Can you clean a restaurant grease trap yourself?

No, not the full cleaning. Phoenix's FOG manual says that when fats, oils and solids pass 25 percent of the device's capacity, "the FSE is required to perform a full cleaning of the interceptor. Cleaning must be performed by a licensed pumper." The same page says the interceptor must be left completely empty, and that the FOG mat, liquids, sludge and scrapings from the interior walls must be removed and disposed of at a licensed waste disposal facility. The manual puts the responsibility on you: maintenance is "the sole responsibility of the user, or in the case of multiple user interceptors, the property owner." That means the pumper cleans it, but you answer for the schedule and the records.

Chandler's food service page is the clearest we found on the do-it-yourself option. It says "You may choose to clean your own FOG treatment device; however, most people do not attempt this more than once." It points out that even the smallest device contains at least 25 gallons of liquid waste and that "Liquid waste cannot be placed in the trash and must be disposed of properly." Its records list even has a line for the servicer: a county-licensed nonhazardous liquid waste hauler, "or employee name and title if self-serviced."

Mesa's interceptor code, Section 8-4-22, requires the owner to maintain the device in continuously efficient operation and to keep written records of all cleaning, repair, calibration and maintenance. It does not say who must do the cleaning. If you plan to self-service in Mesa, ask Water Resources first.

Cleaning is only half of it. The other half is carrying the contents away. Chapter II, Section VII of the Maricopa County Environmental Health Code says "No person shall remove, store, transport, or dispose of any Nonhazardous Liquid Wastes without applying for and receiving a permit to do so." The county's own FAQ lists grease trap wastes first among nonhazardous liquid wastes. The code also calls for county-numbered vehicles with tanks of at least 750 gallons and disposal only at a place the county approved. We did not find an exception in that text for a restaurant hauling its own trap waste, so ask the county before you try. The trash bin and the sink are both ruled out.

One more Phoenix rule: the removed contents cannot be put back. Its manual says "Under no circumstances, may the pumper reintroduce the removed water or materials into the interceptor or the sanitary sewer." Our Maricopa County hauler page explains what the permit covers.

Plenty, and it lowers how often you pay for pumping. Phoenix's kitchen best management practices include training and documenting employee training, scraping or dry-wiping food and grease from pots, pans, fryers, utensils, screens and mats into the trash instead of the drain, installing removable screens on all kitchen drains and cleaning them often, and cleaning up spills with dry methods before mopping. It also recommends you witness the interceptor cleaning to make sure the pumper cleans it completely, which is a good time to look for damaged or missing parts.

Phoenix also bars enzymes, bacteria and other additives used to dissolve grease in place of cleaning; see are enzyme grease drain treatments allowed in Phoenix. Rinsing scraped-out contents into a floor drain would run into the no-reintroduction rule above.

A small indoor trap is a smelly chore. A buried gravity interceptor is different. OSHA's confined space standard defines a confined space as one that "Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work," has "limited or restricted means for entry or exit" (it lists tanks, vaults and pits as examples), and is not designed for continuous occupancy. Whether a given interceptor is a permit-required space depends on its hazards, but nobody should climb into a tank without a plan, a crew and a rescue method.

1. 1Check which rule applies: your city's FOG code and the county waste rules.
2. 2Keep a standing pump-out with a permitted hauler; see how often to pump a grease trap.
3. 3Record every service. What to record in a grease trap maintenance log lists the fields.
4. 4Keep daily FOG habits, because they decide how often the truck comes.

HQ does not pump grease interceptors; a separate licensed hauler pumps first. What we do is inspect and repair interceptors, including baffles and inlets, with a three-person crew for confined-space work, and we give free estimates with upfront pricing.