Grease Traps
Commercial kitchens run on their grease interceptor working. When it stops, the drains back up, and a health inspection is not the moment to find out it has been neglected.
Grease Traps
When to call
What usually brings people to this
Slab foundations are a regional specialty. When a supply line under the concrete lets go, the first sign is usually a warm spot on the floor or a water bill nobody can explain.
These are the symptoms that usually prompt the call. Any one of them is worth a conversation, and most of them get cheaper to deal with the earlier they are looked at.
Slow kitchen drains
Odor from drains or around the trap
An overdue service interval
A health inspection coming
A new kitchen needing an interceptor sized
Left alone, most of these problems take something else with them: a floor, a cabinet, a section of drywall, sometimes a foundation.
Service on a schedule that fits the volume
Interceptor size and kitchen volume set the interval. Generic schedules do not fit anyone well.
Clean it properly
Full service rather than skimming the surface, which is what causes carryover into the line.
Check the line beyond it
A neglected trap has usually let grease into the line downstream, and that needs jetting.
Keep the records
Service documentation matters when someone asks for it.
Worth knowingWhat grease traps actually involves
Quotes are free and they are specific. A number with no explanation behind it is not much use to anybody.
Interceptor service intervals get set generically far too often, and generic intervals fit almost nobody. A high-volume kitchen may need monthly service while a small operation might run comfortably on a quarterly schedule. The correct interval comes from the interceptor's size against actual output, and from what the thing looks like when it is opened. We would rather set yours from observation than from a default.
Our trucks carry waterproof high-definition camera equipment, locating gear, cable machines and jetting capability, which means most calls are diagnosed and resolved on the same visit rather than turning into a sequence of appointments.
Four decades of work in this region built a service area that covers most of the Inland Empire. If you are outside the usual radius, call and ask. We cover more ground than most shops our size.
We check the obvious causes before the expensive ones, in that order.
Keeping it from happening again
Left alone, most of these problems take something else with them: a floor, a cabinet, a section of drywall, sometimes a foundation.
The cheapest plumbing is the kind that gets looked at before it fails. An annual walk of the visible plumbing, checking under sinks, around the water heater and at any exposed pipe, catches most problems while they are still small and dry.
For commercial property, a maintenance schedule on drains and interceptors costs a fraction of emergency response, and it is the difference between planned work and a closure.
If a drain has slowed, deal with it while it is slow. A slow drain is a partial blockage announcing itself, and it will finish the job eventually at a less convenient moment.
Watch your water bill. A bill that climbs without a change in habits is often the only warning a hidden leak will give you before the damage shows.
Who you are calling
We will tell you honestly when we can be there. An optimistic window that slips is worse than a realistic one.
The founder was a veteran and built the business around a simple promise: show up when you say you will, tell people the truth, and fix it properly the first time. His family holds to that.
Our credentials cover the inside plumbing, the septic and sewer side, and the engineering work that goes with putting things underground.
A veteran founded this company and his family runs it now. The standard he set is the one we are still held to.
Big Mike's · Yucaipa, California
Questions we get about grease traps
If yours is not here, call and ask. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
How often does a grease trap need service?
It depends on size and volume. Many kitchens land on a monthly or quarterly schedule, and we set yours to your actual output.
What happens if it is neglected?
Grease carries past the interceptor into the line, which then clogs. That is a closed kitchen, not a maintenance item.
Do you jet the line as well?
Yes, and a neglected trap almost always means the downstream line needs it.
Can you size an interceptor for a new kitchen?
Yes, based on fixtures and expected volume, to meet the local requirement.
Do you work with contractors and property managers?
Regularly. We coordinate around construction schedules, tenant access and operating hours as a matter of course.
What should I do before you arrive?
Know where your main water shutoff is and whether it turns. Clear access to the work area. If you smell gas, leave the building and call from outside.
How soon can you get here?
We run a 24-hour line and same-day service is normal. When you call we will give you a realistic window rather than an optimistic one that slips.
Can you handle septic as well as plumbing?
Yes, and it is a big part of what we do. We are licensed for sanitation systems, so tanks, leach lines and the plumbing that feeds them are all one contractor.
How this fits the rest of the system
Septic systems are far more sensitive to what goes into them than sewer connections are. A municipal system dilutes and treats at scale. A septic tank is a small ecosystem where wipes, grease, harsh chemicals and excessive water all cause real damage. The habits of the household matter more to septic longevity than the age of the equipment does.
Before we come out
Knowing when the problem started, whether it is constant or intermittent, and whether anything was done to the property recently tells us a surprising amount before we arrive.
Covering three counties means the drive is sometimes long, but it also means we have seen how plumbing behaves across a lot of different ground and water.
Related work and where we do it
Other septic and underground work
- Grease Trap Cleaning
Scheduled pump-outs and full cleaning.
- Grease Trap Repair
Failed lids, baffles and inlet lines.
- Grease Trap Installation
Sizing and setting a new interceptor.
- Leach Lines
Failing and saturated drain fields.
- Excavation
Trenching and digging for underground work.
- Leach Line Installation
New and replacement drain fields.
Call the shop. A person picks up.
Tell us what it is doing and we will tell you what it takes to fix it. Plain language, no sales pitch, and the number before we start.
Yucaipa, California · Serving San Bernardino, Riverside and eastern Los Angeles counties · Open 24 hours