Fat, oil, and grease can clog treatment systems, wastewater collection, septic tanks, holding tanks, and grease traps. Blockages cause water to overflow from holding tanks, leading to sewage spills. This can result in serious problems like property damage, environmental pollution, and health hazards. Restaurants that dispose of animal- and vegetable-based oil and grease wastes also contribute to this problem.
Institutions producing grease should ensure maximum control in order to evade these problems. In addition to damaging wastewater treatment, hazardous materials like mold and bacteria can enter the environment through the air and may lead to health problems once inhaled.
Winds transport untreated fat, oil and grease (FOG) materials to the environment. Untreated FOG materials can also attract pests like cockroaches, mice, and rats.
Disposal of FOG materials without treatment leads to their accumulation in pipelines. This makes it difficult to transport wastes to drainage lines, as they tamper with the smooth flow. Companies that dispose of large amounts of waste may be forced to stop their activities if blockage by FOG materials is not attended to urgently.
Grease causes serious problems, thus it needs serious attention. Below are some methods of effective grease control.
Establishment of Grease Arrestors
Arrestors are compact and lightweight and can be installed in existing or new facilities. They can be placed anywhere to help reduce disposal. They have an advantage over concrete ones because they are portable. Also, they are built with polythene and thermal plastics, which are anticorrosive. Devices like these are used in grease-cleaning facilities and to trap other chemical pollutants. Contact us for information to on the use of arrestors and how they can help your business.
Establishment of Dosing Systems
This method is widely used in companies that deal with water treatment or use disinfected water. It makes sense for companies to invest in their own dosing systems. This device is easy to handle and install. Its maintenance cost is also low, which adds to its appeal.
Oil Grease Separator Device
This device prevents oil and other greasy wastes from mixing with sewer and stormwater. These machines help reduce problems that may arise due to contamination. Drain King advises companies to purchase these machines online to ensure they receive correct pricing and find the best dealers in the market.
Cleaning Sewers
Sewer cleaning is also another effective grease-control method. This helps to restore and maintain hydraulic capacity, thus preventing blockage or spills. Blockage can also occur after the sewers are cleaned, due to the nature of residential, industrial, or commercial discharges. Most cities keep records of performance at high-problem areas to ensure close supervision.
Cleaning of sewers is costly and resource-intensive. Therefore, if not performed consistently, it may not prevent all grease in these areas. In areas where cleaning is done at short intervals, extra effort might be needed to control the source of the problems. These efforts may include replacement of broken sections of sewer pipes or inspecting grease-removing equipment.
If you are involved in a food business such as a restaurant, café, or hotel, you are probably aware that you have to prevent grease from entering the sewer system after exiting your establishment’s sink and drainage. By law, all commercial kitchen areas in the U.S. are required to have grease traps installed to prevent this from happening.
A grease trap, also known as a grease interceptor, is part of the plumbing structure designed to prevent grease and other food-waste materials from entering a septic system or sewer. Without it, grease and oily substances will congeal, form a solid mass, and cause blockage, which may lead to burst pipes. Damages caused by grease blockage can be very costly and taxing. That is why law requires installations of grease traps in establishments where a huge amount of grease is used.
Different types of grease traps are available, depending on how your business operates. These include single-tank traps, double-walled tanks, solid interceptors, oil-water separators, and above-ground interceptors. There are slight differences in how each type works, but they all perform the same basic function, to separate fat, oil and grease from water and solid-food waste. Imagine taking a pail of cold water and pouring in oil. The oil will float to the top of the pail and solidify.
This is how a grease trap works. From the drain, it captures the untreated water (water with grease, oil and other solid-food wastes) and deposits it into the grease-trap tank. This tank acts as a reservoir and holds the wastewater and food that passes through the trap. Solid-food wastes, being the heaviest, drop to the bottom. As the greasy substances harden, they float to the top of the tank, displacing the liquid at the middle. A tube fitting is attached to the tank, allowing the liquid to flow into the sewer or sanitary system. Some grease traps are designed to have a second tank to trap additional grease that may have escaped through the first tank, and the same process is repeated.
Like any other equipment, grease traps need to be properly cleaned out so they work as intended. Over time, it is possible to develop clogs in the flowing line (both ingoing and outgoing) and crossover tube, even if the grease-trap tank is not full.
If you have any technical issues with your grease interceptor, contact the manufacturer or hire a Drain King professional to test for and repair any malfunctions. Alternatively, a full grease trap is no longer capable of filtering any grease or solid food. You can either call the manufacturer or hire us to empty the contents of the tank and restore its operative capacity.
Common grease-trap maintenance expenses include drain snaking, power jetting, and line jetting. Maintenance is needed when plumbing between the drain, grease traps, or sewer gets blocked with grease deposits. These deposits are removed by forcing water down the pipes with high pressure to push the grease out with power-jetting or line-jetting procedures.
Today, let’s talk about proactive drain care maintenance. I know—it’s not the most glamorous topic, and you might be thinking, “I’ve run my business for years without a single drain issue. Why worry now?” If that’s the case, it’s easy to see why proactive drain maintenance might not feel like a priority.
But here’s the truth: the aftermath of a full-scale sewer backup can be devastating for a business—and it’s entirely preventable.
When a plumbing issue arises, the costs go far beyond the price of repairs. A backed-up drain or burst pipe doesn’t just damage furniture and drywall—it can seriously tarnish your reputation. Customers might wonder if your sudden closure was due to a health violation or something equally alarming. Worse, if they find out it was a sewer backup, will they trust you enough to return?
