For facilities managers and maintenance teams, fats, oils and greases sit right at the top of the list of frustrating issues to deal with.
In hospitality settings, food production facilities and manufacturing environments, the build up of fats, oils and grease (FOG) cause all sorts of drainage problems.
Not only is it extremely easy for these issues to develop, but they are also extremely persistent and notoriously difficult to treat.
This is because, unlike most contaminants, FOG enters the drainage system as liquids (commonly washed down sinks, floor drains and process equipment). Then, as it cools (or the water containing the contaminants cools), the FOG substances solidify, and clog up the pipe walls.
These deposits continuously build up, and increasingly restrict flow. Over time, this can develop into extremely stubborn blockages.
In fact, FOG deposits don’t just cause a problem for businesses. In fact, as FOG substances enter the wider sewer network, they combine with other waste materials, and build up into large obstructions, commonly known as ‘fatbergs’. These pose a major and costly problem for water companies all throughout the UK.
By understanding what causes FOG build ups, you can get a better sense of how best to treat them, and prevent them from occurring in the first place.
In this article, our expert team have provided you with the full run-down when it comes to managing FOG in your property.
What are the consequences of unmanaged FOG?
In many cases, businesses only attempt to tackle FOG once a blockage has occurred.
However, once it reaches that point, the issue can prove costly and difficult to resolve. In fact, common consequences include:
- Slow-draining sinks and floor drains
- Complete drain blockages
- Backups of waste water
- High maintenance costs
- Expensive reactive, emergency drainage callouts
- Disruption to production or business operations
- Hygiene concerns and damage to brand reputation
- Environmental damage
- Failure to comply with regulatory requirements
Regulatory and environmental risks
In the UK, businesses have a legal responsibility to manage their wastewater, and to minimise pollution from their sites.
FOG can significantly increase the risk of sewer blockages and overflows, as well as environmental pollution and complications.
As a result, in major cases, organisations can face enforcement action and regulatory fines, if they have allowed their FOG pollution to reach excessively high levels.
If your business’s drainage issues cause a significant pollution event, or breaches the UK’s legal discharge requirements, then regulators (e.g. the Environment Agency) can conduct an investigation and even issue penalties.
This is just one of the reasons why it is so critical to address FOG problems preventatively.
The limitations of high-hazard chemical treatments
Many site managers are turning to strong, high powered chemical cleaners to address the build-up of FOG substances.
However, while these can provide a temporary fix, they have some significant drawbacks.
The downsides of these treatments include:
- Hazardous handling requirements
- Significant health and safety risks to consider
- Risk of damage to pipework and infrastructure
- Environmental concerns
- Repeated applications will be essential
Ultimately, these intensive chemical cleaners simply push the problem further down the line.
Rather than addressing the underlying cause of the issue, and preventing its accumulation for the long term, these cleaners provide a fast but temporary fix.
The benefits of biological and enzymatic treatments
As businesses prioritise sustainability, these conventional high-hazard chemical treatments are increasingly being switched out for biological or enzymatic alternatives.
These environmentally conscious cleaning solutions provide a far more sustainable, lower-risk approach to ongoing FOG management.
Rather than using extreme harsh chemicals, these products utilise naturally occurring biological processes to break down the fats, oils and grease. These tackle the deposits, before they are allowed to develop to a significant size.
The benefits of these innovative cleaning solutions include:
- The continuous, long-term reduction of FOG accumulation
- Minimal environmental impact
- Proactive rather than reactive drain clearance
- Reduces the risk of blockages, and significantly improves ongoing system performance
- Safer handling
- Convenient storage requirements
With biological and enzymatic treatments, you can go from repeatedly clearing stubborn blockages, to effectively and effortlessly preventing them from forming in the first place.
To find out more about our product range and the advantages that they can unlock for your business, get in touch with our expert team.
