What a failing grease trap looks like
The first sign is usually the floor drain or floor sink: water comes up, drains slowly, or sits after the dishwasher runs. Other signs are standing water around the trap lid, a rotten-egg or sewer smell, a slow three-compartment sink, grease at a downstream manhole, or a notice from the sewer authority or health inspector.
One slow sink is a different problem from the whole kitchen backing up. A single slow sink is often a clog in its own line, and drain cleaning may be all it needs. When several fixtures back up, suspect the trap or the line past it.
What causes it
Most often the trap is past its pumping interval. A common rule of thumb is to pump before fats, oils, grease and settled solids fill about a quarter of the trap's depth. Other causes: a broken or missing baffle or outlet tee, a blocked inlet or outlet line, an under-sink trap too small for the kitchen, or a dishwasher flushing melted grease past the trap.
What the job involves
A small under-sink hydromechanical trap is cleaned by hand. A large in-ground interceptor needs a pump truck. The plumber pumps out the grease and water, scrapes the walls, checks the baffles and outlet tee, and clears the inlet and outlet lines. Afterward you should get a service record or manifest, which many sewer authorities ask to see.
If grease has coated the line downstream, a cable machine may only punch a hole through it. Ask about hydro jetting and a camera. For other kitchen fixtures and floor sinks, see commercial plumbing.
What affects the price
Cost depends on trap size and type, how long since the last pumping, and how hard the lid is to reach: under a sink, under a floor, or in a parking lot. It also depends on whether the downstream line needs jetting, how the waste is disposed of, and whether a broken or undersized trap needs repair, replacement or a permit.
What to do first
Stop running water to the affected sinks and the dishwasher. Do not pour chemicals or enzymes into the trap to dissolve it; they push grease down the line and do not fix a full trap. Keep staff away from an open in-ground lid.
When it is an emergency
Call right away if wastewater is on the kitchen floor, sewage odor reaches the dining room, or an inspection deadline is close.
Local rules in Vermillion, SD
Most cities and county sewer authorities run a fats, oils and grease (FOG) program that sets a required pumping interval and asks for proof of service. Rules differ by jurisdiction, so the interval in Vermillion, SD is set by the local sewer authority, not by the trap.
Smart Pro Plumbers is a referral service, not the contractor. We connect Vermillion, SD kitchens with an independent local plumber for grease trap cleaning, repair or interceptor installation. Call (844) 898-0295 to be connected.