Even loyal customers don’t always come back immediately. Habits change, and your business could face weeks—or months—of slower revenue as you try to rebuild trust. Add to that the potential loss of employee morale, salaries paid for downtime, and the struggle to retain staff, and the ripple effects of a plumbing failure can feel endless.
The reality is that plumbing failures are a leading cause of business downtime, especially in industries like hospitality. Studies show that 25% of downtime in this sector is caused by plumbing issues—and these problems take the longest to repair. Without a proper maintenance plan, minor issues can escalate into emergencies that require significant time, money, and effort to resolve.
This is why proactive maintenance matters. With Drain King, you can avoid the chaos and expense of unexpected shutdowns. Our professional maintenance services are designed to keep your plumbing system in top condition, identifying and addressing potential problems before they spiral out of control.
We work on your schedule, inspecting and cleaning drains during non-business hours to minimize disruption. This proactive approach saves money, reduces repair costs, protects your reputation, and keeps your business running smoothly.
You wouldn’t drive on bald tires or ignore a flickering light in your store—so why take chances with your plumbing system? Drain King ensures your drains are clean, your systems are functioning, and your business is protected from costly interruptions.
Take the proactive step today and save money by preventing tomorrow’s emergencies. With Drain King, you’ll operate with confidence, knowing your business is safeguarded against the unexpected.
Overpowering and unpleasant sewer smell inside the house can be the result of numerous failures. The sewage disposal system depends on other systems like plumbing, vent and trap systems in order to function correctly.
Smelly Odor in Home
Sewage waste, when degraded by bacteria (which has a vile odor of its own, as well), releases various pungent gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide. In addition to the strong offensive odor, these gases can be combustible and hazardous.
The possible causes include:
Incorrect or a lack of vents in the traps - Vents on a drain let the sewer gases exit the drain system without coming into the house through plumbing fixtures while the traps form an airlock seal against sewer gases that prevent them from entering the home.
A clogged drain – doesn't allow the odors to get to the vents, which will force them into your home.
Improperly assembled toilet - broken seals around the toilet that allow water to leak or dry out the traps which will cause the odor. An airtight seal between the toilet and floor is absolutely vital in preventing sewer smell from coming indoors. Old, rotting or damp wood can also be blamed.
Leaky, faulty pipes, especially if they are old cast iron – Gasses can collect inside the pipes and escape into the house.
Low water level in the toilet – is another possible cause especially in toilets that don’t get used often.
These are just a few reasons why you may be smelling sewer inside the house. Please contact us at Drain King, where our professionals can determine the exact cause of the sewer smell and eliminate it. It is important to note that sewer smells are dangerous. You and your family should not be exposed to them for long periods of time.
Lift stations are not something a homeowner or business owner thinks about until something goes wrong. A lift station is used to pump wastewater or sewage from a low level to a higher level when the gradient of the area does not allow for a natural flow.
There are two main elements to a lift station: the wet well and the controls. The wet well is a basin into which the inflow is discharged and where the pumps sit. The control panel is the brain of the lift station.
So, how do lift stations work? Sewage is stored and fed into a pit. Once this sewage reaches a certain level, electrical instruments recognize the pit is full and activate the pump, which will then pump the sewage out to its next destination. Most lift stations are housed underground to prevent health risks in a confined area, since the sewage can release poisonous gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide. Therefore, it is essential that owners of existing lift stations consult a professional like Drain King to ensure the pump is still working sufficiently.
A professional can also ensure proper maintenance of your lift station. The pumps, electronic controls, and electrical system are all in a constant corrosive environment, so lift stations require maintenance to head off the need for costly repairs.
Proper maintenance includes wet wells being pumped out and cleaned to prevent solids and grease buildup, inspection of the pumps, greasing of the check valves, and inspections and cleaning of the floats to assure proper performance. Also included is an inspection of all electrical motor-control equipment and of the basin, clean-outs, and covers to prevent buildup.
The average homeowner likely knows sewer lines help transport wastewater from the home to underground sewer mains. Other than that, most homeowners give little thought to their sewer lines, until there’s a problem. A sewer line backup could lead to a costly and damaging impact on your home and belongings.
Knowing two of the most common red flags could save you from a complete sewer backup, including water overflow from a drain or toilet, or a gurgling sound coming from the pipes or drains. Listen to your house and take notice of percolating water.
Your home’s plumbing resembles a tree. You have one main line that runs out of the house with smaller branches off that main line. If a clog is in the main line, any water you run in the house will cause problems. If it’s a secondary line, problems are just going to be isolated to that area. Tree roots are the primary cause of sewer line clogs, especially in older homes. In newer homes, common sources of clogs include feminine hygiene products, paper towels, and even certain types of thicker toilet paper.
A very obvious sign of a sewer drain clog is when more than one plumbing fixture backs up at the same time. If you suspect that you have a sewer drain clog, start by checking other fixtures in the home. Toilets have the most direct path to the sewer and the biggest drain line in the house, so if there is a problem with the sewer drain you will notice it here. Other drains typically affected by a main line stoppage are those in the tub and shower, because they sit lower down than a sink drain. Check whether the tub and shower drains are blocked.
If you suspect a sewer clog but can’t find the source, please call the professionals at Drain King for a diagnosis.
