In order to have better FOG control for your homes and communities as a whole, it's important to first understand what it takes to implement FOG removal. Before we get ahead of ourselves, I'm sure you might be thinking "what even is FOG?"
FOG stands for fats, oils, and greases. They can be found in pretty much every households and many restaurants, mainly from oily cooking oil and hollandaise left on plates, to grease that has clung to the ventilation hood. And without proper FOG removal, all of this FOG has to end up somewhere - which is usually your drain pipes, the dishwasher or floor drains, or even the mop sink.
Without FOG removal, FOG can build up and narrow the internal opening of the pipe by being poured down or washed down the drain. FOG control is vital otherwise FOG can eventually clog the pipes and cause sewage to back up into your home, streets, storm drains, and other places. What's worse is that these sanitary sewer overflows can damage our rivers, streams, and streets.
Lack of FOG control can lead to business closures and release bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Without FOG removal best practices can also mean spreading disease, which poses a risk to public health and is costly to clean up. Private property owners usually pay for the cleanup costs if they happen.
FOG control practices can keep FOG out of your pipes. If you recognize a need for FOG removal, first contact your local sanitation district (city/county municipality). They can help you avoid potential pitfalls and may even offer free resources (e.g. log books, posters). You must follow these steps to ensure FOG control is in its right place.
One commonly made mistake for FOG removal is people pouring excess oil or grease down the drain. It is forbidden to pour excess oil or grease down your drain. For rendering FOG control by a third party contractor, you should keep the "yellow grease" in separate bins.
Before using a pre-rinse spray valve or dishwasher, scrape any extra grease from plates and cookware. You can either throw away excess grease or recycle it in a food waste recycling program. Drain screens are a great FOG control tool to prevent grease and food particles from clogging your pipes.
To reduce grease from the drains, wipe up any grease using a paper towel or a cloth. For better FOG removal, and to reduce the grease that ends up in your drains, you should only put non-greasy food (e.g. raw vegetables) into the garbage disposal. In commercial kitchens, use grease control device and other city specified steps that should be included in all employee training materials regarding FOG control.
FOG Control Best Practices
Refresher training is a good way to keep FOG removal procedures top of mind. Many sewer agencies require foodservice companies to keep log sheets that document their ongoing employee training in commercial kitchens and restaurants. Most require refresher training every year.
To prevent blockages or buildup, it is important to clean your lateral sewer lines at least once a month. These pipes are often not cleaned by sewer agencies which means that FOG can build up and cause blockages over time. For better FOG control, you can avoid overflows by regularly inspecting your private sewer lines using closed circuit television.
To prevent FOG accumulation, you should clean your ventilation hoods frequently. You should also clean your roof's grease pans and vents regularly. You can dispose of any leftover cleaning water implement FOG removal by using a grease interceptor, or another offsite disposal method.
For FOG Control Programs in a city or county, you will need to maintain compliance with the requirements for regular cleaning and proper disposal. It can be difficult to choose the right grease waste hauler but is necessary to do so for proper FOG removal.
Odor control is also a factor in proper FOG control in that rotting grease smells. These septic conditions can lead to sulfuric acid, which can corrode your GGI. When implementing best FOG removal practices, completely clean the interceptor walls. If structural problems are found, repair them immediately. When cleaning, be sure to clean the lateral line connecting the kitchen to the grease interceptor.
Pro Tip
Yellow grease can be managed during the FOG removal process and actually make you some money. This is basically all the oil and fats that you use to fry or cook your food. It can be sold off and recycled by third parties to make biodiesel and other products. For proper disposal, grease, oils, and drippings from deep fryers, as well as oil from rotisseries and grills, all FOG must be separated.