If you’re a restaurant owner or manager, you probably know that the putrid smell coming from the kitchen will certainly leave a poor impression on your patrons, which implies that it can also influence how successful and profitable your trade is. In most situations, that lingering and disgusting odor may be coming from the grease trap you installed.
Grease traps are effective in dividing debris from the water and they’ll prevent the drainage system from getting obstructed, but this doesn’t imply that they need to be ignored. If you can smell the odor coming from the drains, there may be a few reasons for this, but there are also several ways that you could fix it. So, let’s look at what you have to understand and do:
There Are 4 Main Causes
As we already mentioned, there are a few things that could prompt the odor in your eatery. However, for you to determine what you need to do, you’ll have to know and comprehend precisely what caused it to occur. Some of the most frequent causes of fragrances coming from the drains include the following things:
1. It Is Probably Dirty!
Source: modernrestaurantmanagement.com
Yes, the entire system is in charge of dividing debris from the water, however, this doesn’t mean that some residue and organic substances aren’t caught inside of the container. When this happens, they’ll ultimately fall to the base of the tank, and once they’re broken down, they could emit fumes such as hydrogen sulfide.
These gases are precisely what causes the nasty odor and the combination of it with the water will generate potent acids that’ll respond badly with the cement or metal construction of the vessel. This is why it’s crucial for you to guarantee that it’s pumped and washed correctly and frequently.
2. Bad Vents Could Be The Issues
You may not know this, but the control gadget that comes with the trap has a ventilator that’s in charge of delivering the air needed for promoting the separation process within the container. This is why the placement of the ventilation system is crucial and very important.
Hence, if you want to guarantee that there are no odors coming from the tank, you must guarantee that the ventilation is installed in a suitable place, meaning that it needs to be further away from the building. Remember, you may require expert services like the ones offered by dallasgrease.com, to ensure that you place it appropriately.
3. The “P-Trap” May Be Chipped or Broken
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What is a P-Trap? Well, it’s primarily a barrier that is utilized for preventing scents from coming up the sinks in your establishment. This is one of the most essential things for preventing smells, hence, if it gets damaged or completely broken, it’ll surely result in odor spreading through your kitchen and eating area.
4. Sludge Build-Up Can Be The Issue
As we previously mentioned, there is some residue that’ll go directly to the floor of the trap, which means that there may be sludge build-up on the walls. If so, it’ll produce obnoxious odors, and in this situation, you’ll require the help of a specialist that’ll utilize a hydro-jetting device for eliminating the build-up from the walls.
So, What Do I Need to Do?
After you determine what cause, there are some things that you can attempt in order to stop the smells from spreading. These things are easy and efficient, and all the equipment you’ll need could be found in your business. Some of the strategies that you can choose to try include:
1. Drenching Hot Liquid Down The Sink
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The very first thing that you can try is pouring boiling liquid down the drains. Although it’s quite simple, it’s incredibly powerful, which is why you and your workers may want to get used to pouring any leftover, hot water down the pipes after cooking different meals.
How water will successfully eliminate the bacteria and germs that are accountable for the odors in your business, and if you constantly pour it down the drains, you could prevent or completely stop the odors coming from the grease pit. You should remember, the water must be completely hot to be effective.
2. Mixing Vinegar + Baking Soda is an Option
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A lot of individuals might think that it’s not a great idea to do this, however, these two ingredients have more applications than we actually realize. If you opt for doing this, you’ll have to pour one cup of baking soda in the drain and once you do, leave it for several minutes, after 3 to 5 minutes, pour one cup of vinegar on top of it.
Now, don’t be afraid, the compound will start making bubbles, but this is a normal reaction, hence, you should leave it for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Next, you’ll have to boil some water and that’s it! By going through this, you’ll be capable of keeping the smells from spreading for at least one month, but this will rely on how much you utilize the drains.
3. Opt For Professional Services
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If the aforementioned strategies didn’t work for you, it’s definitely time to hire a professional grease trap cleaning company. After all, they’ll be capable of determining exactly what’s wrong with it, which means that they’ll also know what they have to do in order to prevent the odors.
Before we conclude this article, there are a few things worth mentioning about finding a suitable company for your needs. For starters, you must always read the reviews to ensure that previous clients had a good experience with them. After all, you don’t want inexperienced people working on it, mostly because it can cause additional damages to the system.
You must ensure that you look at the services they offer. Each company out there offers different things, hence, looking at the services is a must. Lastly, you should also look at the prices, mostly because you’ll want to guarantee that you don’t spend more money than you actually have to.
Conclusion
There is a wide range of reasons why there might be odors spreading from your grease trap. There are also suitable solutions to this problem, all of which you could try by yourself. Keep in mind, if it doesn’t work, you might want to hire a professional cleaning company that’ll help you with your problem.
So, now that you’re aware of the things you could – and definitely should – try, you really shouldn’t lose any more of your time. Instead, you should head to your restaurant kitchen and try the first solution we mentioned in our list – which is pouring boiling water down your drains.
