"Grease trap clogged or overflowing." That's the search that brings A&L more new commercial customers than any other.
The calls that come from it have one thing in common. Almost nobody on the other end has anyone servicing their trap. Ask when it was last pumped and you get "I don't know." Sometimes it's "never, since we opened."
A trap on a schedule can still back up. A holiday weekend will do it. So will a new fryer item. But that's not who's calling.
The overflow comes last
Grease goes down the sink every shift. It cools and settles in the trap. The layer gets thicker every week, and nothing looks wrong. The trap's under the floor or out back, so nobody's looking.
By the time it overflows, it's been full for a while, and the grease has moved into the lines.
One call, two jobs
So most of these calls are two jobs. We send someone to clear the blockage so your restaurant stays operational. Depending on how much grease is in the line will depend on if we recommend water jetting to clean the pipes from the grease buildup. Then we pump the trap to get the kitchen open. Snake the trap alone and the kitchen's likely calling again next week.
Large grease traps are no problem for our high capacity trucks. They hold 2,500 gallons.
Then the schedule
Once the kitchen's running, the owner's ready to talk about a schedule. Most busy kitchens need service every one to three months, depending on volume, menu, and trap size. We set yours by what we pulled out of it.
A scheduled pump-out costs a fraction of an emergency call, before you count the lost dinner service. Every visit gets documented, so when the inspector asks for records, you have them.
What a trap does before it overflows
Slow sinks at the end of a shift. A sour smell by the floor drains. Grease showing up in places it shouldn't. Gurgling when the big sink empties. If your kitchen's doing any of that and you can't name your last pump-out date, you're close to making that search.
If you're reading this
Restaurant owners. Find your last pump-out invoice this week. If you can't, that's your answer.
Facilities managers. Took over new buildings? Ask for the last three service records for every kitchen. Gaps show up fast, and they're cheaper to fix before an inspection.
Plumbers and hood cleaners. We don't do plumbing or hood cleaning. We do the work for you so your customer remains your customer. Hand us the grease work and your client stays yours. We pump it, document it, and send them back to you.
Schedules work
We've been pumping grease traps across the five boroughs since 1975. The kitchens on a schedule aren't the ones making that search.
Call 718-729-3018 to get on one.