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08 8162 5544
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SA owned & operated since 1989
08 8162 5544
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Keep Your Grease Traps Functioning at Optimal Levels with Regular Cleaning

 
Septic tanks serve to break down various waste materials naturally over time. Yet, they cannot handle liquid waste that comprises large amounts of greases and oils. An excess amount of oils and greases can impair the functioning of the septic tank, distribution box or the leach field significantly. This is why septic tanks are perfect for households and domestic buildings. But commercial kitchens in commercial properties, schools and various hospitality services need a better wastewater filtering solution.
 

Why Does a Commercial Kitchen Require a Grease Trap?

 
Facilities with commercial kitchens often produce a substantial amount of liquid and solid wastes. A large portion of this waste would comprise greases and oils. This is why commercial facilities do not use septic tanks for handling their liquid waste. Instead, they rely extensively on grease traps. 
 
Grease traps overcome these issues easily. They capture these waste items before they enter the drainpipe. Over time, the wastewater will cool, while the grease will solidify. At this point, the wastewater will egress through a drainage pipe, leaving the grease inside the trap. With the passage of time, the trap will be full of solidified oils, greases and food scraps. Because it is full of these waste items, the trap might not function properly. To remedy this, the business owner will need to contact a grease trap pumping company for emptying the trap. 
 

What are the Most Common Varieties of Grease Traps Used These Days?

 
There are three main types of grease traps or interceptors. These comprise:
  • The Hydromechanical Unit: This unit relies on the principles of heat and gravity for separating the Fats, Oils and Greases (FOG) from the wastewater. Made of carbon steel or plastic, these units control the flow of water. This allows the hot water to cool. The baffle catches the FOG first. Thereafter, it stores the FOG inside the grease trap. However, these units require regular cleaning and emptying.
  • The Gravity Unit: This unit comprises two or more compartments, which use a larger amount of water to slow down the water inside the trap. The slowing of the water flow makes the FOG buoyant, thereby causing it to separate. These units are popular because they offer higher levels of efficiency as compared to the hydromechanical units. Estimates suggest that gravity units can collect as much as 90 percent of the FOG from the water. It is worth noting though, that these units are significantly larger than the hydromechanical units are.
  • The Automatic Grease Removal Unit (AGRU): AGRUs utilise mechanical and electrical components for skimming the FOG from the water. Despite being smaller, these units offer higher levels of efficiency. They can eliminate as much as 99 percent of FOG from the wastewater. They typically comprise internal collection devices for food particles, heating elements and external FOG collection units. AGRUs can be quite expensive as compared to the other two kinds of units. However, their higher levels of efficiency and lower dependencies on maintenance make them very popular. 
To work at optimum levels, grease traps require regular emptying and cleaning. Commercial kitchen owners would need to utilise the services of a grease trap pumping company for this. 
 

How Does a Grease Trap Work?

 
As mentioned earlier, grease traps prevent FOG from contaminating sewer lines. They retain high temperature spent FOG until it cools, thereby enabling the separation of the solidified FOG from the wastewater to occur. In addition, they also retain large particle solids, which typically settle at the bottom of the trap. When a grease trap service company comes to clean the trap, it will empty the trap of these large solids and the solidified FOG.
 
It is worth noting that grease traps have no direct connections with the drain of the sink that it is filtering. Instead, these traps feature a flow control valve. This valve keeps the water from reaching the grease trap too quickly before the trap itself. In addition, the trap will not have any filter that keeps the FOG and large particles out of the water. Moreover, the distance between the drains and the grease traps serves a specific purpose too. It enables the water to cool on its way to the trap.
 
As the wastewater cools, the large particle solids will sink to the bottom of the trap. Similarly, the FOG will float at the top of the trap. In short, the grease trap is a receptacle that keeps the FOG floating at the top of the water, by making the water fill the well. 
 
It is worth noting that a wall travels part of the way down the well on the input side. This ensures that the water needs to pass under this wall for exiting through the drain. Because the FOG floats, it cannot travel towards the drain. Similarly, because the larger particles are heavy, they sink to the bottom and cannot travel up to the drain on the other side of the wall. A grease trap cleaning company will remove both these waste items from the trap while emptying it.
 

Signal Waste and Recycling – The Leading Grease Trap Service Company in South Australia

 
When you need comprehensive industrial waste management services, you need the services of an expert. This is why it’s worth your while to opt for the services of the leading waste-to-resource and recycling company in South Australia. Since 1989, Signal Waste & Recycling has been providing a diverse and cost effective range of products and services that meet your requirements perfectly. From grease trap cleaning to recycling commercial waste, we do it all. We service private, commercial, industrial, local, state and federal government sectors throughout the Adelaide metropolitan area. To see the difference we could make to your business, call us at 08 8162 5544 today.