If you own a restaurant, you are well aware of the reality that the most crucial component of your establishment – as well as one that holds your doors open – is your kitchen. Naturally, keeping it spotless, tidy, and healthy is a basic necessity (and a law), and the more hectic it gets, the more time and money you’ll need to invest in keeping it completely functional and sanitized.
However, there is one important element of any establishment kitchen – the grease trap. They won’t only guarantee that the drainage and pipework properly, it’ll also help with the dishwashing. All of this indicates that you must ensure that it can function properly and without any hindrances.
Now, since you’ll need to pump it every time you maintain your kitchen, you might be wondering – is this really necessary? Well, to put it simply, it is. And if you fail to do so, it can have a wide range of negative outcomes that we’ll discuss in this article today. Let’s take a closer look at the list of 5 hidden dangers of uncleaned grease traps:
Table of Contents
1. It Can Get Clogged
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When you fail to pump the entire system, one of the first issues that you can come across is it clogging. Now, this is something that happens frequently, mostly due to the build-up of food residue, fat, dirt, as well as other substances in the trap. And, if it gets clogged, you won’t be able to operate the kitchen, which can result in downtime.
Keep in mind – the system clogging is one of the simplest problems that you could come across and it is one that you’ll surely want to avoid since downtime implies a loss of profits. Hence, when you schedule your kitchen maintenance, ensure that you also take care of the trap properly.
2, It’s a Major Health Risk
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To those feasting and operating in your establishment, a plugged grease trap could pose a lot of health hazards. If you opt for working with a blocked and messy system, the meals you prepare, as well as the forks, spoons, and plates could easily get contaminated, which will potentially lead to some severe wellness problems – which won’t be fitting for your profession.
Keep in mind, serving meals that are dangerous and contaminated can also cost you a lot of clients, and in some situations, you could get sued, which could result in your company closing – not to mention that it’ll be quite difficult to gain people’s trust again. So, ensure that you hire a professional maintenance company such as houstontxgrease.com that’ll take care of the entire process instead of you.
3. It Poses a Huge Fire Risk
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Although it is quite logical because of the system name, it is still worth mentioning – oil and fat are extremely flammable. Not only will it catch fire easily, but it will also spread quite fast – which is something that you do not want occurring on your premises. Besides this, if a fire happens, it’ll be greatly daunting and complex to put out.
Compared to the costs you would have to wash it regularly, you cannot even imagine how much you would have to pay if this type of fire happened because you did not maintain it. This means that washing it often can protect your investment, but more importantly, it will protect your customers and your employees.
4. Terrible Smells
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Trust me when I say this – you do not want to inhale the terrible odors emanating from the plugged grease trap. This will surely happen if there is a build-up of trash, meal residue, polluted liquid, and of course, fat. In some severe situations, the smells could be completely intolerable and repulsive.
Besides creating an obnoxious – and dangerous – working condition, it’ll also bother the people coming to your establishment, which suggests that you could lose clients. Additionally, someone might call the health inspectors, which is why you must ensure that you take proper care of the entire system.
5. Really Expensive Repairs
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One of the worst things about a clogged and nasty grease trap is that it could create a hundred other problems in your establishment. And, you should remember – it will be more costly to deal with a malfunctioning trap than it would be to cleanse and maintain it frequently.
When it gets clogged, you’ll notice immediate problems. From the expenses that will cost you to find a company to unclog it to your business closing for one or two days – sometimes even more – all the way to you losing clients and revenue. So, ensure that you take proper care of it.
So, How Often Should I Pump It?
After all the aforementioned dangers, it is quite clear that leaving it unmaintained can cause a lot of terrible things. Hence, you might be wondering – how often do I need to clean and maintain it? Well, this will depend on the type and amount of work you do every day. But, there are some guidelines that can help you with determining when you’ll need to pump it.
For instance, if you prepare a lot of food every day – especially in a fast food restaurant – you’ll need to clean it every month. On the other hand, if you run a kitchen that has a lot of customers and that has ovens working on wood or charcoal, you must clean it every four months.
Additionally, for a commercial kitchen that serves moderate traffic groups, you’ll want to maintain it every six to eight months. Lastly, if you run a business that only works occasionally such as serving churches, seasonal gatherings, and camps, you should maintain it once a month.
Conclusion
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As you were able to read and learn, there is a wide range of unknown hazards of uncleaned grease traps. And, if you choose to maintain them frequently and professionally, you will be able to protect your business, and more importantly, you’ll protect your clientele and employees.
Also,maybe you need a take a look at some kitchen degreasers that will help you (look here).
Hence, now that you are aware of all the dangers you can come across, you might not want to lose any more of your time. Instead, you should open up your browser and start searching for a professional cleaning company that will help you with cleaning and maintaining the grease traps in your establishment.
