Grease Trap Cleaning and Pumping Across the NH and ME Seacoast
Grease trap cleaning and pumping across the NH and ME Seacoast
Pump the tank, clean the lines, keep the kitchen open. On a cadence that matches your actual volume, not a rigid calendar.
A grease trap that gets ignored becomes a code violation, a backup during service, and a repair bill no owner budgeted for. Seacoast Sewer and Drain handles grease trap pumping and maintenance for restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food-service operators across the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast, from the busy dining corridors of Portsmouth and Kittery to hotel kitchens and cafeteria operations across both states.
We do the full job under one team. We pump most grease traps and interceptors, we clean and maintain the drain lines running to and from the tank, and we set the maintenance cadence around what your kitchen actually produces, not a generic 90-day schedule that either wastes money or misses the problem.
For grease-packed lines beyond what the trap can hold, we bring the same hydro jetting equipment we use on every commercial call, so you get one crew, one visit, and a line that actually stays clear.
Why Seacoast restaurants trust us with grease trap service
- Pump the tank and clean the lines - one team, one visit, so grease that clears the interceptor does not just move downstream into the main.
- Right cadence for your kitchen - a high-volume fryer operation needs a different schedule than a coffee shop with a small dishwasher line, and we set the cycle after we see the trap.
- Around your service hours - most grease trap work runs before opening or after close, so the pump-out does not shut down lunch or dinner service.
- Experienced technicians - our lead tech has more than 15 years on the region's sewer and drain lines, including plenty of Seacoast kitchen work.
- Every truck carries a jetter - for grease that has moved past the trap into the branch line or the main, we can clear it on the same visit instead of scheduling a second one.
- Honest reporting - clear notes on trap condition, line condition, and any repairs the tank or the discharge line needs, with no invented work.
- Upfront pricing - clear options before any work begins, no surprise charges added afterward.
- Compliance-ready records - documented service so you have what your local FOG program or health inspector asks for.
Grease trap service across the Seacoast, NH and ME
The Seacoast has one of the densest concentrations of restaurants in northern New England. Downtown Portsmouth alone runs blocks of full-service kitchens, bars, and cafes, and Kittery, Dover, and York carry their own commercial dining corridors that push heavy volume through summer and steady traffic year-round. All of that food service produces one shared problem: grease.
Grease traps and interceptors exist to catch fats, oils, and grease before they hit the sewer system, and they do their job only if someone keeps them from filling up. Local wastewater programs across the Seacoast, including Portsmouth's public FOG program, require food service establishments to maintain their traps and keep records, because grease is the leading cause of sewer main blockages in restaurant-heavy areas. A neglected trap does not just risk a fine, it eventually pushes grease past the interceptor and into the building's drain lines, which is where the expensive backup happens.
Our approach starts with the tank. We pump out most grease traps and interceptors, inspect the tank and the baffles, and check the inlet and outlet condition. Then we look at the lines. If the drains running to or from the tank show grease buildup, hydro jetting scours the pipe wall clean while we're on site, so the line resets to bare pipe instead of picking up where it left off. We finish with a clear service report and a maintenance cadence built around your actual grease output, not a boilerplate schedule.
Our 3-step grease trap service process
1) Pump and inspect the trap
We pump out the tank, check baffle condition, and inspect the inlet and outlet for damage or heavy buildup. You get a clear picture of what shape your trap is actually in.
2) Clean the lines feeding and leaving the trap
If the drains show grease coating on the pipe wall, we run hydro jetting to scour them clean while we're on site. A pumped trap with grease-packed lines still backs up. Both need to be clean for the system to hold.
3) Set the right cadence
Based on what we found and how hard your kitchen runs, we set a maintenance schedule that keeps the trap functional and the lines clear. You get reminders and priority scheduling, and we document each visit so your records are ready when a FOG inspection or health department review comes around.
