Can we talk about the wrong way to size a grease interceptor for a new restaurant?

I keep seeing plumbers in my area just go by the fixture count, but after a job in Springfield last month where we had to replace a 40-gallon unit with a 75-gallon one after it failed inspection, I learned you absolutely have to factor in the sink's actual flow rate and the local code's waste accumulation time, so has anyone else had an inspector fail a unit for being under-sized?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason1122d ago

Yeah, @michaela16 is right about those data sheets.

michaela162d ago

Yeah, and even the flow rate thing can be tricky... a lot of those pre-made sink assemblies have way higher gpm outputs than you'd guess just by looking at them. I pulled the specs on a standard three-compartment once and the math just didn't match the old fixture-unit chart at all. That's probably why the Springfield inspector failed it, they're finally catching up to the actual plumbing code instead of the old rules of thumb. You really have to dig into the manufacturer's data sheets now before you even order the interceptor.