Kauffman's Grease Pumping Service

It really comes down to trap size and how fast it fills. Some of our weekly customers actually have smaller traps — they fill up fast and need to be pulled more often to stay compliant. Most full-service restaurants, bakeries, and commercial kitchens land on a monthly or bi-monthly schedule. Lower-volume spots — cafés, delis, and smaller kitchens with more trap capacity than they need — often do fine on a bi-monthly rotation. We look at your trap size, cooking type, and how fast it fills, then put you on the interval that keeps you compliant without over-servicing.

A grease trap is a small, indoor unit — usually under a sink or in the kitchen floor — that holds a few gallons up to around 100 gallons. A grease interceptor is a larger, in-ground tank outside the building, starting around 125 gallons and ranging up to 2,000+ gallons depending on the facility. Both need regular pump-outs, and we service both.

Grease trap sizing is based on the flow rate of the sinks draining into it — measured in gallons per minute (GPM). The general rule: your trap's capacity should be at least twice your peak flow rate.

How to figure out your flow rate:

1. Measure each sink compartment: Length × Width × Depth (in inches) = cubic inches per compartment
2. Add up all compartments, then divide by 231 to convert to gallons
3. Multiply by 0.75 to account for displacement from dishes and utensils — that's your GPM
4. If multiple sinks drain into one trap: use 100% of the largest sink's GPM, 50% of the second largest, and 25% of any remaining

Example: A 3-compartment sink measuring 18" × 18" × 12" per bay = 18×18×12 = 3,888 cubic inches × 3 compartments = 11,664 ÷ 231 = ~50.5 gallons × 0.75 = ~38 GPM. Recommended trap size: 75–100 gallons.

If your trap is undersized for your kitchen's output, it fills faster — which means more frequent service, more risk of overflow, and more chance of a compliance issue. Not sure what you have? Call us — we're happy to take a look and tell you if your current setup makes sense. Use our trap calculator below to estimate your trap size in gallons.

No. We never require long-term contracts. You can schedule one-time service or set up a recurring maintenance plan and adjust or cancel whenever you need to. Most of our customers stay with us because the service is reliable — not because they're locked in.

Neglected grease traps overflow, causing foul odors, slow or backed-up drains, grease in the sewer line, health code violations, and costly plumbing repairs. A regular pump-out schedule is far cheaper than dealing with an emergency or a failed health inspection.

Yes. We prioritize emergency calls and offer same-day service when available. For emergencies, always call us directly at (619) 654-6737 — don't rely on the web form when you need fast help.

We serve restaurants and commercial kitchens throughout San Diego County — including San Diego, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido, Carlsbad, and surrounding communities. Not sure if we cover your area? Give us a call and we'll let you know.