Today we will briefly discuss the fundamentals of building grease removal. If running an individual house is challenge enough, then just imagine what it’s like to actually manage an apartment complex. An apartment complex consists of many individual housing units, each with its own bathroom and kitchen. An apartment complex is a vital fixture in America’s constant need for homes. With so many people in one building, an overwhelming amount of waste is dumped every single day. This is enough reason why an apartment complex is a major contributor to the FOG crisis in the US.
FOG (fats, oils, grease) comes from our bodies and the food prepared in the kitchen. Kitchen is responsible for disposing of the FOG from the food that’s prepared and washed from dishes, equipment, and utensils. It’s true that sinks can be built with garbage disposals but FOG is unaffected by this process. Grease materials do not change in form and consistency when they pass through the garbage disposal. They are just shaken but when they reach the grease trap, they remain the same. They cool down and solidify. Because of the busy lifestyles of those apartment complex residents, they really don’t think about what they put into the garbage disposals or into their drains. This practice mainly causes FOG overflow.
The kitchens in an apartment complex are the main reason why a large grease trap needs to be installed. It’s usually installed outside the building, underneath the ground. The apartment complex maintenance department is responsible for maintaining the good condition of the grease trap. The department adheres to the scheduled cleaning and pump-outs but even so, they still face penalties and lawsuits because of FOG and wastewater overflow. When FOG overflows, a better method of apartment building grease removal should be implemented.
It would be ideal if everyone in the apartment complex participates in grease removal. It’s already a given that small amounts of FOG are dumped into the bathroom facilities. The major change should be done in the kitchen area, where the dishwashing is done. Before the dishes, utensils, and equipment are even washed, the grease material should be manually scraped off them and dumped into the regular trash. This really cuts down the amount of FOG that enters the grease trap. Filters could also be installed in the washer sinks or drains to isolate the FOG and the solid waste materials from the grey water. By the time the grey water enters the grease trap, very little solid waste and FOG would be present.
Part of the grease removal process is the use of cleaning solutions that could eliminate the FOG and solid particles. When chemicals are used in this task, the FOG and solid wastes are just emulsified. These substances do not remove or degrade the FOG and solid particles. They only melt them temporarily until they mix in with the wastewater. As the FOG cools down inside the wastewater pipes, they harden and stick to the pipe walls. The FOG thickens and eventually, they completely block the waste lines. This results to the backing up of wastewater into the apartment. This causes health problems if not resolved immediately. The environment suffers greatly from the FOG overflow, wastewater backup, and the chemicals used in cleaning. Pollution takes place and destroys the rich life within the area. This is why apartment complex building grease removal should not involve chemicals or enzymes at all.
Bioremediation is the most highly recommended process in eliminating solid waste and FOG in grease traps. Naturally-occurring friendly bacteria are used. These microorganisms aggressively breakdown the solid wastes and FOG in the grease trap. They also remove the awful smells that have overwhelmed the trap for such a long time. Bacteria do not have chemical components that pollute or give health problems. These are Nature’s effective plumbing tools that never fail.
