Grease Traps and Trade Waste Springvale

Why food businesses need a grease arrestor

Commercial kitchens wash a lot of fat, oil and food scraps down the drain. Without a grease arrestor, that waste sets in the sewer and causes blockages in your drains and the public system. Food businesses connected to the sewer generally need a trade waste agreement with the water corporation, which sets out the arrestor size and how often it must be pumped out.

How an arrestor works

Wastewater from sinks and dishwashers flows into a tank where it slows down and cools. Fat floats to the top and solids sink, while the clearer water in the middle flows out to the sewer. A licensed waste contractor pumps out the tank on a schedule.

Installation and upgrades

New restaurants and changes of use usually need a new or larger arrestor. We size it to the water corporation's requirements, install it below ground or in a suitable location, connect the kitchen fixtures and vents, and arrange inspections. When a business grows or changes menu, an existing arrestor can become too small.

Blocked kitchen lines

Fat sets on the walls of the pipes between the kitchen and the arrestor, especially on long runs. We jet these lines clean and recommend a maintenance schedule. If blockages are frequent, we check the line with a camera for sags or damage.

Smells

Strong smells from the arrestor or floor wastes can mean the tank is overdue for pumping, a vent is blocked or a seal has failed. We find the cause.

Working with waste contractors

We can coordinate with your pumping contractor and recommend a frequency that suits your volume, so the arrestor does its job between pump-outs.

Kitchen tips for staff

• scrape plates into the bin before rinsing
• use sink strainers and empty them
• never pour fryer oil down the drain, use a cooking oil collection service
• do not use hot water or chemicals to push fat through, it just sets further down

Out of hours

We can do arrestor work and line jetting outside trading hours so service is not disrupted.

New restaurant fit-outs

Opening a restaurant in Springvale often means converting a shop that never had a commercial kitchen. That usually needs a new grease arrestor, new floor wastes, a hand basin, dishwasher and sink connections, and gas sized for the cooking line. We plan the plumbing with your designer, apply for trade waste approval and install everything so you can open on time.

Arrestor lids and access

Arrestor lids must seal properly to keep smells in and be accessible for pump-outs. Broken lids, missing seals and arrestors buried under stock or bins cause problems for the business and the pumping contractor. We repair lids and seals and can relocate access points where needed. Ask us to check the lid seals whenever we attend for a line clean.

Springvale ground and pipes

Springvale sits on a mix of sandy loam and heavier clay, and much of the suburb was built in the 1950s and 1960s with earthenware sewer pipes and galvanised or early copper water pipe. Clay joints shift over time and let roots in, rusting galvanised pipe slowly narrows and leaks, and drains under subdivided blocks are often shared between homes. We use drain cameras, locators and pressure tests to see exactly what is going on before anyone digs.

From your call to the finished job