How To Clean Your Home’s Grease Trap

Grease traps/receptors require regular cleaning. If they aren’t maintained, they won’t be as efficient when it comes to trapping fatty oils, sludge, and greases from entering the sanitary sewer or septic tank.

A clean grease trap will not only be crucial in preventing sewer problems but also help keep the environment clean.

Here Are Some Grease Trap Cleaning Tools:

1. Rubber Gloves

2. A Gas Mask

3. Wooden Dowel Or Measuring Stick

4. Bucket And Scoop

5. Tape Measure

6. Pry Bar, Scraper, And Crowbar

7. Coveralls

8. Shop Vacuum

Here’s A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Clean Your Home’s Grease Trap:

1. Remove The Cover From The Grease Trap

Be gentle. Grease traps have delicate parts. For example, some gaskets are located just below the cover. Damaging them will mean less money left in your pockets.

A pry bar or a wrench works great.

2. Examine The Grease Trap

Once you have removed the cover, the examination is necessary. Grease trap cleaning involves detaching and attaching parts. The inspection will help you during the reinstallation. For better results, it’s recommended you make a drawing of the trap’s interior.

3. Measure The Debris

It’s important to gauge how much debris is in the grease trap. Insert a measuring stick or a wooden dowel into the grease trap. Guide the dowel or stick to the bottom of the trap. Be gentle.

Once you have the reading, decide on how much debris is in the trap. The result should be in inches. A tape measure is recommended.

Next, record the results in fatty oils and grease and pump out a report. The Environmental Protection Agency issues the statement.

4. Get Rid Of Any Stagnant Water From The Tank

You don’t have to dispose of the water that you remove from the tank. You could store it in a larger bucket, and then pour it back after waste collection.

5. Remove The Waste

Use a small bucket to remove the grease trap’s waste. Scoop out the solid waste using a small bucket. You can use a trash bag to place the waste. Preferably, the container should be heavy-duty plastic.

6. Scrape All The Surfaces Of The Trap

A grease trap usually contains large pieces of FOG (fats, oil, and grease) attached to its surfaces. Scrape them down with the help of a bucket. For better results, suck out any remaining bits of waste using a wet/dry vacuum.

7. Clean The Grease Trap

Thoroughly clean all of the trap’s surfaces. Clean all surfaces of the grease trap using lukewarm water and soap. Again, be gentle. Remove excess waste using a steel pot scrubber. Get rid of debris and soap by flushing the parts and screens with plenty of water.

8. Reinstall The Grease Trap

Use the drawing you made in “Step 2” to reinstall the grease trap. Only place the lid back once you’ve confirmed that all of the grease trap’s parts are in their proper place and are functioning as they should.

9. Record And File The FOG Report

Copy the FOG report you filed in “Step 3” for your records. Mail the original to the address (on the report) provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Besides DIY-ing, homeowners can also use a bacterial treatment to clean a grease trap.

Using Enzymes To Clean Your Home’s Grease Trap.

One of the easiest ways to clean your grease trap and kill odors coming from it is to use enzyme-based treatments. Enzyme-based treatments work by breaking down FOGs, allowing existing bacteria to digest the by-products that are broken down rapidly.

Put; enzymes help the bacteria already contained in grease traps to break down organic material.

Advantages of using enzymes to clean your home’s grease trap

• Enzyme-based treatments don’t negatively impact the environment.
• Enzymes help minimize odors that are produced by FOG accumulated inside the grease trap.
• Enzyme-based treatments can assist beneficial bacteria in consuming FOG. This results in a cleaner grease trap over time.

Whichever method you decide to use, cleaning your home’s grease trap is necessary. Not only will you be avoiding sewer problems and ensuring a healthy work environment, but you’ll also be keeping up with regulations.

If you find the process far too messy to handle, you can establish a pumping schedule with a plumbing company.

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