Grease traps are an important part of restaurants, food businesses, and commercial kitchens. They tarp the fats, oils, and grease and prevent them from flowing into main sewer lines. These products can severely clog the plumbing and main sewer lines of the municipality. Grease Trap Cleaner Products play a vital role in cleaning and maintaining the grease traps.
However, this is expensive equipment and requires regular cleaning and maintenance. Many professional cleaning and maintenance services are available, but they are costly options.
There are various products and equipment available these days that will help you clean and maintain the grease traps.
Restaurants and business owners can buy these products and train their staff about how to use these products.
In this article, we have reviewed the eight best grease trap cleaner products and equipment. Then there is a guide in the end that will let you know how to use these products.
1. Black Diamond Stoneworks SERIOUS Grease Trap Treatment
Black diamond grease trap and drain opener is a bacterial enzyme-based product. It is a commercial-grade product and can be used to ensure the free flow of wastewater at huge restaurant grease traps and commercial kitchens.
This product uses advanced enzymes producing bacterial cultures that help you eliminate offensive odor like hydrogen sulfide and maintain the free flow of wastewater across the plumbing lines.
These bacterial cultures degrade the solid food particles, converting them to carbon dioxide and water.
Moreover, these enzymes producing bacterial cultures colonize inside the grease trap to prevent the accumulation of fats, oil, and grease. This product not only works inside the grease tarp but also opens the inlet and outlet drain.
In this way, they maintain the regular flow of wastewater and prevent damage and leakage. However, if you want to get the best out of this product, you must use it regularly.
It is recommended to use the product at midnight hours when the wastewater flow is at a minimum. At this time, bacterial cultures will get enough time for culturing and enzyme activity.
It is 100% safe to use in metal grease tarps, carbon-metal units, and drains of all types. The best thing about this product is that it is safe for the environment also. Black diamond FOG treatment product does not affect aquatic plants and animals.
Pros
Remove offensive odors
Prevents grease clogging
Safe for environment
Cons
Requires continuous use
If you are looking for a product that prevents the clogging and blockage of grease traps and drains, consider this amazing product by Black Diamond. It maintains the free flow of wastewater across the drain, decomposes the solid food particles, and reduces the overall cleaning and maintenance costs.
2. Total Solutions Bio Action Enzyme Grease Trap Maintainer
Total solution bio action enzyme is another grease trap maintenance product that potentially decomposes the solid food particles and digests the fats and oils.
This is an advanced product that consists of anaerobic and aerobic bacterial strains. These strains are selected on their ability to digest the oils, fats, and liquefy solid organic matter.
These bacterial strains, when injected into the grease trap, colonize in the clogged parts. They break down the organic matter into simpler substances like water and carbon dioxide, thereby preventing offensive smells like hydrogen sulfide.
This product is highly effective against minerals oils, animal oils, emulsified oils, other solid food particles, and even the soap and detergent residues present in the wastewater.
It’s a thick consistency product with commercial-grade strength that can be used in the large grease traps of restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and food factories.
Remember that this is not an instant drain opener like chemicals and disinfectants. It is recommended to use this bio-action product regularly so that enzyme-producing bacteria can colonize in the clogged parts of the drains and interceptor.
The best time to apply this product is at night when wastewater flow is minimum. Unlike chemicals drain openers, bleaches, and disinfectants, this product is completely harmless to plants and animals.
Pros
Digests the FOG
Reduces the offensive odors
Environmentally friendly
Cons
Expensive
Total solution bio action product is a long-lasting, maintenance solution for commercial grease traps. Regular use of this product will prevent clogging due to FOG and drain blockage due to solid food particles.
3. Biomaster Grease Trap Cleaner Treatment
Biomaster grease trap cleaner treatment is another chemical-free bio-action product. It is a commercial-grade product made with more than 60 bacterial strains.
All these strains are selected based on their ability to produce grease-eating enzymes. This bio-action product prevents clogging and blockage in the grease trap and drains.
