Professional Grease Trap Emptying & Cleaning in Suffolk

Reliable FOG Management for Commercial Kitchens & Food Processing

Give us a call: 01284 386538

Commercial kitchens produce fats, oils, and grease (FOGS) from food preparation, cooking, and dishwashing. The results are air and water-borne FOGS that may cause drain blocks, foul odours, pest infestation or fire, ultimately interrupting your business. Our grease trap cleaning in Suffolk & East Anglia is a practical, preventative service that protects your operation, your reputation, and your staff time.

Cargate Engineering is a specialist in grease trap cleaning and maintenance. Using Cargate’s specially developed grease trap cleaning process and equipment, we clean grease traps with minimal disruption to your operation.

Why Is Grease Trap Cleaning Essential?

Grease traps are essential to any commercial kitchen or food processing plant and help with grease management by capturing harmful greases, fats and oils. However, grease can build up very quickly inside the traps, making them ineffective. Leaving this to chance may result in environmental hygiene enforcement or legal prosecution and fines.

British Water recommends grease trap cleaning when it is 25% full of solids. A useful benchmark is the “25% rule”: if combined FOG and solids reach roughly a quarter of the trap’s working depth, it’s time to book grease trap emptying & cleaning. If you wait too long, you will begin to see signs your grease trap is full, including persistent rancid smells, slow-draining sinks or gully pots, gurgling noises, and increased fly activity near drains.

Grease traps are essential to any commercial kitchen or food processing plant and help with grease management by capturing harmful greases, fats and oils. However, grease can build up very quickly inside the traps, making them ineffective. In addition, the accumulation of oil and fat increases the difficulty of disposing of solid waste and the chance of becoming a source of unpleasant odours. By implementing regular grease trap cleaning, you can easily avoid this upheaval. British Water recommends grease trap cleaning when it is 25% full of solids, so if you are operating a large commercial kitchen, frequent grease trap cleaning is necessary to keep your grease trap within recommended level. For many of our clients, we carry out grease trap cleaning every three months.

Cleaning your grease trap contributes to your kitchen’s overall hygiene and removes the risk of foul odours. It can also help save money in the long term by avoiding the need for more expensive repairs and replacements. Any grease waste we collect is disposed of safely and legally at a licensed facility.

What Our Suffolk Cleaning Service Includes

At Cargate Engineering we provide efficient grease trap emptying, cleaning and maintenance service throughout Suffolk and East Anglia. Proper grease pit cleaning should include full removal of contents, scraping and washing internal surfaces, and checking components.

Whether you require a one-off emergency drain unblocking or a planned service, our comprehensive visit includes:

Full pump-out for traps and interceptors, or manual removal for small indoor units.
Internal scrape-down of fats and settled sludge, followed by a wash-down and rinse.
Application of a friendly bacteria additive to help reduce the accumulation of FOG and other organic waste.
Examine the ability of automatic injection pumps to pump friendly bacteria into the waste trap at predetermined intervals for almost maintenance-free treatment.
Check the grease trap’s suitability to meet demand and conduct visual checks for damage to baffles, tees, and seals.
Keep a maintenance log and provide waste transfer notes and service records for FOG compliance for food businesses.

Grease Traps vs. Grease Interceptors

People often search for the difference between a grease trap and a grease interceptor. Grease traps are typically smaller, often located indoors (under-sink or in a small plant cupboard). Grease interceptors are usually larger, often outside or in a dedicated chamber, and built for higher-flow sites. Both require routine emptying and cleaning, and in larger systems, periodic high-pressure jetting to remain effective.

Custom Maintenance Contracts & Legal Compliance

For many of our clients, we carry out grease trap cleaning every three months. We don’t advocate for a single-solution product, which enables us to customize the best option for your company regardless of its size, location, type, or budget.

A professional team handles containment, transport, documentation and compliant waste handling, critical for grease trap disposal regulations UK. Any grease waste we collect is disposed of safely and legally at a licensed facility.

Please click on the button below to request a quote or book your grease trap to be emptied or cleaned, and a team member will get back to you.

Our Fleet

We operate a fleet of Jet Vac Tankers ranging in capacity allowing us to offer a wide range of industrial and environmental service capabilities. We also continuously invest in new and innovative technologies with consideration to the environment.

A Specialist Team

Operating under strict health and safety disciplines, our fully trained team members will provide peace of mind to our clients and provide an efficient and effective service at competitive costs.

24/7 avaliability

We know that you can’t predict when you’ll have problems with your system, so we’re available 24/7 to provide an emergency service on your septic tank or drainage systems.