What does this grease interceptor quarterly checklist cover?

13 items across 5 sections, covering safe opening, capacity and cleaning, internals, lid and odor, 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 kitchen facilities or plumbing tech on the quarterly round, or the grease hauler at a scheduled service.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Every quarter, tightened to monthly for a busy kitchen. The depth reading is what sets the real pump-out interval, not the calendar alone.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 10 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 quarterly inspection?

Depth never measured, so the interceptor fills past its capacity and grease carries straight through to the sewer between pump-outs. Pump-out manifests missing or unsigned, so there's no proof the hauler actually emptied it and the sewer authority has nothing to see. Lid gasket dried out and leaking odor into the kitchen, masked with deodorizer instead of being reseated.

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 quarterly maintenance checklist

A quarterly grease interceptor round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. 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.

Safe opening

Sewer gas let off and the work done from the opening
Lid lifted and the unit left to air out before anyone leans over it, measuring done from the opening or grade, nobody reaching or climbing inside.
No photo
Open access guarded or attended while the lid is off
Heavy covers moved with a lid lifter, and an open manhole or floor access barricaded or watched the whole time so nobody steps or drops a tool into it.
No photo

Capacity and cleaning

Grease cap and solids depth measured
FOG layer on top and settled solids on the bottom measured with a dip stick, compared against the interceptor's capacity to trigger a pump-out.
Pump-out record and hauler manifest reviewed
Last service date and volume logged, signed hauler manifest on file, interval adjusted to the measured loading.
Combined depth compared with the local pretreatment limit
Grease and solids depths taken together against the limit the local utility or pretreatment ordinance sets, and the licensed hauler called when it is reached.
No photo

Internals

Baffles and inlet/outlet tees checked
Baffles and tees in place and intact, no grease shortcutting from inlet to outlet, outlet tee dipping below the grease layer.
Flow-control fitting and vent verified
Flow-control device present and unobstructed so the unit isn't surged past its rating, air intake or vent clear.
Outlet checked for grease or solids carrying through
Effluent at the outlet tee or the downstream sample point running clear, with no floating grease or food solids passing on to the sewer.

Lid and odor

Lid, frame and gasket inspected
Lid seats fully, gasket sound, bolts or clamps secure, no seepage or odor escaping around the cover.
Cover rated and seated for the traffic over it
Cover suits its location, foot traffic on a kitchen floor or vehicle loads in a drive lane, with no rocking, cracking or missing fasteners.

Kitchen side

Sink strainers in place and food solids kept out
Strainer baskets fitted in the prep and pot sinks and floor drains feeding the interceptor, scraps going to the bin instead of down the drain.
Upstream fixtures draining without backup
Sinks and floor drains that feed the interceptor drain freely when run, no slow drain or gurgle pointing to a grease plug at the inlet.
No photo
No additives or hot flushes used to push grease through
No enzymes, emulsifiers or hot water dumps used to move grease past the unit, unless the local pretreatment program allows the product in use.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Depth never measured, so the interceptor fills past its capacity and grease carries straight through to the sewer between pump-outs.
Pump-out manifests missing or unsigned, so there's no proof the hauler actually emptied it and the sewer authority has nothing to see.
Lid gasket dried out and leaking odor into the kitchen, masked with deodorizer instead of being reseated.

Verified against

IPC / UPC plumbing codes

Common questions

6 answers

What does this grease interceptor quarterly checklist cover?: 13 items across 5 sections, covering safe opening, capacity and cleaning, internals, lid and odor, 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 kitchen facilities or plumbing tech on the quarterly round, or the grease hauler at a scheduled service.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Every quarter, tightened to monthly for a busy kitchen. The depth reading is what sets the real pump-out interval, not the calendar alone.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 10 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 quarterly inspection?: Depth never measured, so the interceptor fills past its capacity and grease carries straight through to the sewer between pump-outs. Pump-out manifests missing or unsigned, so there's no proof the hauler actually emptied it and the sewer authority has nothing to see. Lid gasket dried out and leaking odor into the kitchen, masked with deodorizer instead of being reseated.
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 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.