Five Common Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) FAQ’s

Published July 12, 2022

Brian Gannon, Director of Sales, Aquametrix by Water Analytics

Five Common FOG FAQ’s

What is FOG?

FOG stands for Fats, Oils & Grease. FOG comes from meat fats in food scraps, cooking oil, shortening, butter, and many other food products. Poured into kitchen drains, it accumulates within sewer pipes and can cause costly Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO’s).

Why is FOG a problem?

Without proper education, most of us do not realize the real-world cost of FOG being poured into kitchen drains and accumulating within the sewer system. Many common problems resulting from poor FOG management include sewer capacity reduction, backups & blockages, overflows, shortening of infrastructure lifespan for your local municipality. For an FSE owner, these problems can result in major fines and facility closure. In a liquid form, FOG can seem harmless. However, as the liquid cools within pipes, it can quickly lead to decreased efficiency and increased operational and servicing costs.

How is FOG Managed?

1. Grease Traps: a small reservoir built into the piping a short distance from the areas producing grease. As grease accumulates within the trap’s reservoir, the grease congeals and rises to the surface. These devices are typically cleaned frequently (at 25% FOG or every XX days).
2. Grease Interceptors: Typically, much larger and concrete walled, grease interceptors often carry a minimum capacity of 750+ gallons. Usually built underground, these devices also are often required to be inspected and pumped out at 25% FOG or during a specified duration of time.

Who is involved with FOG Monitoring?

• FOG Program Managers: Must ensure their programs are up to date, comply with EPA standards and recommendations, and are effective & operational across all FSE’s
• Food Service Establishments: Must ensure the correct trap is specified for their needs, installation is performed properly, and proper maintenance/compliance to their municipalities SOP’s is performed
• Municipal Inspectors: Ensure traps are monitored and in compliance. These inspectors often utilize the monitoring instruments.
• Pumpers/Haulers: Ensure proper removal of FOG from FSE according to municipality SOP’s, transportation, and proper disposal of FOG at local WWTP

How are Grease Traps Monitored?

1. Core Samplers: A long tube used to sample and extract the grease trap. While often messy and a very manual process, this is a common device used for sampling grease traps.
2. Gloved Hand: While monitoring small traps, some inspectors prefer a gloved hand to feel the separation between FOG and water. While not the best or most accepted monitoring method, it does provide quick approximation and inspections.
3. Technology: Provides advanced features and user interface in most instances. New technology, such as the AM-FOG probe, allow for municipal inspectors to travel with the probe and sense the inside of the grease trap by truly sensing the inside of the grease trap.

For more information about Aquametrix products, including signing up for our AM-FOG Portable Probe introductory webinar, please contact Brian Gannon at bgannon@wateranalytics.net or sign up for the webinar through the button below