Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning
for the St. Louis Area
Grease Traps Can Clog Your Business
Grease traps can be the single biggest hassle for restaurants and commercial kitchens if not cleaned regularly. Routine grease trap maintenance keeps drains flowing smoothly, preventing costly back-ups and keeping your business running.
At Grease Masters, our trained technicians perform over 11,000 commercial grease trap cleaning services annually. No job is too small or too big for us—our trucks can pump up to 10,000 gallons of grease in a single visit.
Don’t wait until disaster strikes. Schedule your grease trap maintenance today.
A Proven Process
We leverage a tried-and-true process for cleaning and maintaining grease traps across the St. Louis metro area:
- Drain the tank of grease wastes (internal and external grease traps)
- Clean and inspect all baffles
- Run a thorough system test to ensure all wastewater flows properly
- Dispose of all material pumped from the grease traps in an environmentally safe way through the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District
Stay Compliant
Most municipalities require monthly grease trap maintenance or cleaning. Depending on the trap size and your business volume, more frequent service may be necessary.
MSD, Local Municipal Sewer Districts, Local Health Boards, and Environmental Regulations have specific compliance requirements. As the experts, our job is to help you stay compliant without business interruption.
The Myth About Biological Agents, Enzymes, or Bugs
Don’t be fooled by companies that want to dispense a biological agent into your grease trap! It isn’t necessary or required.
Biological agents, enzymes, or bugs emulsify the grease, allowing it to pass through the grease trap and into your sewer line. The grease then solidifies and adheres to the line, past the trap. As a result, your outgoing sewer line clogs, causing costly backups and significant repairs.
Companies offering to treat your grease traps with enzymes inject chemicals into the trap and then scoop the top layer of grease. Doing so leaves solids at the bottom of the trap, causing them to rot.
The result is a pungent, unpleasant odor that can spread to all areas of your business or operation. Leaving solids in the bottom of the grease trap will deteriorate it, requiring costly repairs and replacements.
Local ordinances in the Metro St. Louis Area state that grease traps must still be pumped regularly if enzymes or bugs are used.
Proper Disposal
As the standard practice of grease trap maintenance, Grease Masters disposes of your waste at the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Hauled Waste Receiving Station at Grand Ave and Hall St. This station is the ONLY U.S. EPA-licensed disposal facility within 100 miles of St. Louis for grease disposal.
Avoid the chance of illegal disposal. Our cradle-to-grave chain of custody ensures you’ll remain in compliance. When you use a waste hauler that can’t guarantee the process we follow, you put yourself at risk for significant fines and expensive clean-up costs.
Documentation
All food service facility owners or operators must document their grease management efforts, including the cleaning and repair frequency for removal devices and disposal methods. Maintenance records should be on-site in an easily accessible location and available for inspection and copying upon request by local officials. You must also keep maintenance documentation for at least three years.
Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning You Can Trust
Don’t let just anyone handle your commercial grease trap cleaning and maintenance. Let Grease Masters help you save money, stay compliant, and dispose of your grease correctly—all without disrupting your daily grind.
Schedule your grease trap maintenance services today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow these steps to keep your grease trap running smoothly:
- Schedule regular grease trap maintenance.
- Make sure that food prep and wash sinks are tied into a trap.
- Ensure that your trap is the correct size.
- Train your staff to remove as much waste and food solids as possible from plates and pots before washing.
- Maintain a cleaning log for code compliance.
- DO NOT pour boiling water into a trap-connected sink, as this will liquefy the FOG and force it into the sewer pipe.
- DO NOT connect garbage disposals to a trap.
- DO NOT connect high-temperature dishwashers to a trap.
- DO NOT put chemicals, bleach, additives, or drain cleaners into a trap—these destroy naturally beneficial bacteria and risk harming the environment.
A professionally licensed company should remove grease trap waste. These organizations have the equipment and know-how to safely pump grease and compliantly transport it to the nearest EPA-certified station for disposal.
Additionally, schedule regular commercial grease trap cleaning to prevent buildup, which can cause foul odors and clogs. Never attempt to dispose of grease trap waste down the drain or a nearby sewer. Proper maintenance helps your business avoid fines and protect the environment.