Pump-Out and Repair, Scheduled as One Job

The hauler pumps, then HQ repairs. That order is not negotiable, because nobody repairs inside a tank that is full of grease and water. A licensed pumper empties and cleans the tank, and our three-person confined-space crew arrives right behind the truck to inspect and fix what is broken. HQ does not pump grease interceptors and does not offer to.

Two different companies are involved because two different permissions are. Maricopa County permits the trucks that haul grease trap waste, and Phoenix says cleaning must be done by a licensed pumper. Repairs are a plumbing job. Splitting the work this way means each side does only what it is licensed and equipped for.

Most restaurants cannot lose the kitchen at lunch. So the visits go early. The pump truck comes around 3 or 4 a.m., and our crew arrives shortly after, typically in time to finish before the day's cooking starts. A job like that costs the kitchen one early morning instead of two.

Here is how the morning tends to run.

1. 1The kitchen stops sending grease-bearing wastewater to the tank for the work window. Plan prep and cleanup around that.
2. 2The hauler pumps and cleans the tank to empty. Phoenix says the tank must be left completely empty.
3. 3We enter, inspect and repair. The entry procedure is on our confined-space entry page.
4. 4We write down what was found and done, and the hauler leaves their ticket. Both go in the log.
5. 5The tank goes back into service and the kitchen opens as usual.

Tell us the window you need, and we tell you before we start whether the repair fits it. If the tank turns out to need more than the window allows, we say so before the lid is open, not after.

You can deal with the hauler directly, or you can let us coordinate and put it on one invoice. The pumping charge passes through from the hauler. Either way, you still keep the hauler's ticket for your records, since Chandler asks for the servicer and the quantity removed, and Phoenix wants invoices from third-party contractors available on site.

Do not pay for a special pump-out when a scheduled one is coming. Phoenix requires gravity interceptors to be pumped at least every three months, and Tempe sets quarterly service. If your next routine pump-out is close, book the repair for that morning. If a city notice or a failing part cannot wait, move up the pump-out and keep the ticket. Our page on how often a Phoenix restaurant must pump its interceptor sets out the schedule.

A short call saves a lot of trouble. Tell the pumper:

• A repair crew is following the truck, so the tank must be left empty and not refilled.
• Which parts you suspect, or what the inspector wrote.
• Where the lids are, and that nothing sits on them. See lid and riser repair.
• To note any broken or missing part they see, and tell you before they leave. Phoenix calls witnessing the cleaning a good time to spot damaged or missing parts.

Look for the county permit number on the truck, and see who can haul grease trap waste in Maricopa County.

You do not need a coordinated visit if all you need is routine pumping, or if the problem is not inside the tank. A routine pump-out is the hauler's job alone. If grease is showing up in the line and you have not checked the tank's parts, an inside inspection comes first, and pumping more often will not fix a failed part.

If the tank is clearly beyond repair, the visit turns into replacement planning, where plan review comes before any digging.

Give us your city, the tank size, your hauler if you have one, and the date of the next pump-out. If you do not have a hauler, we can coordinate the visit. We offer 24/7 emergency service, free estimates and an upfront price before work starts. Related: grease trap and interceptor service, restaurant plumbing and breweries and bars.