Commercial kitchens produce a large amount of grease and fats that need to be disposed of regularly to maintain functionality and environmental regulations. Restaurants use grease traps or inflammable waste traps to collect these FOG (fat, oil, grease) materials, which prevents them from congealing in pipes and causing the sewer system to overflow. The grease collected from these kinds of kitchens can be categorized into two separate types: yellow grease and brown grease.
Yellow grease is typically used cooking oil left over from deep fat fryers and industrial-sized griddles. When the fryers need to be cleaned, the used grease is emptied into metal drum containers where it cools and congeals, and can then be recycled. It is considered a "clean" type of grease because the food it comes in contact with is either fresh or frozen, so there is no chance of contamination. Recycled yellow grease is mainly used to feed livestock, but it's also used to make soap, cosmetics, detergents, rubber, and some types of clothing. It can even be used to create biodiesel fuel! Biofuels that have been created from yellow grease burn cleaner than other types of fuel, they have a lower carbon content, and they don't produce carbon monoxide. They can be used to generate power and heat.
Brown grease is used to describe the FOG materials that are collected in grease traps or waste traps. These receptacles are designed to catch the FOGs before they can contaminate the rest of the sewer line. Some are small enough to fit under a commercial sink, while others need to be installed underground. Because the waste traps hold everything that is washed down a commercial drain, the grease mingles with rotting food and dirty water, making it unsafe and unsanitary for recycling purposes. Brown grease is usually pumped out of the waste traps and disposed of in landfills or incinerated. In the last few years, there has been some interest in creating ways to recycle brown grease. While it will never be suitable to manufacture the same types of products as its yellow counterpart, brown grease has the potential to become a viable alternative to diesel fuel and an oil substitute for heavy fuel. Developing technology may make it possible for brown grease to be processed in a manner similar to yellow grease, making it a viable source of biofuel.
The most important thing to remember about grease, whether yellow or brown, is to keep it out of your drain as much as possible. If left untreated, grease buildup almost always leads to sewer overflow. Remember to collect it and throw it away instead of dumping it down your sink or toilet! The environment will thank you, and so will your wallet!
What is storm sewer jetting? Jetting is a system that uses high-speed and high-pressure water to clear blockages and to clean pipes. Water is pumped through a high-PSI hose with heavy-duty tips attached. A gallon of water is pumped through per minute at a tremendous pressure.
Jetting can be used on sewer lines, septic lines, storm drains, drain fields, and pretty much any line that may be blocked. This is also very useful for restaurants and grease traps. Jetting will cut through grease, roots, and sand and provide a good flow. Jetting helps keep the lines clean and extends the life of the pipes by preventing buildup, which causes corrosion and breaks. This system also helps property owners avoid the need to have lines excavated and pumped out or replaced due to breakage.
Pumping a storm drain, sewer, or other lines involves a more intensive process. Lines must first be excavated, then a pump is brought in, connected to the lines, and operated. The pump is used to clear the blockage, get rid of excess water, or clean out the septic system or sewer. Numerous types of pumps are available, each suited to different jobs.
One of more common pumps is the sump pump, which is used to remove water from basements or areas where gravity isn’t sufficient to ease water flow. These are commonly used after a place has flooded or during mining, to keep water out of the pit. A sewer pumps is another type, which is brought in when a sewer backs up or needs to be emptied.
Both systems work and both have pros and cons, but if a person is trying to decide which system to use on a regular basis to keep the lines in shape and clean, Drain King recommends the jetting system. Although a jetting system may seem like a large investment for an hour of labor, it is preferable to having the yard excavated to get to the pipes and the need to bring in heavy equipment. The choice ultimately comes down to the needs of the job. Contact the professionals at Drain King to discuss these options and let us make dealing with your drain service issues a little easier.
Gutter maintenance. Those two words often strike fear and trepidation into the hearts of even the most seasoned DIY homeowner. Every fall and spring, gutters should be cleared of debris so they can drain freely. If rainwater can't drain, it will pool around the drain outlets and overflow, which could eventually cause the gutters to pull away from the house and the wood to rot behind them. If enough water builds up, it can push its way into the house. While gutter maintenance is inconvenient, it's preferable to a leaky roof. Keep reading for some tips to help the process go more smoothly.
Ladders. Make sure you choose a sturdy one that will support your weight and isn't too difficult to carry, since cleaning out the gutters will require multiple ladder repositions. Use a ladder shelf to hold a receptacle for gutter debris. If your gutters are higher than the first story, or you become nervous when climbing a ladder, it's best to leave gutter maintenance to a professional.
