Grease separators
Do you run a restaurant, snack bar, hotel or delivery service? As an operator of commercial kitchens, you are required by DIN 4040 and DIN EN 1825 to divert your wastewater through so-called grease separators. To comply with legal obligations and avoid expensive cleanups, hire a professional with more than 100 years of experience: Nehlsen takes care of your separator from planning to cleaning and emptying to maintenance, so you are spared bureaucratic problems and your day-to-day business is not disrupted.
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Grease separators: comprehensive service from the experts
We take care of it so you don't have to – everything from a single source! Nehlsen takes care of the planning, dealing with the authorities, installation, operation, self-monitoring, maintenance, emptying, disposal, general inspection and renovation of your separator for you. Compliance with legal obligations and environmentally friendly disposal of the contents are ensured. Nehlsen offers you a comprehensive range of services and is also available for you on call at any time.
We offer:
- Installation of a grease separator according to DIN 4040 and European standard EN 1825
- Regular disposal, cleaning and monitoring of your separator
- Environmentally friendly treatment and recycling of the contents of the grease separators
- Maintenance and repair
- Remediation of old separators with special coating systems
- Professional customer advice on all technical and legal matters
- Checking the functionality of the built-in parts
- General inspection every five years
- Confirmation of the disposed contents with a certificate of receipt
- Professional cleaning of the pipe network
- 24-hour emergency service
As a certified specialist disposal company (EfbV), Nehlsen maintains a quality and environmental management system according to ISO 9001/14001. We are one of the top ten companies in the German disposal industry – many thousands of customers place their trust in us.
When is a grease separator mandatory?
Grease separators, also known as fat trap systems or fat separator systems, play a crucial role in modern wastewater treatment and serve to protect lifting stations and sewage treatment plants. Their job is to separate grease, oil and other floating substances from wastewater before it enters the public sewer system. These substances can cause major damage in the public sewer system, where they can cause pipe blockages, corrosion and malfunctions in lifting stations and sewage treatment plants. In addition, there are foul-smelling deposits and possible damage to the in-house pipes of commercial kitchens and facilities.
The installation and operation of a grease separator is therefore mandatory for all operators of large kitchens and facilities where large quantities of fats and oils enter the sewer system with the wastewater. These include, for example, restaurants, hotels, canteens, service stations, butchers, as well as oil mills and refineries, soap and stearin factories, and canneries. The obligation to use grease separators is legally prescribed in the German standard DIN 4040-100 and the European standard EN 1825.
If you fail to meet your obligation to install a grease separator and to clean and maintain it regularly, you may be fined and incur high costs for repairing damaged pipes and systems.
How often does a grease separator need to be emptied?
The grease separator must be completely emptied and cleaned at least once a month, and the collected grease and oil, as well as the dirt in the sludge trap, must be removed. Depending on the amount of wastewater and the degree of contamination, more frequent cleaning may be necessary or the interval may be extended after consultation with the authorities. The disposal intervals for grease separators must be set so that the storage capacities of the sludge trap (half the sludge trap volume) and the grease separator (grease collection chamber) are not exceeded. If the interval is longer, a monthly self-inspection by an expert is mandatory.
We can also support you in this: Nehlsen operates modern suction and rinsing vehicles for cleaning the grease separators. The processed fats from the grease separator are sensibly recycled.
Further statutory
provisions on
grease separators
Regular inspection
To ensure that your grease separator works perfectly and in compliance with the law, regular inspection is essential. The prescribed inspection of grease separators is divided into a monthly self-check, an annual service and a 5-year general inspection, which we at Nehlsen will professionally take over for you.
At least once a month, the functionality and condition of your grease separator must be checked by an expert. The following measures must be carried out:
- Visual inspection of the inlet and outlet areas of the sludge trap and grease separator, as well as the technical equipment, for any abnormalities
- Checking the thickness or volume of the separated fats and oils in the separator
- Checking the sludge level in the sludge trap to determine whether shorter emptying intervals are required
If the expert detects any defects during the self-inspection, these must be remedied immediately. The monthly checks must also be documented in the operating log.
In addition to the monthly checks, the separator system must be serviced annually by an expert in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and the official notice.
In addition to the above-mentioned control measures, the annual maintenance of the grease separator includes the following work:
- Inspection of the inner wall surfaces, built-in components and coatings in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications after emptying by visual inspection for visible damage and abnormalities, e.g. discoloration, blistering, delamination, corrosion – particularly in the area of the three-phase boundary (water, grease, air layer)
- Function check of the electrical equipment and installations, if present
Any defects must be remedied immediately. Just like the self-inspection, the annual maintenance must also be recorded in the operating log.
In accordance with DIN 4040-100, grease separators must be inspected by an expert for their condition and operation before commissioning and every five years. The general inspection includes a detailed inspection and assessment of various aspects of the separator system. The scope of the inspection is designed to enable a comprehensive assessment of the proper condition and appropriate operation of the system. Deviations from the proper condition are recorded, damage risks are assessed and suitable measures for the elimination of defects are created.
If you wish, Nehlsen's experts will not only install, clean and maintain the grease separators for you, but will also take care of the general inspection due every five years.
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How does a grease separator work?
A grease separator works according to the principle of gravity: the wastewater from the commercial kitchen or other facility is initially slowed down by means of a baffle wall inside the grease separator system. Sinks and solids, such as food scraps or dirt, then sink to the bottom and collect in the sludge trap of the grease separator. By contrast, fats and oils rise to the top due to their lower density and form a layer of fat on the water. This allows the grease separator to separate the fats that are harmful to the sewer system and sewage treatment plant from the rest of the wastewater.
How and where is a grease separator installed?
The installation of a grease separator can vary depending on the conditions and requirements on site. Generally speaking, there is either an underground installation or a free-standing installation. Free-standing grease separators are usually smaller and less expensive, making them an attractive option for smaller catering establishments such as snack bars or daycare centers, as they can meet the requirement to use a separator system with little effort. For free-standing separators, it is particularly important to ensure that the wastewater can drain well and that there is sufficient ventilation indoors.
When installed in the ground, the grease separator is lowered into the ground. Larger nominal sizes can be used here, which meet the requirements of large kitchens in the catering industry. The underground installation enables the space-saving installation of the separator system and its low-odor operation. Access for the inflow and outflow of water as well as for emptying are planned directly with the underground installation. If the outlet of the grease separator system is below the local backflow level for waste water, a lifting system must also be installed.
Before installation, you should consult with experts to determine the ideal nominal size of the grease separator for your business. The decisive factors for the nominal size of the separator system are the amount of wastewater produced, the density of the fats and oils present in the water, the temperature and the possible use of cleaning or rinsing agents.
At Nehlsen, we will professionally plan and install the grease separator for you – precisely tailored to the requirements of your business and in compliance with all legal requirements. Please contact us for a non-binding, individual offer.
We can do that too
We not only offer first-class separator services, but also a wide range of other solutions. Our expertise extends to comprehensive sewer services as well as efficient waste collection, recycling, treatment and recovery. Whether you are a business, industry, municipality, city or private individual, we are your reliable partner for sustainable and environmentally conscious wastewater and waste management.