FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Check our FAQ section to get answers to your curious concerns regarding grease traps, sewer lines, drain cleaning, etc. Connect with us for more information.
How Often Should a Grease Trap Be Cleaned?
Several factors dictate the time and frequency of an ideal grease trap cleaning schedule. Determining your trap’s capacity, usage frequency, and seating capacity is important. On average, a 1-3 months cleaning schedule is suitable for maintaining most grease traps, depending on usage. However, to determine the right grease trap schedule, you should follow the “1/4th rule.” A cleaning service should be performed when the grease trap reaches a quarter of its total capacity. Letting grease, oils, fats, and solids build up inside the trap can cause a foul odour. Also, high amounts of solids in the trap lower its effectiveness. You may start experiencing slow sink drainage due to clogged drain lines.
What Are the Benefits of Sewer Line Flushing?
Professional sewer line cleaning once every 18 to 22 months has a number of benefits for your home or business.
-
Prevent clogs: Flushing sewer lines routinely keeps your pipes clear of obstructions, allowing the free flow of wastewater.
-
Extend the life of your pipes: Pipe leakage or corrosion can result from excessive buildup of grease, chemical, and debris in your sewer line. Chemical drain cleaners should not be used as they eat into your pipe’s interior lining. Professional cleaning ensures the safe and effective removal of toxic buildup, extending the life of your pipes.
-
Eliminate bad odours: If you notice a foul odour in your home or office premises, it could be due to a buildup of soap scum, hair, or other organic material in your sewer lines. Professional cleaning does away with odour-causing bacteria and sediments and prevents foul smells from permeating.
-
Save money: Clogged sewer lines can cause burst pipes and sewage overflows, which can damage your flooring and walls. If sewer lines are severely cracked, clogged, or backed up, the situation might warrant extensive excavation and replacement of the entire system. Professional cleaning done regularly can help you avoid catastrophic failures and save money in the long run.
What Is the Difference Between Combo Vac and a Vacuum Truck?
Combo vac the same as straight vacuum trucks, except they bring water spraying and steam capabilities. These trucks are three-axle trucks ideal for industrial applications. They can vacuum and clean wastewater and use the water to break up thick sludge. The added high-pressure water and steaming make them ideal to perform heavy-duty jobs. The strong pump onboard creates a powerful suction effect, increasing the truck’s ability to pull out large amounts of sludge and other liquids. Combo vac trucks are often used in large-scale industrial cleaning, Environmental spill clean ups, oil and gas applications, shop sumps and much more.
Vacuum trucks have pumps, holding tanks, and suction hoses. They are typically used to clean septic tanks, shop sumps, hauling sewage waste and really any type of liquid waste. High-power vacuum trucks are also employed in rescue missions and environmental disasters involving hazardous materials operations. These trucks are used to quickly clear and store hazardous waste or oil spills and prevent contamination of local water bodies. These trucks also work on accident sites and suck out sludge or soil obstructions, facilitating rescue missions.
What Would Happen If I Didn’t Clean My Grease Trap?
Grease traps are responsible for holding fats, oils, and grease (FOG). Therefore, they must be emptied regularly before they fill up entirely. If overlooked or delayed, dirty grease traps can cause a number of problems. Excessive FOG build-up leads to sewage blockages and exudes a foul smell that impacts your indoor environment or customers. The worst-case scenario is a burst pipe that can contaminate your surroundings and attract hefty fines. Your local health department mandates commercial premises to maintain their grease traps in optimal condition. Skipping on regular grease trap cleanings can put you at odds with the authorities.
How Does Kitchen Grease Affect the Sewer Lines?
When organic and solid wastes go down the drains, sinks, or toilets, they flow into the sewer system. The waste hardens over time and also sticks to the pipes’ inner walls. As this waste builds up, they cause sewer blockages and plug the pipes. Due to its hardness, clearing this blockage is both difficult and costly. Letting oils, fats, and grease build up in your sewer lines can cause problems such as:
-
Overflow of raw sewage into your property or neighbouring areas yards, streets, parks, creeks, rivers and the lake
-
Basement flooding
-
Contamination due to disease-causing organisms
-
Increased costs of cleaning sewer pipes and repairing damage
How Can You Flush/Clean Hire-rise Kitchen Sink Stacks?
The process of cleaning kitchen sink stacks requires performing high-pressure flushing by professionals. This service is recommended as an annual maintenance program. If you and your neighbours share the same main sewer line, which is common in condos and high-rise apartments, the waste flushed down the kitchen drain builds up faster. Regular cleaning of your kitchen stacks can help prevent serious sewer backups and costly blockages to clean up and repair.
Here is what you can do to reduce draining issues in your property:
-
Properly dispose of your waste and prevent grease and food particles from getting into the drain to reduce buildup
-
Clean the kitchen pipes regularly using a mix of baking soda and vinegar, which is a safe and natural cleaner
-
Be cautious of the signs of a sewage backup problem. If any resident’s kitchen sink backs up or clogs frequently, ask the management to perform diagnostics and repair
-
Educate all residents on responsible drain usage and how they can reduce high maintenance and repair costs
Can Your Equipment Fit in a Parkade?
Yes at Canessco we have equipment small enough to fit in those small areas like Parkades. We specialize in flushing drain lines in Parkades and cleaning the Parkade sumps as well. If the equipment doesn’t fit, we still find away to get the job done, if that means dragging 300+ feet of hose we can still get the job done.
Do You Offer Maintenance Programs?
Whether you need a grease trap maintenance schedule or a sewer line maintenance program, Canessco can create a customized plan and keep it on a regular schedule, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.
Sewer and Drainage Services Putting Safety First
Canessco Services Inc. strives to be an industry leader in sewer and drainage services while keeping safety as our foremost concern. We are associate members of Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) and have been COR certified for 10 years. We are part of Avetta, ISNetworld, ComplyWorks, Cognibox, ContractorCheck, and CQN Advantage. Canessco Services Inc. has a rigorous safety program in place to protect its employees and to keep the public safe. If you would like more information about our certifications, please call the Canessco Kid today.