Enzymes-producing bacteria colonize in those areas that are more prone to grease blockage. They produce grease-digestive enzymes and convert grease and fats into simpler harmless substances.
In this way, a major part of grease becomes part of wastewater. In this way, it also reduces the grease pumping time and cost.
It is recommended to use this product at night when the wastewater inflow rate is minimum. These conditions would help the bacterial strains colonize and produce grease-eating enzymes. Unlike chemical drain openers and bleaches, this product is completely harmless for plants and animals.
This product is harmless for the environment and aquatic life and is highly recommended by environmentalists. Remember, this is a slow action product and does not work instantly like chemical-based drain openers. To get the best performance, you must use it on a regular basis.
Pros
Zero chemicals
75% FOG reduction
60 plus enzyme-producing strains
Cons
Slow action
Biomaster grease tarp cleaner and maintainer is an environmentally friendly product, with more than 60 enzymes producing bacterial strains. This product is 100% safe for grease traps, drains, and aquatic life.
4. Vacmaster – Beast Professional Series 14 Gal. 6.5 HP
A shop vacuum is an amazing tool that helps you suck and collect the lingering waste from the grease interceptor. Vacmaster Shop-Vac is a commercial-grade shop vac featuring a powerful 6.5 HP motor. It features a user-friendly cart-design, making its maneuverability and storage a breeze.
Commercial grease traps are installed either outdoors or under sink compartments. At these places, it isn’t easy to get a power supply. Thankfully this machine features a 20 ft long power cord making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Moreover, when this cord length combines with a 7 ft cleaning hose, it gives you a total cleaning reach of 27 ft. This cleaning length gives you the flexibility to reach the interceptor’s narrow and difficult parts to collect waste.
Another good news is that it comes with its own 14-gallon storage tank. This feature makes waste collection and disposal pretty easy and straightforward. It means you don’t need to pair it with a bucket for waste collection.
Moreover, its tank uses high-quality stainless steel material that doesn’t corrode and is highly impact-resistant.
It is a complete package that includes a hose, extensions, nozzles, and floor brushes. With this complete toolkit, you can use this multi-purpose shop vac for multiple applications around the Jobsite and at home.
Another important feature of its design is the built-in cord and hose organization. This feature helps in quick, compact, and safe storage of the machine after use.
Pros
27 ft cleaning reach
14-gallon storage tank
User-friendly cart design
Cons
Expensive
Vacmaster shop vac is a powerful machine and can be used for commercial grease trap cleaning. With 27 ft cleaning reach, 14-gallon waste tank capacity, and 65 HP motor, this wet-dry vacuum can handle the bulk waste of restaurant grease traps.
If you are looking for an affordable shop vac for your compact grease tarp at home, school, cafe, or bakery, consider this fantastic option by shop-vac. It is a lightweight, portable unit that helps you suck the lingering grease and fats from the grease interceptors.
The most impressive feature of this shop vacuum is its user-friendly design. It comes in a hand-held design so that you can easily carry this equipment for various applications.
Furthermore, it also features a wall mounting design for quick and compact storage. The best thing is the mounting brackets are also included in the package. The convenient cord and hose storage makes it more simple and easy.
It features a 6 ft cord and a 4 ft hose pipe, giving you a total working length of 10 ft, which is fine for such a compact machine. This compact shop-vac also includes the necessary attachments like nozzles and crevice tools. The crevice tool will help you get through narrow spaces, corners, and tight spots.
With the help of this useful tool and its amazing suction power, you can efficiently grab the FOG and liquefied waste from every nook and corner of the grease interceptor and connected drains.
Pros
Portable and hand-held design
Wall-mounting design
It comes with all accessories.
Cons
Small storage tank
Shop-vac is a trusted American brand that manufactures a wide range of vacuum cleaners and related attachments every year. This compact wet-dry vacuum by Shop-vac is a useful gadget that will help you grab the grease and fats from the tight spaces of the grease interceptor.
6. CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 16 Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac
Craftsman shop vacuum is another powerful tool that can deal with the huge build-ups at commercial grease traps. It features a powerful motor with a 6.5 HP rating, giving it enough power to suck the liquid waste and FOG from the grease interceptors and drains.
It comes with a built-in large capacity tank for convenient waste collection. These built-in features eliminate the need for external bucket pairing. This 16-gallon waste tank collects the waste directly from the tarp, from where you can dispose of it.
Moreover, it features an oversized drain, making it a perfect choice for huge build-ups and liquid waste. This shop vac can suck the FOG build-up of 4 to 5 inches in commercial grease traps. Moreover, this oversized durian with maximum dual flex assists in the quick loading and unloading of liquids.
With a 20 ft electric cord and 7 ft hose, this machine gives a total working range of 27 ft. This length makes this tool suitable for outdoor, garage, and under-sink applications. Another impressive feature of this product is the Qwik lock filter fastening system.
This system allows the quick switching between wet and dry filters. It also includes all the important attachments like extension wands, wet nozzle, utility nozzle, car nozzle, dust collection bags, etc. Plus, it has a proper organization system for cord and hose that helps in compact and safe storage of the machine.
Pros
Oversized hose with added flex
27 ft cleaning range
Qwik lock filter fastening
Ideal for thick grease build-ups
Cons
Expensive
Craftsman wet/dry shop vac is a commercial-grade tool with an extremely powerful motor. It is suitable to deal with thick FOG build-ups in restaurant grease traps and commercial kitchens. Plus, its user-friendly features like a long extension cord and extension wands help it stand out as the best shop vac for commercial grease traps.
7. Bully Tools 92201 11-Gauge Sidewalk and Ice Scraper
Bully tools ice scraper is another useful tool for grease trap cleaning. Although it is an ice or sidewalk scraper, it can be used to clean the commercial grease interceptors and traps. This is a long handle scraper and can be used to scrape the grease and fats accumulated in the grease trap’s lid and walls.
The scraper measures around 56.5 x 6 x 1.5 inches, making it suitable for commercial grease trap cleaning, where grease build-up is usually thicker.
It is a USA-made product that uses 100% heavy-duty steel material in its construction. This 11-gauge steel construction helps it withstand the rough-use, extreme environment, and impact.
As handles and blades are made of powdered coated steel; therefore, they won’t bend and rust with time. The long handle helps you access all parts of the grease traps.
Plus, there is a polypropylene non-slip texture on the handle. This non-slip grip feature is helpful in using this scraper with rubber gloves, soapy hands, and wet hands. It also adds hand comfort and reduces wrist fatigue in case of extended use.
Pros
All-steel construction
Non-slip propylene grip
Long steel handle
Cons
Overpriced
Bully Tools USA-made ice scraper is an excellent tool for grease trap cleaning and service. Its long steel handle helps you access all parts of the grease trap, while its 6-inch wide blade helps you scrap the thick build-ups of grease from the interceptors’ walls and lids.
ISLIER snow removing kit is another useful tool that will help you scrap the grease and fats from the grease trap. This is a complete 3-in-1 tool kit consisting of a shovel, a soft bristle brush, and a metal scraper. The feature that impresses me the most is lightweight yet durable construction.
It comes with an aluminum handle that reduces its overall weight and features impact-resistant reinforced ABS attachments. Fiberglass reinforced attachments are highly resistant to corrosion, extreme temperature, and rough use. A teethed scraper helps you remove the thick layers of FOG from the grease interceptor, while a durable shovel helps you throw it away.
Soft bristle brushes also help you clean the lid and walls of the interceptor without scratching the surfaces. For added comfort, the lightweight tool has an adjustable arm length. You can adjust the length according to the cleaning requirement and can access all parts of the grease interceptor with quite an ease. Additionally, you can also adjust the angle of the brush and toothed scraper.
