What does this grease interceptor annual checklist cover?

14 items across 5 sections, covering before the pump-out, pump-out and interior, structure and connections, refill and return to service, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The licensed grease hauler with the facilities or plumbing tech present for the interior inspection.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year at minimum, done as a complete pump-out so the interior baffles and walls can be seen empty rather than through a floating grease layer.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

9 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 11 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a grease interceptor annual inspection?

Interceptor 'pumped' by skimming the top grease while the hardened solids on the bottom are left, so the working capacity keeps shrinking. Cracked baffle or corroded outlet tee only visible with the tank empty, missed on every quarterly done through the access lid. In-ground tank taking in groundwater or losing its seal, diluting the sample and hiding how loaded it really is.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Grease interceptor annual maintenance checklist

The annual grease interceptor service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IPC / UPC plumbing codes, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Before the pump-out

Hauler's license confirmed before pumping starts
Hauler holds the license or registration the local utility or state requires, and is on the utility's approved list where it keeps one.
No photo
Interior viewed from the opening or entered under permit
Empty tank inspected from the opening with a light or camera; a large in-ground unit is entered only under the site's confined-space permit with the air tested.
No photo

Pump-out and interior

Interceptor fully pumped and washed down
All grease, liquid and settled solids removed, walls and floor washed so the interior can be inspected empty.
Baffles, tees and walls inspected empty
Baffles and inlet/outlet tees checked for cracks, corrosion and displacement with the tank drained, repaired before refill.
Inlet line cleared of grease buildup from the tank side
Inlet pipe viewed or jetted from the empty tank so the kitchen drains are not choking behind a grease plug, jetting waste pumped out with the rest.

Structure and connections

Tank structure and access checked for integrity
No cracks, spalling or groundwater intrusion in an in-ground tank, lid frame and risers sound and to grade.
Inlet, outlet and vent connections verified
Piping connections sound at the tank, vent clear, flow-control device inspected and reinstalled.
Flow control rating matched to the unit on hydromechanical models
Rated flow on the flow control tag matches the interceptor's nameplate rating, not swapped for a larger fitting or left out when the unit was reset.
No photo
Outlet line and downstream sample point inspected
Beyond the quarterly look at the effluent, the outlet pipe viewed from the sample box or cleanout for grease coating it, with jetting called in where it is.

Refill and return to service

Interceptor refilled with clean water after pumping
Tank filled with clean cold water before the kitchen drains again, so the first grease load floats and separates instead of running to the outlet.
Cover and frame seat cleaned and the cover reseated
Frame seat scraped clean and the cover set down flat, with any gasket, bolts or clamps renewed or seated evenly, so it sits without rocking or odor.

Records

Service documented and next interval set
Volume removed and interior condition recorded on the manifest, pump-out interval reset from the measured loading trend.
Manifest names the receiving disposal facility
Signed manifest shows the site, date, volume and the facility that received the waste, with the copy kept on site for the utility to see.
No photo
Pretreatment permit and limits confirmed on file
Utility's permit or ordinance on file with the grease and solids limit and any required pump-out frequency, and the site's interval checked against it.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Interceptor 'pumped' by skimming the top grease while the hardened solids on the bottom are left, so the working capacity keeps shrinking.
Cracked baffle or corroded outlet tee only visible with the tank empty, missed on every quarterly done through the access lid.
In-ground tank taking in groundwater or losing its seal, diluting the sample and hiding how loaded it really is.

Verified against

IPC / UPC plumbing codes

Common questions

6 answers

What does this grease interceptor annual checklist cover?: 14 items across 5 sections, covering before the pump-out, pump-out and interior, structure and connections, refill and return to service, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The licensed grease hauler with the facilities or plumbing tech present for the interior inspection.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year at minimum, done as a complete pump-out so the interior baffles and walls can be seen empty rather than through a floating grease layer.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 9 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 11 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a grease interceptor annual inspection?: Interceptor 'pumped' by skimming the top grease while the hardened solids on the bottom are left, so the working capacity keeps shrinking. Cracked baffle or corroded outlet tee only visible with the tank empty, missed on every quarterly done through the access lid. In-ground tank taking in groundwater or losing its seal, diluting the sample and hiding how loaded it really is.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

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Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 11 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.