Every piece of equipment needs to be properly maintained if we want it to work as it is supposed to and if we don’t want to end up replacing it far before we should. The grease interceptor is a device that is going to save you a lot of time and trouble, and it will also raise the value of your home, but if you want it to serve its purpose, you need to know what you should do to ensure it’s working properly.
In this article, we are going to list some tips for maintaining and cleaning residential grease traps, so you should continue reading if you want to learn the dos and don’ts of this process.
1. Make sure you do it on time
The number one thing that you need to know is when to clean your residential fat filter. The rule of thumb is that you should do this process once every one to three months, but it ultimately depends on your cooking habits and how much oil you use.
You should make sure that it is not filled more than one quarter before you empty and clean it, and even though it may take you some time to understand the timeline based on your case, it is going to be an easy thing to predict with time.
2. Have strainers installed
Strainers are going to make the difference between your trap working properly for a lot of time, and the whole piping system getting damaged. The strainers can easily catch food waste and things that are not supposed to go down your drain, and they are going to help you save time and money in the long run.
They are a really inexpensive thing that is easy to replace, remove, and clean, and they are going to make a huge difference when it comes to catching large chunks of fat and food.
3. Understand when you can do it on your own
We all want to get things done on our own, and we believe that we have the skills and the knowledge for every single task. This, however, is not true, and on some projects, we may end up spending a lot of time, we risk losing money, and we also risk damaging the equipment while trying to maintain it.
Instead of finishing this task on your own, spending valuable time and money on the proper tools, equipment, and learning how to do it, you can collaborate with a professional service that will get things done for you.
Places like greasetrapstlouis.com can help you see if you need to get the grease trap cleaned, they can give you maintenance tips, and they can also clean the unit for you.
4. Try not to pour everything in the sink
We are used to just leaving our dirty dishes, pots, and pans in the sink, and when the time comes for us to wash them, we tend to just scrape everything off; hope that the strainer will catch all the big things, we believe that everything else will be melted away. You should steer away from this habit, and you should try and remove leftovers along with the dried fat before you put your dirty dishes in the sink.
5. Always wipe the fat before putting the dishes in the sink
More often than not we eat things that are filled with oils and fats, and when we just put them in the sink and run hot water over them, we are actually causing issues with our drainage system, as well as putting additional strain on our fat separator. If you want to properly protect it, and if you want it to work as it should, you should always wipe the grease from your plates and pans and then put them in the sink.
6. Don’t use too much force when cleaning it
If you want to always properly maintain your device, you should be careful about how you clean it. There is a way to do it at home, but more often than not, the lid may be stuck because of the dried fat.
The same may happen with the screws. So, when the time comes for you to remove any part of the separator, you should never use too much force, and you should not try to pry the lid open. Be gentle and extremely careful.
7. Don’t use water that is too hot
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when rinsing and washing dishes that have oil and fat on them is using a temperature that is too hot. Yes, this might sound like a good idea, because you will see the fat melting away in front of your eyes, and as soon as it is in the drain, we believe that it is just going to disappear and nothing bad will happen because of it.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, and melted grease will get hardened in the pipes, and it is going to cause blocking and clogging. So, instead of trying to melt it away, always remove it first and use the strainer to catch any bigger pieces.
8. Be aware of the warning signs
The final tip that we have for you is to be aware of the warning signs that come when the unit has not been properly maintained, cleaned on time, or when it is starting to get old and needs to be replaced. If you can notice that there is an issue with the draining system; if there is a foul odor coming out, or if you can see pests and insects, you need to react as soon as possible.
On the same note, if you notice any leaking, or if you have trouble emptying, opening, and closing the interceptor, you need to do something about it. Follow these tips if you want to protect your health; if you want to prolong the durability and the lifetime of the separator, and if you want it to be working as it should.
Maintaining the trap is relatively easy, and if you are not sure if you can do it on your own, or if you don’t know how to, you can always collaborate with a professional service that will get all of these things done for you.
