All organic waste gets broken down by microorganisms (including spoilage microbes like bacteria, mold and yeast). These microorganisms emit gasses, including hydrogen sulfide. The food particles that sink to the bottom of grease traps are actively decaying within the trap, and the layer of fat and oil floating on top of the water gets riper by the day. Grease traps are essentially organic waste repositories and an ideal feasting place/breading ground for the organisms that eat that waste and emit noxious gasses.



Grease traps that aren’t regularly cleaned and serviced will inevitably smell bad, and the smell will get progressively worse as more organic waste builds up inside the grease trap. The best way to address grease trap smells, and to prevent them from building up in the first place, is maintaining an aggressive grease trap cleaning schedule.

If there’s an unpleasant odor in your commercial kitchen and you suspect your grease traps are to blame, contact Southern Green Industries as soon as possible.

Is My Grease Trap Supposed to Smell Bad?

Bad smelling grease traps are essentially an inevitability in every food service business. As waste repositories, it’s impossible to entirely eliminate the potential for bad smells emanating from your grease trap. The goal is to minimize those smells for your staff and customers.

The smell is also a good indicator of the health of your grease trap. As a business owner or manager of a food service establishment, you’re likely familiar with how grease traps smell. You may even notice a significant difference between the smell right before cleaning and the lack of odor right after grease trap cleaning.

The good news is you may be able to tell when the grease trap isn’t working properly by assessing the odor intensity. If you notice your grease trap is suddenly smelling way worse than normal, there’s likely some kind of problem that should be addressed by a professional grease trap servicing company or plumber.

Be cognizant of sudden changes in grease trap odor and don’t ignore them, especially if they’re impacting you or your customers.

Faulty P-Traps

P-traps are bends in pipes that hold water, creating a seal that gasses can’t easily penetrate. Smells coming up from the grease trap should be blocked by the water seal. If something is wrong and the P-trap isn’t holding water as it should, it may result in grease trap odors permeating up from sink drains inside your restaurant or business.

Grease Trap Ventilation

Near the water output pipe on your grease trap will be a vent pipe. This pipe allows for the release of built-up grease trap gasses. Where the vent pipe’s output is placed will have a significant impact on the smells that are generated from the grease trap. If your vent is near where your customers come in your establishment or congregate, they may experience unpleasant odors from the grease trap.

If you’re worried about your grease trap ventilation, it may be worth your time to consult with a plumber who installs grease traps to learn about your options.

Remedies for Grease Trap Smells

Although you likely can’t completely eliminate grease trap smells in your kitchen, there may be some things you can do to minimize the smell if it’s particularly bad. Pouring a large quantity of boiling water down drains is one popular DIY remedy some people try. You may need to repeat the process multiple times to notice a difference. This solution can primarily help if the smell is emanating from food particles and FOG stuck in the pipes leading to your grease trap.

Some people will also try to pour drain cleaner down the drains with the offensive odors, but it may be better to speak with a plumber before attempting to use caustic chemicals.

If you notice a change in smell intensity and you have an indoor, under-sink grease trap in your kitchen, check the lid on the grease trap. The lid might not be securely fastened in place, or it may be damaged, allowing more smells to escape.

Get Rid of Grease Trap Smells with Southern Green Industries

If the smell of your grease trap is permeating your restaurant, parking lot or around your store, it’s likely time to have your grease trap cleaned. Southern Green Industries offers both scheduled and one-off grease trap cleaning and maintenance. Call us at (404) 419-6887 to get a free quote.