Grease Trap

Everything you need to know about Grease Trap

A grease trap also referred to as grease recovery devices and grease interceptors are plumbing devices, which are designed to intercept the solids and greases. Wastewater from restaurants and kitchens mostly contains small amounts of oil which when untreated can spoil the environment. The usage of Grease traps dates back to the Victorian era.

Working of the grease trap

As the kitchen, wastewater passes through the grease trap, the system of baffles trap the oils and the grease raise above the surface in the trap. The trapped oils and grease enter the trap from the top and displaces the clean water from the bottom in the sewer line. Because of this, there accumulates a mat at the grease trap. The grease trap must be cleaned on a regular basis when an excess layer of grease develops. This is because, as the trap fills with the grease, its efficiency decreases.

Types of Grease Trap

The grease trap are mostly are of three types. The grease traps specified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers are the most common types of grease traps. The large in-ground tanks, which are generally of 1000 gallons, are the other types of grease traps.
The Automatic Grease removal Units (AGRU) also known as Grease Recovery Devices (GRD) are third types of grease traps which are small in size and remove the grease in an automatic manner.

Uses of Grease traps

They reduce the amount of oils, fats and greases before the wastewater enter the sewer system which when not removed can congeal the sewer thereby leading to back-ups and blockage which in turn increase the maintenance and operations requirements.

To conclude, we can say that grease traps are one of the most important plumbing equipment required to treat all types commercial and drainage wastewaters.