Protective Gear. This includes gloves, goggles, and a dust mask. Rubber gloves won't absorb gutter sludge, and will protect your hands from animal droppings that are full of bacteria, as well as loose screws or sharp pieces of metal. The goggles and dust mask will protect you from anything that gets blasted out of clogged gutter downspouts. The last thing you want to experience while cleaning your gutters is an eye injury. Besides rotting leaves and mud, small creatures—including frogs, rats, bees, and wasps—are occasionally flushed out.
Gutter Scoop. These bright orange, inexpensive plastic scoops are available at hardware stores. The front edge of the scoop is very thin and flexible, making it an effective tool for gutter cleaning. Do not use a metal scoop! The metal can scrape across the gutter seams, loosening the caulk that holds them together. If you have metal gutters, the metal-to-metal contact can introduce rust to otherwise healthy steel. If there are already some rusty spots, this will speed up the rusting process, which leads to leaky gutters and eventual replacement.
Garden Hose. Once all the gutter grunge has been cleared, flush the gutters and downspouts with a garden hose. You can attach a pressure nozzle or sprayer for greater force and easier control. Direct the stream of water toward the downspout. If there is a clog in the downspout, you can use an auger (technician's snake) to clear it. It's easy to check for leaks at this stage, when water is flowing freely through the gutters. If you mark them, you can easily patch and repair them once the gutter is dry.
The professional at Drain King are available to answer your questions on gutter cleaning and all other drain service related issues.
Have you ever walked into a public restroom or a restroom in an office building and been hit with a strong, unpleasant odor? This may be the result of a dirty or clogged floor drain. Floor drains are found in many places like commercial restrooms and industrial spaces, near and around water heaters, in basements, kitchens, or laundry rooms.
The floor drain captures overflow water from sinks, toilets, tubs, rain, and any other pipe in your home, and then directs it safely to a sewer or municipal storm drain, so floors stay dry and rooms do not flood.
If you have floor drains in your home or business and you smell something bad coming from them, it’s typically because the traps have dried out. Floor drains have a U-shaped or P-trap pipe, just like your bathroom sink drain. The U-shaped pipe is designed to hold water that stands in the pipe and prevents sewer gases from coming up through the drain. If you smell sewer gas, fill the drain with a five-gallon bucket of water. This will seal off sewer gases and also let you see if the drain is working properly.
Floor drains become clogged just like any other drain, even more often because they’re on the floor where dirt collects. If your floor drain is clogged or slow, take steps to remove the clog. Use a drain auger or snake to see if you can reach the clog. Floor drains are often connected to longer pipes, so if you are still having problems, please call our professionals at Drain King. We can unclog and, if needed, clean out the pipe.
Sewer clogs are a very serious drain service problem. In most cases, the water comes back into the household drain service creating a bigger problem. In some cases, one may not be aware of a sewer problem. Regular scheduled sewer maintenance, performed by a professional technician, will help eliminate sewer clogs. Typically, many pipes and drains in different parts of the house can be connected in multiple places. Problems in one area can affect the other. Therefore, in cases of sewer clogs, you would need the expertise of professional technicians to assess and repairs these clogs.
A professional and reliable drain service company or technician should have experience clearing shower drains, stairwell drains, laundry drains, flood drain clogs, to name a few. They should also have the proper large tools, equipment or machinery for clearing said sewers, no matter how long the sewers are. They should also have the ability to clean sewers or downspouts penetrated by roots or other such blockades.
A full sewer inspection must be able to determine the cause of the clogs, preferably a video inspection, in the case of main sewer cleaning, to accurately locate the problem. Provide you with detailed precautions to take, in order to avoid a future clogged sewer. A 90 day-1 year rodding guarantee on the sewers. They must also ensure to wear/use protective equipment while working, so as to not dirty the indoors. Most importantly, use proper, state of-the-art equipment so as to be cost effective. Based on the type of drain and severity of the clog/backup, several different heavy-duty commercial grade cables/snake machines, video camera inspections and high pressure jetting, etc. can be employed. A professional or expert will not only use one of these techniques effectively, but should also be able to ensure that the problem is handled for good.
Here at Drain King, we are not only a professional company that will provide you with the above benefits but you can rely on. We are clean, honest, and dependable. We have fast response times and can fix your problem in the shortest time possible. Consider calling our experts for your next sewer cleaning.
