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    Grease Traps and Drain Maintenance for Johannesburg Restaurants

    Blocked kitchen drains stop a restaurant trading. Why grease traps matter, how often to service them, and the drain-maintenance plan that keeps a commercial kitchen open.

    4 May 2026 6 min read
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    In a restaurant, a blocked kitchen drain is not a maintenance issue — it is a closed kitchen and lost revenue during service. The humble grease trap is what stands between you and that, and it only works if it is maintained.

    What a grease trap does

    It captures fats, oils and grease (FOG) before they enter your drains. FOG that gets past it cools, solidifies and coats the pipes until they block. A working, serviced grease trap is the single most important thing keeping a commercial kitchen's drains flowing — and many municipalities require one.

    How often to service it

    Most busy kitchens need the grease trap cleaned monthly; high-volume operations more often. Pair that with periodic mechanised jetting of the kitchen waste lines and you prevent the blockages that shut kitchens mid-service.

    The cost of neglect

    A neglected trap stops capturing FOG, the drains block, and you get backups, foul odours, health-inspection risk and emergency closures during your busiest hours — all far more costly than a scheduled clean.

    A plan that keeps you trading

    We set up scheduled grease-trap servicing and drain cleaning for restaurants and commercial kitchens, with documented visits for your records. See commercial plumbing and maintenance contracts, or request a plan for your kitchen.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A grease trap captures fats, oils and grease (FOG) before they enter the drains, where they solidify and cause blockages. Without one — or with a neglected one — a commercial kitchen's drains block frequently, causing backups, bad smells, health risks and forced closures. Many municipalities also require them.

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