Grease Trap Cleaning Plano TX

The Environmental Quality division of the Environmental Health & Sustainability department runs the city's commercial fats, oils and grease program. Its FOG inspectors visit food service establishments under the Liquid Waste Management Ordinance adopted in 2018, review service records and check trap condition. Questions about permits or inspection tiers go to that division rather than to the water billing office.

At least once every 90 days, and sooner if grease and solids reach 25 percent of the liquid depth. Treat 90 days as a ceiling, not a target. High-volume fryer kitchens near Legacy West often need monthly service, while lighter menus can stretch closer to the full window. We measure on every visit so your interval has real numbers behind it.

Expect the inspector to open the trap or interceptor, look at the grease cap and solids, and check baffles, tees and lids. They will ask for manifests showing service within 90 days and may look at sinks, dishwashers and floor drains to confirm greasy fixtures are plumbed through the trap. Clean records and a well-kept unit help you land in a lower inspection tier.

After several years of inspecting every food service establishment annually, the city moved to a risk-based tier system in 2022. Kitchens are grouped using past inspection results, so a location with a steady service record and no violations is inspected less often, while one with overflows or missed pump-outs stays on a tighter cycle. Consistent service is the simplest way to stay in a lower tier.

No. Additives can loosen grease and reduce odor for a while, but they remove nothing from the trap. Some products simply break grease into smaller droplets that re-form farther down the line in the city main. The ordinance still requires a full pump-out at least every 90 days, and a signed manifest is the proof inspectors expect to see.

Yes. Once we know your trap size and how fast it fills, we set a recurring date that stays inside the 90-day window and adjust it if readings show you creeping toward 25 percent. We call ahead to confirm each slot, which helps managers who oversee several Plano locations or deal with frequent staff turnover.

Yes. Food halls usually combine small under-counter traps at individual stalls with a larger shared interceptor managed by the property. We coordinate with both the tenant and the building engineer so the right unit is serviced at the right time, and we work before opening or after close to stay clear of the dining floor and the weekend crowds.

Long-simmered broths hold a lot of emulsified fat. Dumped hot, the broth passes through the sink as a cloudy liquid, then separates and floats once it cools in the trap. Daily broth changes can push a unit past 25 percent long before 90 days, so these kitchens usually do better on a two- to four-week cycle.

Yes. Hospital cafeterias rarely close, so we schedule overnight or between meal periods and coordinate with facilities and security ahead of time. We bring enough hose to reach interceptors from the dock or service drive, cone off the work area, and leave the signed manifest with the facilities contact before the truck pulls out.

Sometimes. Many 15th Street storefronts were built long before modern plumbing codes, so traps can be undersized for current menus or squeezed under prep sinks with little clearance. Older laterals may also have sags where grease collects. We note anything unusual on each visit so owners and landlords can plan repairs before a backup shuts the kitchen down.

Winter Storm Uri left many outdoor interceptors with grease caps frozen into solid slabs and, in some cases, cracked lids or risers. When restaurants reopened, that trapped grease moved all at once. If your interceptor sits in a shaded lot, booking a pump-out ahead of a forecast hard freeze is a sensible precaution that costs far less than a backup.

It can help. The festival at Oak Point Park each September brings large crowds to east Plano, and nearby restaurants and caterers often run heavier volume for several days. If your last service was weeks before the event, booking a pump-out right afterward keeps the grease layer from drifting toward 25 percent.