Whether you are running a commercial kitchen or you just want to ensure that the plumbing of your home stays intact and safe, you need a good quality grease trap. Yes, most people do not need one for home, but it is usually mandatory for businesses. Mostly because there are rules and regulations set in place for the discharge of fats, oils, and grease. These three are usually abbreviated as FOGs. Too many FOGs sent into the system can cause some serious damage.
This is why it is so important to get yourself a good quality grease trap for your business. Otherwise, if the interceptor is not properly installed, you might face some consequences or even pay some fines.
Obviously, you will want to avoid such situations. To ensure that nothing like that happens, you will need to do some research to figure out exactly what makes a grease trap be good or bad. This kind of research is important because it’s not a good idea to simply buy the cheapest one you can find. It will not perform well enough to be compliant with city code and regulations.
To help you with this entire process, I decided to write this article and write about all those things you should consider before you buy an interceptor.
Table of Contents
Size and capacity
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One of the first things you will need to consider when installing such a plumbing device in your commercial kitchen is its size. You need to know exactly how many FOGs you will be able to trap inside of this device before it needs cleaning.
Of course, for commercial businesses, bigger will always prove useful because you will not have to clean it so regularly. However, if you have a small kitchen, you probably should not waste so much money on a large interceptor. You could find one for an affordable price while also offering a good performance.
To get a good idea of how much capacity you really need, you will need to figure out how many FOGs you discharge every week. Obviously, making an accurate calculation is impossible, but you can get a rounded number of your FOG discharge.
To get that number, you will need to consider the number of sinks in your kitchen and their size. Another important thing you will have to consider is the options on your menu. For example, if you are constantly frying needs such as hotdogs, hamburgers, and other similar greasy stuff, the FOG discharge is probably quite high. But, if your kitchen is rarely into frying and mostly into boiling baking then the FOG discharge number is probably going to below.
Longevity and durability
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A grease trap should be an investment that is going to last for years and years. You should not be spending money on a new interceptor every few years. If properly maintained and clean, a good grease trap could last at least five years.
However, it is not just about maintaining and cleaning it. It is also about buying this kind of plumbing device that is made out of high quality and durable materials.
Nowadays, there are tons of options, so it is a bit complicated to figure out which one is good and which one is bad. Some grease traps are made out of metal, others of plastics and some even from concrete. All of these options bring different advantages and disadvantages to the table.
The more modern ones that are made out of plastic are cheap and quite durable. But, their flow rate is not always great, so if you have a larger commercial kitchen, it is recommended that you either go with concrete or metal. Usually, metal grease traps are the most expensive, but they also offer the best performance.
For the best durability and longevity, it is recommended to go with the concrete option, but that is the most difficult to install. So, it is up to you to decide which one will satisfy your requirements.
Either way, you should hire professionals to do the installation for you. With professionals, the installation process will be quick, simple and affordable as suggested by greasetrapcolumbus.com.
Maintenance
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This is another important aspect that you must consider when buying an interceptor for your kitchen. Like I said previously, properly maintaining and cleaning the grease trap is essential, especially if you want it to last.
Unfortunately, not every grease trap is made equal. Some are very easy to maintain thanks to easy access while others are very difficult to maintain. Considering that this plumbing device needs to be cleaned at least once every two or three months, you should be looking at one that has that kind of ease of access.
This is especially important if you do not plan on hiring professionals to do the cleaning for you. In other words, you or your employees will be doing the cleaning.
Spare parts
Source: djdrainservicesltd.co.uk
Believe it or not, but there are some parts inside of a grease trap that could break over time. Once they break, you will need to replace them somehow.
Unfortunately, finding spare parts for these plumbing devices might not be as simple as you think. Because of this, you should be looking at devices that are widely available. The more people use the same type of interceptor, the more spare parts will be available on the market.
Of course, you could always order the required part from the original manufacturer, but that is usually more expensive. The second-hand market is always more affordable.
Installation costs
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Previously, I did mention that concrete grease traps are the most difficult to install. Naturally, since the installation process is difficult, it is going to be more expensive. If your business is on a tight budget, the installation costs are another thing that you should consider. Although, the costs of the installation process do not exactly decide whether a grease trap is good or bad.
As you can see, there are a lot of different factors you can use to differentiate a good quality grease trap from a bad one. Either way, I hope that you can use this article in the future to your advantage.
