Every year, millions of tons of fats and greases get into the sewerage system. This is a serious issue because greases easily stick to the walls of pipes, eventually causing blockages, malfunctioning pumps, and a lot of money for repairs. If these greases finally get into the natural watercourses, they can result in huge damage to the marine environment.

To address these challenges, companies, businesses, and entities that deal with fats, oils, and grease (FOG) are required to install grease traps. These are easy-to-use facilities that come in handy in protecting the environment and keeping the cost of operations low. In this post, we take a closer look at grease traps to answer two primary questions, “What are they?” and “What are the different types?”

What is a Grease Trap?

Grease traps have been around for over 100 years, and they go by names such as grease recovery, catchers, converters, interceptors, and fats, oils, and grease (FOG) traps. They are recommended for a wide range of environments, including:

• Cafes.
• Restaurants.
• Hotels.
• Bars and pubs.
• Bakeries.
• Schools.
• Industrial facilities dealing with food processing.

A grease trap is a type of receptacle where wastewater goes through before joining the drainage system. It helps to trap FOG while allowing the water to escape away. When water gets into the trap, the flow rate is reduced so that the greases and oil separate and settle at the top where it is trapped.

The Main Types of Grease Traps

There are three categories of grease traps; automatic, gravity and passive models.

Passive Grease Traps (Manual)

This is considered the most basic type of grease trap and is recommended for small establishments. They are cheap and can also be easily installed under sinks using standard plumbing fittings. However, larger models for bigger establishments, such as hotels or wastewater treatment units, are also available.

Automatic Grease Traps

Also referred to as automatic grease removal units (AGRUs), these grease traps rely on the same principles as the passive models. However, they work by automatically re-heating and skimming out the fats, oils and grease (FOG) using a programmed schedule. Then, the skimmed fog is shifted to a collector bin for easy removal and recycling. The programmed models rely on programmable logic controllers and computer apps for progressive monitoring. The automatic grease traps are considered the most efficient models of the three.

Gravity Grease Traps

These are large in-ground tanks designed using materials such as steel, fiberglass or concrete. They are made to work like passive grease traps but have a larger capacity and are recommended for high-flow applications. If you opt for the gravity grease traps, ensure they are pumped regularly.

Whether you have a small or large facility that releases greases, oils, and fast as waste, it is important to ensure they are trapped to avoid damage to your facility and polluting the environment. In addition to using grease traps, it is crucial to ensure your facility’s plumbing system is done and maintained well for effective performance.