Grease Trap Cleaning for Commercial Kitchens
If you run a café, restaurant, takeaway, marae kitchen or any other food business in the mid-north, your grease trap is doing a dirty job behind the scenes. Northland Septic Tank Services provides grease trap cleaning for commercial kitchens and food businesses across Kerikeri, the Bay of Islands and surrounding areas, 24/7.
Why grease trap cleaning matters
A grease trap catches the fats, oils and food scraps that come down your kitchen sinks before they reach the wastewater system. As it fills up, the trap stops working properly. That's when you get:
- blocked drains and backed-up sinks
- foul smells in and around the kitchen
- grease escaping into your septic system or the wider wastewater network
- system failure and expensive call-outs at the worst possible time
Regular grease trap cleaning keeps your kitchen running and helps protect your septic system and Northland's waterways.
How often should a grease trap be cleaned?
The simple rule: get your grease trap cleaned out before the fat, oil and food solids fill about a quarter of it. NZ trade waste guidance generally sets the limit at around 20 to 30% of the trap's capacity. Past that point, the trap stops separating grease properly and fat starts escaping down the line.
How long that takes depends on the size of the trap and how busy your kitchen is:
- Most cafés and restaurants: every 1 to 3 months is typical.
- Busy takeaways, fryer-heavy kitchens or undersized traps: often monthly, sometimes more.
- Summer rush: if your trade picks up over the holidays, you may need cleans closer together over summer.
If your council trade waste approval or your trap's manual sets a cleaning interval, stick to that. If your business is on its own on-site wastewater system, the FNDC On-site Wastewater Disposal Systems Bylaw counts grease traps as part of that system too.
Not sure where yours sits? We can pump it out, see how full it was, and suggest a schedule that suits your kitchen.
The easiest option is programmed regular servicing. We set a schedule that suits your kitchen, so you're not waiting for a blockage to remind you.
What we do
- pump out the grease, food solids and wastewater from the trap
- take the waste away for proper disposal
- work around your opening hours, including outside business hours
Our trucks need to get within 45 metres of the trap. If it's tucked away behind a building or down steps, let us know when you book. See our important information page.
Grease trap FAQs
Can you clean our grease trap outside business hours? Yes. We can clean your grease trap outside business hours, so your kitchen doesn't miss a beat. Call us to arrange a time.
What happens if we skip a grease trap clean? Fat builds up, drains block and smells get worse. It can also overload your septic system. Read the cost of neglecting your septic tank.
Do you also clean septic tanks for commercial properties? Yes. See septic tank cleaning and treatment plant pump-outs.
What should staff keep out of the sinks? Scrape plates into the bin, and keep cooking oil and fat out of the drains. Our septic system dos and don'ts covers more.
Areas we service
Kerikeri, Kaikohe, Moerewa, Kawakawa, Russell, Hokianga, Okaihau, Bay of Islands, Kaeo, Ōhaeawai, Paihia and Horeke.
Book a grease trap clean: call 0800 SMELLY (0800 763 559), Stu on 021 669 452, or contact us.