How Often Should a Restaurant Clean Its Grease Trap in Los Angeles?

Most Los Angeles restaurants may need grease trap service every 4–8 weeks, depending on kitchen volume, menu type, and trap size. Light-duty kitchens (cold prep, salads, sandwiches) often go longer. High-FOG operations (deep fryers, wok stations, charbroilers) often go shorter.

Under LA County Department of Public Health rules, a trap must be serviced before accumulated FOG and sludge reach 25% of the trap's total capacity. This is not a guideline — it is a compliance requirement that inspectors actively verify.

The safest approach: have a service technician assess your trap during the first visit, note how full it is, and recommend a maintenance calendar based on your actual volume and discharge patterns.

Grease trap accumulation is not linear. A kitchen that fills its trap to 25% capacity in eight weeks one season may fill it in four weeks during peak summer. This is because FOG discharge volume depends on menu type, kitchen heat, dishwasher load, and seasonal demand.

Los Angeles summer temperatures (95°F–105°F+) accelerate bacterial breakdown and gas production inside the trap. More grease emulsifies and converts to sludge faster. The result: shorter intervals from May through October compared to winter months.

Scheduled maintenance saves money and downtime. Emergency service — triggered by a backup, slow drains, or an inspection finding — typically costs 50–100% more. But the real cost is operational: a kitchen offline during lunch or dinner service.

A predictable maintenance calendar eliminates that risk. Set your service dates now, mark them on your calendar, and include them in your monthly budget. Your kitchen, your compliance record, and your bottom line will all thank you.