Grease Trap vs. Grease Interceptor

“Grease trap” and “grease interceptor” are often used interchangeably — and they do the same basic job: keeping fats, oils, and grease (FOG) out of the sewer system. But they’re built differently, sized differently, and serviced differently. Here’s what sets them apart and how to know which one your kitchen has.

They Do the Same Job

Both devices slow down wastewater from your kitchen so that grease — which is lighter than water — floats to the top and solids sink to the bottom, while cleaner water passes through to the sewer. Both must be pumped and cleaned on a regular schedule to keep working. The difference is scale and placement.

Grease Trap: Small & Indoors

• Size: typically 20–100 gallons.
• Location: indoors, usually under a sink or recessed in the kitchen floor, close to the fixtures it serves.
• Best for: smaller kitchens, cafes, and single-fixture applications.
• Service: fills faster, so it often needs more frequent cleaning — sometimes every few weeks.

Grease Interceptor: Large & In-Ground

• Size: typically 500–2,000+ gallons.
• Location: outside, buried underground, handling the entire kitchen’s wastewater flow.
• Best for: full-service restaurants, food halls, supermarkets, and high-volume facilities.
• Service: larger capacity means less frequent pumping — but each service is a bigger job requiring the right equipment.

Which One Do You Have?

If your grease device is small and indoors near a sink, it’s a trap. If it’s a large lid in the parking lot or out back, it’s an interceptor. Many larger operations have both — smaller traps at specific fixtures feeding into a main interceptor. Your local health department or plumbing permit will also specify what’s installed and how often it must be serviced.

Servicing Matters More Than the Name

Whichever you have, the fundamentals are the same: keep it under the 25% grease-and-solids threshold, service it on a documented schedule, and never let it get to the point of a backup. JN Grease Service handles both traps and interceptors of every size — complete pump-outs, cleaning, eco-friendly disposal, and inspection-ready paperwork every visit.