The grease traps are one of the most basic, and at the same time, the most important equipment in every commercial kitchen. They prevent the odor and the grease from spilling away, and from blocking the drains of the restaurant. There are many different types of these units, but they are all made for one basic function – to help you build a better working environment, to provide the best possible quality to your customers, and to ensure that your business is up to all the regulations.
Even though these are the basic part of every kitchen, not all owners know how to maintain them, and if you want to know how to take the best care of your devices, then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we will give you some preventative maintenance tips for your grease traps, and we will help you learn how to prevent the equipment from breaking or getting damaged.
1. Clean spills
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The first thing you need to know is that you must clean all the spills that could happen in your kitchen as soon as possible. Leaving the oil and fat spills could easily damage your equipment, and they could be a reason for many different types of hazards.
If you don’t want to overload your equipment, then you should take care of things in different ways. If you notice any spills, then you can use a paper towel to wipe them, or a standard mop. Note that if you use paper towels, you should properly get rid of them.
2. Inform your employees
The next thing that you can do to prevent any damages is to teach your team on how to do the proper care of everything. Know that sometimes we can forget things, and when everyone is in a hurry, they can skip a few important steps.
Because of this, it is better to put several signs all around the kitchen, especially around the sink to remind your employees that they should never pour fat and oil down the drain. This will help prevent any blockages, and they will always remember how they need to get rid of all the grease in the correct way.
3. Use professional services
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We don’t always have time to empty and clean our devices on time, and we tend to postpone this process. Even though nothing bad will happen if you postpone the cleaning for a day or two, ultimately, you will get used to this, and you will start testing how long it can be before you need to get the job done.
Know that in time, you will realize that postponing only led to complications, and it may be too late for you. You may lose your licenses, and if the inspection comes, you risk paying really high fees.
Just because you don’t have the time to get this done, it does not mean it shouldn’t be done. Luckily, there are a lot of services that can help you out with the task.
As you can see on websites like greasetrapseattle.com, professional services can aid you not only when it comes to cleaning, but overall maintenance, fixing, and even replacing the units in your restaurant.
4. Empty the trap on time
The most important thing you need to know about this process is that you need to empty and clean the trap regularly. The rule is that you need to empty it before it is more than 25 percent full, and the reason for this is that if you do this on time, you won’t risk any damages or blockages.
If you wait for too long before you clean the device, you risk facing problems with animals, pests, and insects, and you will have a much more difficult time cleaning it if the grease dries out.
No matter if you choose to go with a professional service, or you do this process on your own, you have to pay attention to when and how you clean it.
5. Use the proper products
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Another thing that is a must is using the proper products when maintaining the unit. Yes, we all want to find the strongest chemicals that will do the job right away, and we don’t want to spend time scrubbing every part of the unit, but strong chemicals do not mean a job well done.
You need to find the right items that will not damage the unit from the inside and out, and you need to be patient and take your time. Make sure you cover every part, and that you take out all the parts, clean them, and put them back in.
6. You need to clean the outside too
There are many people who’ve made the mistake of cleaning just the insides of the trap, and they report that after a while, this has proven the worst mistake they’ve ever made when it comes to commercial kitchen maintenance.
You should not forget about the outside of the unit, and you should know that chances are, there are some oil and fat leftovers on it.
The reason why you need to clean the exterior as well is so that you prevent insects from getting drawn in by the smell, you will prevent any dirt and debris from sticking on it, and ultimately, you will extend the life of the unit.
These are some of the things you need to know about proper equipment care. If you want to prevent your drains from getting blocked, you should always scrub and clean your pans before you start washing them, and you should try to gather as much of the fat as you can before you put them to get washed. In addition to this, you should never let the grease trap get blocked, and you need to inspect your drains at least once per month. Even though these things seem excessive, in the long run, you will learn that preventing mistakes, and finding potential problems in time can save you a lot of money and issues. Don’t let your restaurant to get a bad reputation, and don’t let yourself lose your licenses just because of one thing that could’ve been avoided.
Talk to a professional service, even if you don’t choose to hire them. Get your equipment checked regularly, and listen to what the experts have to say about the right way of taking care of your devices.
