Answers
How often should a restaurant clean its grease line?
How often DFW restaurants should jet grease lines and pump interceptors, what Texas code requires, and the real cost of a backup during service.
Quick answer
How often should a restaurant clean its grease line?
Most DFW restaurants should jet the kitchen grease line every one to three months: monthly for high-volume fryer and wok kitchens, quarterly for moderate-volume full service, and semi-annually for low-grease concepts like bakeries and coffee shops. Grease interceptors must be pumped before grease and solids reach 25% of capacity.
Set the interval by concept, not by calendar
Volume of fried and rendered fat is the only variable that really matters.
- Monthly — fryer-heavy, wok, BBQ, burger, and 24-hour concepts
- Every 2 months — busy full-service kitchens with mixed menus
- Quarterly — moderate volume, casual dining, cafeterias
- Semi-annual — bakeries, coffee, juice, salad-forward concepts
What a backup actually costs
A single grease backup during Friday dinner service means closing the kitchen, comping or turning away tables, emergency after-hours plumbing rates, and potentially a health department visit. One incident routinely exceeds a full year of scheduled maintenance. Grease line jetting is the least glamorous line item on a restaurant P&L and one of the highest-return.
Documentation matters as much as the cleaning
Texas health inspectors ask for service records. Every visit should generate a dated record showing scope of work, interceptor condition and photos. Keep them together and hand them over on request — it changes the tone of an inspection.
FAQ
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