease trap cleaning partner will provide your facility with a container for this specific purpose.

Clean Dry

Similar to the above tip, cleaning dishes by first using a dry or scraping method helps cut down on the food needed to be cleaned by the washer. In addition to the plates, wiping down work areas and stations frequently will prevent the accumulation of FOG materials where they shouldn’t be. This will also help when completing side work so food particles and other FOG materials aren’t incidentally tossed down the sink on impulse.

Skim and Change Your Fryer Oil

One of the most important things to do to maintain a healthy grease trap in between your regular grease trap cleaning is to regularly skim and change out your fryer oil. The grease should be skimmed daily to keep fryers functioning optimally. There are testing kits available as well to help determine when it’s time to change your fryer oil.

Call Hulsey Environmental (a Blue Flow Company) for a Proper Grease Trap Cleaning

At Hulsey Environmental (a Blue Flow Company), we have obtianed 100 years of experience in grease trap cleaning services and serve hundreds of restaurants and food processing facilities in the southeast. Our technicians perform the best work in the business to help maintain grease traps and contribute to a healthier environment for future generations.

If your facility is already participating in the above best practices in grease trap maintenance and is still facing issues pertaining to your grease trap, call the professionals at Hulsey Environmental (a Blue Flow Company) 770-746-8520 or fill out our online contact form to learn more about our grease trap cleaning services.