The new 500-gallon grease trap manufactured by Aero-Tech features just one tank instead of three, which makes it easier to install in tight quarters, and only one access hole instead of a more conventional three, which allows for faster pumping.
Made of durable fiberglass, the cylindrical tank measures 48 inches in diameter and 90 inches tall. It features three compartments within one tank, as opposed to the more typical configuration of three separate tanks plumbed together, which creates a larger, rectangular footprint, says Dan Papczynski, who heads up sales and product design for Aero-Tech.
The trap, which has a 180-degree outlet and can handle 500 gpd, requires no internal pump. Instead, gravity forces water through two inlets holes and baffle systems before it leaves the tank. The colder underground soil temperatures cool the water in the tank, which makes the grease congeal and float to the water’s surface. Most of the grease gets trapped in the first compartment, Papczynski says.
Another key feature of the trap is its one-access hole design, which improves productivity by enabling pumpers to service all three compartments without twice removing and reinserting a hose. In addition, the lid is square (2 feet by 2 feet), which provides easier access than the more common 2-foot-diameter round lid. It’s also hinged, which makes it impossible to lose, Papczynski says.
“Instead of the usual three lids to open, there’s only one, which saves time,” says Mark Aker, owner of Aero-Tech. “There’s less odor released, too, because it takes less time to pump it out. That’s especially important for the restaurant that gets serviced in the middle of the day … the faster the pumper can do his job, the better it is for the restaurant or business.”
The tank is installed between the kitchen discharge and a septic system or sewer line. It’s designed primarily for underground installation, but can be installed above ground, too, under certain applications.
Because the tank weighs less than 500 pounds, installation does not require heavy equipment, such as a crane. “You can install it with a backhoe,” Aker says, noting that metal rings under the unit’s top lip accommodate chains for lifting/lowering.
The tank can be used in different applications, such as trapping sediment and waste discharged from car washes, but is designed primarily as a grease trap. It’s suitable for new construction, as a replacement for existing traps or installation at older buildings that should have a grease trap, but don’t, Papczynski says.
“We run into a lot of commercial applications – usually restaurants – where grease tanks aren’t present … things don’t always get built the way they’re supposed to,” Aker notes. “As a result, they run their grease right into the septic tank with the sewage, which plugs up the leachfield. And typically, the trap needs to be located right outside a building, where there’s already limited space for one, which is why we decided to develop this product.” 574/935-0908; www.aerotech-atu.com.
