So you’ve got a nice place of business and things are running smoothly. Until one day, something starts backing up, leaking and splashing dirty water everywhere. The smell that’s emanating is putrid, making certain anyone who might want to go to your place will immediately turn around when they walk in the door. You understand these smells are accomplishing for your place of business the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve but you have no idea what to do about it. You’ve heard of grease traps and FOGs in passing conversation, but what are they? How do they work? And most importantly, how do you get your sinks in working order again?

What’s an FOG?

FOGs are Fats, oils and greases that go down into your grease trap. They are tricky little things and have a tendency to buildup and clog grease traps as well as pipes or sewer systems if left unchecked. Keep in mind, these FOGs should almost never be poured down your drain, so for reference they include:

• Butter, Margarine, Lard, Cooking oil
• Grease
• Food scraps
• Shortening
• Meat scraps

When FOGs buildup in your grease trap, they create a blob of congealed goo that will most likely cause problems for your pipes. A buildup of FOGs can be disastrous for any business or home. It can cause sinks to clog, backups, flooding and terrible odors. They can also cause some environmental problems, but the worst thing about grease buildups is that could cost you a lot of money. But how do we prevent our grease trap from getting all built up? First, make sure to tell employees not to spill FOGs down drains. Actually, how about we explore how a grease trap works.

How do Grease traps work?

There are many different types of grease traps out there, small ones that are attached to single sinks and big ones that are for bigger, restaurant like places. Essentially, the grease trap is something your sink uses to prevent grease from flowing into the sewer system. In a way, it “traps grease” (hence the name).

The grease trap is the place in your sink where wastewater and FOGs gather. As the wastewater gets colder, the lighter than water FOGs float to the top to eventually harden whereas heavier food scraps and water all gather at the bottom. Eventually, the water will flow into the sewer but the FOGs and food scraps will stay in the trap. The grease is trapped by the trap’s baffles, which cover the inlet and outlet of the tank, preventing grease from flowing out of the trap. These will eventually need to be emptied or cleaned out.

How would one do such a thing? Well there are a couple options.

Cleaning out grease trap

Cleaning a grease trap, especially a small one, can be very easy if done properly with time, care and attentiveness. Just follow these steps and you should be fine:

1. Make sure you know all the parts of your grease trap. There is a lid and the trap itself, which may not seem complicated but keep in mind that you’ll be taking apart this grease trap and you don’t want to mess it up. Consider drawing a diagram before starting your work on your grease trap.
2. Remove the lid from the grease trap. You can use a pry bar for this if it’s too hard to get off, but be careful. There are a lot of breakable parts inside of a grease trap, so don’t go reefing on the thing as hard as you can. Be gentle but firm and get that lid free.
3. Use a small bucket to remove any water from the grease trap. There might be a small amount of waste water floating around in your grease trap. You can utilize a small bucket to remove this water, but make sure not to pour it down the same drain you’re working on.
4. Use the same bucket to scoop out any waste.  Now, it’s time to move on to the grease. The same bucket as before can be used to scoop out some of the congealed fats, greases and oils that have accumulated within your grease trap.
5. Scrape down the lid and sides of your trap.
6. Clean your trap with soap and water.
7. Reinstall grease trap.

Sure, you could do this every time you need to take apart your grease trap, but is there a better way? Is there a way to make maintenance of your grease trap even easier? Let’s explore a couple of these great options to making sure your grease trap stays spick and span, but most importantly odor free.

Bacterial treatment with automated dispensing system – ATC Bac-Treet Starter Pack

The ATC Bac-Treet Starter Pack by Brodi is a battery powered grease trap bacterial treatment system that is fully automated. Known as “The Bac-Street System” this is virtually guaranteed to keep those grease traps spick and span, all without lifting a finger! The easy to install system dispenses a Ultra high count bacterial grease-eating formula into your grease traps, ensuring that nothing stays in there. Not only will your restaurant be maintenance free, but it’ll be odor free! Let’s check out some of the impressive stats of this Starter Pack.

• A Highly Concentrated Grease Trap Bacterial Treatment for the Bac-Treet automated solution.
• Bacteria count of 2.5 trillion CFU per 500 ml container.
• Unique battery powered dispenser unit, long life and easy to mount.
• For use on all drains, grease traps, sanitary sump pits, lift stations and sewer drains.
• 100% Bio-degradable.
• Non-toxic.
• Bac-Treet eliminates odors and digests grease at their source, leaving behind water as a bi-product

A couple things to know before you use the Bac-treet system. There are a couple things you shouldn’t use while using your Bac-Treet– namely bleach products and heavy disinfectants. Also, the optimal temperature of your grease trap should be 10-50 degrees Celsius and the PH level should be between 6 to 10 PH. Finally, some people may have some hang ups about using bacteria to clean their grease traps, but I can assure you they’re completely safe. In fact, it biologically breaks down and digests the waste in your grease trap, leaving behind only water and carbon dioxide. Perfectly safe, especially for the environment!

All those rules aside, this thing is perfect, because it eliminates the need for constant grease trap maintenance. Aren’t that handy? That’s okay, because you can install the system yourself or have it serviced and installed by a Brodi Bac-Treet specialist. Think you can get this anywhere else? Nope, it’s a Brodi exclusive.

Yes, you can use the Bac-Treet and it’s automated system to clean out some light blockages in grease traps, but what about the more heavy duty of clogs? What happens if, dare I say it, Bac-Treet doesn’t cut it? Don’t worry, Brodi has you covered.

Non bacterial solvent emulsifier for Grease Traps – CGTC 7150

This guy is the heavy hitter of grease trap cleaners. This Non bacterial treatment instantly breaks down heavy grease buildups and eliminates odors. It will bust up any fats, oils, greases or solids in your grease trap. It’ll clear out your grease trap and make it look like it did the day you bought it. The best part– it immediately removes any odors your grease trap might be causing. Another great thing about CGTC 7150: citrus based solvent emulsifier for grease traps & sump pit is that it’s non-corrosive, so it won’t break up your nice pipes. All in all: grease stands no chance against this non-bacterial cleaning option.

How do you know when to use which? Just keep this in mind– if your grease trap looks clogged beyond repair, even after you clean it out, use the CGTC 7150. If you think you can get away with it, you can use the Bac-Treet. So all I can ask is this– next time you’ve got a big blockage of grease, don’t bother with anyone else, think Brodi’s grease trap treatments.