Grease Trap Cleaning Tampa runs the same checks inspectors do. Grease trap inspectors in Tampa Bay open the trap or interceptor and measure grease and solids against the local limit, check baffles, tees, flow control and venting, confirm every fixture drains through the unit, and ask for your logbook and manifests. Some programs also sample wastewater.
1. Depth against the limit
The inspector opens the unit and checks how full it is against your program’s limit:
- 25% of capacity for grease and solids (City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, Hillsborough County)
- 20% (Pasco County)
- Grease under 6 inches and solids under 8 inches, measured next to the outlet (Pinellas County)
- Solids at the outlet pipe invert (about 8 inches) is a pumping trigger in Tampa and Temple Terrace
2. Fittings and condition
- Baffles intact, so grease and solids can’t short-circuit to the outlet
- Inlet and outlet tees present and unbroken
- Flow-control device on indoor traps (Tampa Sec. 26-306(f)(1))
- Vent ending at least 6 inches above the flood rim (Tampa)
- Lids and risers sound and sealed
3. Connections
Every grease-producing fixture should drain through the unit: sinks, dishwashers, floor drains in prep areas and, in Clearwater, automatic hood-wash units. Restroom waste must never enter it.
4. Records
- Logbook: dates, volumes removed, defects, repairs. Kept 1 year in Tampa, 12 months in Hillsborough, and 3 years in Pinellas County, Pasco County and Temple Terrace.
- Manifests: every hauler pump-out, signed by both sides, kept at least a year under Florida law.
- St. Petersburg also asks for a written cleaning protocol, plumbing schematics, your permit and every service invoice.
5. Practices and additives
St. Petersburg inspectors ask whether staff follow the city’s best-management practices: sink strainers, dry-wiping, no grease down the drain. Additives are checked too. Tampa requires approval for any enzyme or chemical, and Clearwater bans emulsifiers.
6. Sampling
Some programs test what leaves your building. Hillsborough County may sample wastewater, and in the City of Tampa a result over 400 mg/l of grease is grounds to require a new or upgraded trap.
Passing before they arrive
A grease trap inspection runs these same checks and gives you a written fix list. If something fails, see grease trap repair. If a notice has already arrived, see what to do after a Notice of Violation.
Bottom line
Inspectors check the unit, its fittings, its connections and your paperwork. Measure before they do, fix broken parts early, and keep every manifest. To run a pre-inspection, call (727) 476-9241.