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In one instance, a hunk of solidified grease temporarily blocked the tank’s outlet. The upper 5 ft. of this concrete bunker proceeded to fill until it overflowed at the manhole. Before we could respond, that chunk of grease slipped down the tank’s outlet, raced to the lower level and stopped again after it passed the bathroom connection of a toy store. The resulting grease and food particle-laden wastewater vomited from the toilet with enough force to hit the bathroom ceiling. Naturally this was during the Christmas season when the toy store had the adjoining stock room packed floor-to-ceiling with merchandise. Grease traps were then installed in every food court store. The mall was finally convinced that regular maintenance was required on the outdoor grease trap and the interior drainage lines. In addition, the mall added an enzyme treatment system downstream of the grease tank.
Perhaps it’s time all codes were beefed up to incorporate PDI sizing requirements and the use of automatic sensor-operated grease traps. After all, you and I know it’s no secret that the existing styles are virtually guaranteed to be useless from poor maintenance. FOGs collected from automatic models are often desirable byproducts used in manufacturing. FOGs that pass through grease traps are too contaminated for reuse, increase municipal maintenance costs and create tremendous difficulties for treatment at sewage plants. Dave Yates owns F.W. Behler, a contracting company in York, Pa. He can be reached by phone at 717/843-4920 or by e-mail at .
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A downtown Chinese restaurant flunked its health department inspection because its 25-lb. grease trap serving a large, three-compartment scullery sink had sprung a leak at the seams. Never mind that it was below the sanitary sewer level and was being safe-wasted into an open sump pit! When I requested the sizing information the plumbing inspector would require, I gave the restaurant’s only English-speaking employee the estimate. The commotion and excited language that ensued was a sight to behold. The restaurant ended up with a sewage ejector in a sealed basin coupled to a 150-lb. grease trap. I doubt it has been cleaned since the day it was installed.
I can’t use the Plumbing and Drainage Institute or model code sizing charts in my area because each municipality has put its thumbprint on sizing requirements. The restaurant owners almost always scream bloody murder when given the pricing, and I’ve seen a number of jobs where the inspectors have backed down and allowed a reduction in capacity. Most don’t allow dishwashers to be discharged into the grease traps, even though doing so would enhance the grease trap’s performance slightly.
