Tagged with 'grease'

Why size is no excuse for reducing grease pretreatment standards

Outdoor grease interceptorOne size fits all might be an appropriate term for a rain poncho. Or a baseball hat fitted with an elastic band. Perhaps even a baggy pair of sweatpants with a drawstring. But, the term has no place in the world of grease pretreatment. 

For a pretreatment plan to be effective, the effluent rate of a commercial kitchen, along with its size and type of food served, must be considered.

The century-old technology that is the traditional concrete interceptor is still the go-to choice for many food service establishments, despite its numerous problems. These are viable for some facilities — if they have the space. But it’s just not practical for many others. Many establishments, such as strip mall restaurants or restaurants located inside office buildings or in tightly packed urban areas, don’t have the available outdoor space.

But there are other choices.

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You might be surprised at all the ways grease interceptors protect the environment

Clean river waterThe federal government takes grease seriously. Very seriously. In fact, the Department of Justice is ready, and willing, to issue federal jail time to any individual who knowingly violates the Clean Water Act, a standing tenet of which is proper grease disposal.

Just ask Mobile, Ala.’s DHS Inc. In 2011, the president and manager were charged in a 43-count indictment with violations of the Clean Water Act, as well as conspiracy and fraud. Their company, which was hired to remove the FOGs from grease interceptors, was, ironically, allegedly dumping the collected grease directly into local sewer systems — the same systems they were being paid to protect.

Grease interceptors do more than just keep fats, oils and grease out of the wastewater system. Properly maintained grease intereceptors protect your community's environment in a number of ways.

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Grease interceptor design: A life-or-death decision

Hydrogen sulfide warning signThink about the grease interceptor in your food service establishment.

You’ve seen it labor on through long days, lunch rushes followed by full-house dinners — the silent workhorse of the kitchen that helps keep your commercial kitchen environmentally friendly.

But, did you know that the design of your grease trap could have potentially devastating effects on the health of your kitchen staff?

When not properly designed and maintained, grease traps can become a breeding ground for bacteria that release hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a pungent and sometimes deadly gas. This gas can cause health problems, which is bad enough. In addition, though, the gas can damage some grease interceptors, reducing their lifespans and creating potentially higher costs.

Fortunately, this isn't inevitable. Learn more about the dangers of hydrogen sulfide and how that should figure into your grease intereceptor decisions. 

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A primer on commercial kitchen FOG waste

Frying eggs and baconIt’s not very often that wastewater system workers are hailed as heroes in the headlines around the world. But in August 2013, that’s what happened.

News media around the world picked up the story of London’s ‘fatberg,’ a bus-sized, 33,000-pound mass of fats, oils and grease that had clogged an 8-foot diameter sewer line.

The English newspaper The Guardian reported:

A sewage worker has become an unlikely hero after taking three weeks to defeat a toxic 15-tonne ball of congealed fat the size of a bus that came close to turning parts of the London borough of Kingston upon Thames into a cesspit.”

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Why point-source grease interceptors may be the ideal choice


W-250-IS Model 40kIf you own a restaurant or other business within the foodservice industry, chances are good you’re already using some sort of grease interceptor. If not, sooner or later you’ll likely face clogged pipes, back-ups into your kitchen and costly fines.

In the United States, there are three types of grease interceptors generally found within the foodservice industry: small passive hydromechanical grease interceptors (sometimes referred to as grease traps), larger grease interceptors made out of plastic, fiberglass, steel or concrete, and automatic grease removal devices. Though using any of these options is better than nothing, all grease traps are not created equally and, as technology improves, so do grease interceptors.

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New Big Dipper Digital Control Increases Life, Improves User Experience

Big Dipper Push Button InterfaceIn the three decades since Thermaco developed the innovative Big Dipper grease interceptor, more than 33,000 units have been installed in commercial kitchens around the world. 

Thermaco is also focused on continuing to innovate, and we’re proud to announce the new and improved 40000 Series Big Dipper with digital control. We know a food service establisment's priorities for a grease interceptor are simple: efficient operation, minimal maintenance, and compliance.

The 40000 Series Big Dipper with a new digital control unit is designed to help accomplish all those goals.

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Six ways your commercial kitchen might be out of compliance

Chef and Waiter discussing menu

You always score a solid "A" during health department inspections.

You make sure your fire extinguishers and other safety gear is regularly inspected.

And if something goes wrong with a piece of equipment, you immediately call a service technician and get it fixed.

While you may think you’re doing everything you could, and everything you should, to keep your commercial kitchen in compliance with government regulations, there are still a few surprises that could trip you up.

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Increases in Eating Out Put More Pressure on Pretreatment

Sandwich and friesChanging demographics and lifestyles are producing greater strains on water treatment systems and could threaten water quality. Surprised? It’s true. And we’re not just talking about the strain of a growing population.
 
Since the 1970s, the amount of food consumed at restaurants or purchased from take-out spots has increased dramatically. And with that, comes more commercial kitchen wastewater entering the sewers.
 
2006 USDA study, for example, found that from the 1970s to the 1990s, the percent of daily calories from meals purchased away from home increased from 18 percent to 32 percent. And from 1974 to 2004, away-from-home spending grew from 34 percent of total food dollars to about half of all food expenditures.
 

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What’s Your Flatulence Suffering Preference?

Pumping out TrapzillaA Long Poot or a Short Toot?

The smell was putrid, foreign, the caller said.

The strange odor, which emanated from somewhere on the college campus, stung the nostrils of the untrained and the unsuspecting.

But mostly the smell, characteristic of rotten eggs, was making people afraid.
What is it? What can it be?

The students wrongly assumed the awful smells were from hazardous chemicals. Someone called in a Hazmat team, and buildings were evacuated.

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Why should we care about Grease?

Greasy Frying PanRestaurants, caterers, cafeterias and other entities involved in preparing and cooking large quantities of food are — well, should be — knowledgeable in regard to the proper ways of discarding waste, specifically grease that could clog drains and pipes and ultimately harm sewer systems. 

But what about the home cook, the person charged with doing the dishes or cleaning the kitchen?

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