Football season can mean packed dining rooms, full bars, and nonstop kitchen activity. While that’s great for business, increased traffic can also put added pressure on your restaurant’s grease trap and plumbing system.
A little preventive restaurant grease trap maintenance before kickoff can help reduce the risk of clogs, backups, odors, pest problems, health code issues, and unexpected downtime during your busiest game days.
Here’s how to get your restaurant ready before football season gets into full swing.
Pregame Your Restaurant Grease Trap
When it comes to grease trap maintenance, prevention can help keep your restaurant ahead of the game. Rather than reacting after a clog or backup has already developed, consider scheduling a grease trap cleaning before the first big game.
As food volume increases, so does the amount of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) your kitchen produces. If your grease trap is already approaching capacity, heavier usage can contribute to grease buildup, clogged lines, backups, and overflows that may allow FOG to enter the downstream wastewater system.
Cleaning your grease trap ahead of football season is especially important if your kitchen staff has already noticed warning signs, including:
- Persistently slow-draining sinks
- Gurgling drains or floor drains
- Grease odors near dishwashing areas or drains
- Recurring clogs or near-clogs
- Wastewater backups
- Visible grease buildup around drain openings
Make sure employees know how to recognize and report these symptoms. Addressing warning signs early can help prevent a much bigger problem during a packed game day.
How Often Should a Restaurant Grease Trap Be Cleaned?
There isn’t one cleaning schedule that works for every restaurant. How often a restaurant grease trap needs cleaning can depend on the size and type of grease trap or interceptor, food volume, menu, kitchen practices, local regulations, and how quickly FOG accumulates.
Keeping accurate service records and monitoring your system can help you establish an appropriate cleaning schedule. If football season typically brings a significant increase in business, it may be worth having your grease trap serviced before that additional volume begins.
Prepare Your Restaurant Plumbing for Increased Traffic
Your grease trap is only one part of game-day preparation. Before the busy season begins, inspect your restaurant’s plumbing fixtures and make sure drains are flowing properly, including those in restrooms, kitchens, and janitorial areas.
If your restaurant has experienced recurring drain problems, commercial drain cleaning or a camera inspection may help identify buildup, damage, root intrusion, or other issues before increased traffic makes them worse.
It’s also a good time to check your water heater and related equipment to make sure your restaurant can keep up with heavier dishwashing and hot-water demands.
Review Grease Management Best Practices With Staff
Preventing grease-related problems requires the entire kitchen team. Before football season ramps up, remind employees about proper FOG management practices.
Never pour grease, cooking oil, or fryer oil down a sink. Employees should also avoid using hot water or dish soap as a “quick fix” for grease disposal. These methods can simply move grease farther down the plumbing system, where it can cool, harden, and contribute to blockages.
Instead, encourage staff to:
- Scrape food scraps from plates into the trash or compost before rinsing
- Wipe excess grease from pots and pans before washing
- Use sink strainers to catch food particles
- Keep clearly labeled grease disposal containers accessible
- Follow your restaurant’s established procedures for handling spills and disposing of FOG
Consistent habits can help protect your grease trap, plumbing system, and kitchen operations long after kickoff.
Create an Emergency Restaurant Plumbing Plan
Preventive maintenance is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of disruption during football season, but even a well-maintained restaurant can experience an unexpected plumbing or grease-related problem.
Before your busiest game days, make sure managers know your recent grease trap cleaning dates, previous plumbing issues, equipment history, and which service provider to contact if something goes wrong.
Having an emergency service plan in place can save valuable time and reduce the risk of an unexpected problem turning into extended downtime or a restaurant closure.
Get Your Restaurant Ready for Kickoff
A packed restaurant should be something to celebrate, not something that puts your plumbing system on the sidelines.
Scheduling restaurant grease trap cleaning and preventive plumbing maintenance before football season can help your kitchen handle increased demand and reduce the chances of an unpleasant surprise during the big game.
Wind River Environmental provides comprehensive wastewater and plumbing services to restaurants and commercial businesses, helping keep kitchens running smoothly and prevent costly disruptions. From grease trap pumping and drain cleaning to preventive maintenance and emergency services, our team is ready to help.
Visit PumpMyGrease.com to schedule grease pumping and other restaurant maintenance services.
