Despite the lack of any actual cutting, the age old adage “measure twice and cut once” is intensely relevant when choosing the optimal interceptor for your project. Attempting to save money upfront by buying a model that is clearly too small will result in sky high maintenance costs via weekly pump outs. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to avoid a full out kitchen back-up.
On the other hand, interceptors too big to fail often do just that, with owners leaving too long between cleanings, allowing grease to rot and eat away at the interiors. But enough about what happens when interceptor selection goes wrong. Let’s talk about how to get it right.
Start with a sizing calculator
The vast majority of interceptor manufacturers have an online calculator (you can find ours here) that negate a lot of the required learning normally needed to make this decision. Just gather your appliance’s manuals, punch in the required dimensions and specs, and voila. Here is the interceptor best suited to your needs. And in case the calculator just displays a table of options and your flow rate (typically in gallons per minute or GPM) remember to always round up (for the same reasons mentioned above).
What if the kitchen isn’t built yet?
While there are engineering formulas that can provide a fairly safe guess as to what the GPM of a proposed facility would be, just contact your prospective manufacturer. These professionals live and breathe separation technology, and have very likely seen the situation you’re in numerous times. The peace of mind provided by their professional opinion alone is definitely worth it, not to mention the time saved. In fact, we recommend taking this step even if the result provided by your sizing calculator is absolutely ideal.
In grease management, a little work upfront can save you an insurmountable amount of work down the line. And with your interceptor sizing nailed, you’ll be able to focus on the aspects of your business that YOU decide are important, instead of the other way around.
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