Our sewer and drain services
Explore the services we bring to Seacoast commercial kitchens and beyond:
Drain Cleaning Hydro Jetting Power Snaking Drain Camera Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Drain Excavation Commercial Sewer & Drain Preventative Maintenance Pipe Locating & Repair
Why grease trap service is not just about the tank
Most operators think of grease trap service as one job: pump the tank on a schedule and move on. In practice, the tank is only half the system. Grease coats the drain lines running to and from the interceptor, and if only the tank gets attention, the lines slowly narrow until they choke down mid-service. A grease trap can be freshly pumped and the kitchen can still back up, because the problem moved past the trap into the pipe.
That is why we treat pumping and line cleaning as one service. When we're on site pumping the tank, we can jet the branch lines and the main if they need it, on the same visit. That is what actually keeps the whole system flowing between service calls.
The other side of it is cadence. Pumping every 30 days when your kitchen fills the trap every 90 days is money you did not need to spend. Pumping every 90 days when your fryers fill it every 45 is a code violation waiting to happen. We set the cycle after we see your specific trap and your specific volume, and we adjust it if your operation changes.
When it's time to call us instead of waiting
- Slow drains during a busy service: grease has started narrowing the line past the trap.
- Sewer smell in the dining room or the kitchen: trap is likely overdue or the venting is compromised.
- Standing water in the trap or the sink drain not clearing: signs the trap is at or over capacity.
- New health inspection or FOG audit coming up: documented service records are what the inspector wants to see.
- You inherited a kitchen and do not have service records for the trap: worth a full inspection before it becomes an emergency.
Common questions about grease trap cleaning and pumping
1) Do you pump the grease trap itself, or just clean the lines?
Both. We pump most grease traps and interceptors and we clean the lines running to and from the tank. One team, one visit, so grease does not just move from the tank into the pipe.
2) How often should our restaurant pump the grease trap?
It depends on your volume, your menu, and the size of your interceptor. Some kitchens need it every 30 days, some every 90, some longer. We assess your trap and your operation, then set a real cadence instead of a boilerplate one.
3) Do you work around our service hours?
Yes. Most grease trap work runs before opening or after close so the pump-out does not shut down lunch or dinner service. We schedule around your operation whenever possible.
4) Can you handle FOG compliance records for us?
We document every visit with the service date, work performed, and trap condition, so you have what your local FOG program or health inspector asks for.
5) What if the lines past the trap are already backed up?
That is exactly what hydro jetting is for. If the branch lines or the main have grease built up on the pipe wall, we jet them clean while we're on site so you don't need a second call.
6) Are there grease traps you can't handle?
Most standard restaurant and commercial kitchen interceptors are within our scope. For very large systems or unusual configurations, we assess and let you know honestly before scheduling.
7) What does grease trap service cost?
It depends on the tank size, volume, access, and whether the lines need cleaning too. You get upfront pricing on the factors that drive the job, no surprise charges added afterward.
8) Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. For restaurants, hotels, and property managers with grease-heavy operations, a maintenance schedule is usually the smartest spend, since the recurring cost is far lower than an unplanned backup during peak service.
9) What happens if we skip service and get a violation?
Local FOG programs can issue fines, require corrective action, and in some cases restrict operation until compliance is restored. More expensively, an unmaintained trap eventually pushes grease into the building drain lines and into the sewer main, which is where the real repair cost hits.
10) Do you serve multi-location operators?
Yes. If you run multiple restaurants or manage a portfolio of properties with commercial kitchens, we can coordinate service across sites with consolidated reporting.
Keep the kitchen open, schedule grease trap service today
A neglected grease trap does not fix itself, and the cost of ignoring it always lands during a busy service. Get pumping, line cleaning, and a real maintenance cadence from a crew that handles the tank and the drains together, with honest pricing and clean work.
Clear options, documented service, and a schedule built around your actual volume. Seacoast Sewer and Drain serves restaurants, hotels, and commercial kitchens across the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast, around the clock.
Let's solve it today.
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