This is probably the most useful feature of this toolkit. It allows you to reach the tight spots at the corners of the grease trap. Although this toolkit doesn’t come preassembled, its part can be assembled within minutes. Moreover, you can also disassemble the parts for quick and compact storage.
Pros
Complete toolkit
Adjustable length and angle
Lightweight and durable
Affordable
Cons
The brush is too soft.
ISILER toolkit is useful equipment that will help you clean the lid, walls, and bottom of the grease trap. Moreover, its adjustable length and lightweight construction make it highly comfortable during extended use.
How to Use Grease Trap Cleaner Products and Equipment?
In this article, we have reviewed three different products and equipment for Grease trap cleaning. To get the best out of these products, you must know how to use these products.
The first three products on the list are bioactive enzyme-based products. These products consist of grease-eating enzyme-producing strains. Unlike chemicals and bleaches that push the FOG into sewer lines, these enzymes breakdown grease into simple and harmless components.
These products are injected into the grease trap and attached drains using enzyme injection equipment. This equipment is also called the metering pump.
This is advanced programmable equipment. You can adjust the timer and quantity of dosage on this equipment. This equipment is particularly useful for commercial grease traps where grease build-ups are thick.
The best time to inject the bio-action product is midnight when the wastewater inflow and outflow are minimal. This is the most favorable time for bacterial strains to colonize and produce enzymes. You can set the timer of the metering pump accordingly.
Bioaction products are slow-action products and should be used on a regular basis. The dosage amount depends upon the size of grease traps and the thickness of the grease layer.
However, it is recommended for initial treatment to use the maximum dosage, for example, 400 ml for a 15 lb grease tarp. After the initial treatment, you can decrease the dosage of bio-active products.
Then come the shop vacs. Shop vacs or wet/dry vacuums featuring powerful motors. These powerful motors give them immense suction power, and they can grab the grease and liquid waste from the grease traps.
Usually, the thick grease layer is removed manually, and then shop vacs are used to suck any lingering waste from grease traps. However, some powerful shop vac can also be used to remove the thick FOG layer from the grease traps.
If these shop vacs do not contain storage tanks, you must pair them with a bucket for waste collection. These tools come both in handheld; and cart design and offer a working distance of 10-30 ft. You will also need an electrical supply near the point of application to operate the shop vacs. The collected waste is disposed of properly afterward.
The third product reviewed is the metal scraper. This is a simple yet important piece of equipment that is used in grease trap cleaning. They are used to scrape lingering grease and fats from the walls and lid of grease traps. There are no specialized tools for grease traps, but you can use handheld ice scrapers for this purpose.
These metal scrapers will help you remove any remaining grease and waste from tight spaces and corners where shop vac cannot reach.
FAQs
How do restaurants clean grease traps?
Restaurants use various grease trap cleaner products and equipment for this purpose. These products include bio-active products. These bioactive products breakdown grease into simpler substances. They also use equipment like shovels to remove the thick grease layer, shop vacs, and metal scrapers to clean the grease trap.
Why does my grease trap smell?
Grease trap separates FOG and solid food particles from the wastewater. These products are broken down into simpler substances, and FOG forms a thick layer. Therefore grease trap smells like rotting foods. Hower it smells more badly if not maintained and cleaned on time.
Does vinegar dissolve grease?
Yes, Vinegar can dissolve grease. It contains 5% acetic acid that will break down the grease structure. Vinegar and warm water solution are used to open the drains clogged with grease, fats, and oils.
Final Thoughts
Grease trap cleaner products and equipment reviewed in this article will help you save on grease trap cleaning and maintenance costs. Bio-active products will eliminate odors, eat the grease and ensure the free flow of wastewater across the grease tarp.
Keep in mind that grease trap cleaning is not a simple process. You must train your staff properly and take all the precautionary measures. Grease tarps contain many harmful smells and gases. Plus, there are many harmful substances and pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore it is important to wear rubber gloves and a gas mask before working with grease interceptors.
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