A Grease Arrestor Checklist for Springvale Restaurants
Keep your kitchen drains moving and your trade waste agreement in order with these simple checks.
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- Springvale based
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters
- Price agreed first
- Homes and shops
Why it matters
A blocked kitchen drain on a Friday night can close a restaurant. A grease arrestor that is undersized or overdue for pumping lets fat into the sewer, which can lead to blockages, smells and problems with your trade waste agreement.
Daily
- scrape plates and pots into the bin before washing
- use sink strainers and empty them
- collect fryer oil for recycling, never pour it down the sink
- keep floor waste grates clean
Weekly
- check floor wastes drain quickly
- watch for slow sinks or gurgling
- note any smells near the arrestor
Regularly
- have the arrestor pumped out at the frequency in your trade waste agreement, or more often if busy
- keep pump-out records
- have kitchen lines jetted if they slow down
When things change
Expanding the menu, adding a dishwasher or increasing hours can mean the arrestor is too small. Check with the water corporation and a plumber before making changes.
Signs of trouble
- fat in floor wastes or sinks
- strong smells from the arrestor lid
- water backing up into the kitchen
- the pump-out contractor reporting heavy build-up or damage
Getting help
We clear and jet commercial kitchen lines, inspect arrestors, and install new or larger units, working outside trading hours where possible.
Staff training
The best arrestor in the world will struggle if staff tip oil down the sink. A short briefing for new staff about scraping, strainers and oil collection saves money.
Smells in the dining room
If customers notice a drain smell, check that floor waste traps have water in them, especially in rarely used areas. A dry trap lets sewer gas in. Pour water into them regularly, and call us if the smell persists. Keep a simple log of pump-outs and line cleans near the arrestor.
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.
Related services
- Emergency plumbing
- Blocked drains
- Hot water
- Gas fitting
- Hot water replacement
- Heat pumps
- Leaking taps
- Burst pipes
- Toilets
- Leak detection
- Pipe relining
- Stormwater
- Bathrooms and kitchens
- Commercial plumbing
- Grease traps
- Backflow testing
More guides
Why Springvale homes and shops call us
Homes and shopfronts
From 1950s brick veneers to restaurant kitchens on the main strip, we work on both every week.
Plain explanations
We show you what we found, in plain English, with photos when they help.
A price before work
You get a fixed price once the fault is found. Nothing starts until you say yes.
Tidy and on time
We ring ahead, protect floors and take the old parts and mess away.
Get a free quote
Tell us what is happening and a licensed Springvale plumber will call you back.
How quoting works
Ring 03 7076 1660 or send the form with a short note and a photo if you can. A licensed plumber calls you back, asks a few questions and books a time. On site they find the cause, explain your options in plain English and give you a fixed price. Nothing starts until you agree, and larger jobs get a free written quote.
Need a plumber in Springvale?
Springvale, Springvale South, Noble Park, Keysborough and nearby suburbs. Quote-only: the plumber finds the fault first, then gives you a fixed price.