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A practical guide for preventing drain line emergencies

Imagine this: It’s a busy Saturday night at your restaurant, the tables are full of happy customers, the kitchen is humming and the staff is hustling. And just as your guests start to arrive for their 7 p.m. reservations, a kitchen team member runs up to you and gives you the bad news: “A kitchen floor drain is backed up and flooding the floor.” The thoughts running through your head will likely be: What should I do? Can I get a plumber out on a Saturday night? Could this have been prevented?

Whether you are an operator, business owner or facility manager, you have plenty of things to worry about when it comes to your restaurant. Keeping the business running smoothly has only gotten harder with challenges such as COVID-19 and labor shortages. Important systems such as plumbing can be put on the back burner if they aren’t currently causing you problems. But as we all know, the drain system of any restaurant is strained more than most other facilities due to the large amount of grease and solids that come out of the kitchen. Neglecting the drains puts your restaurant at risk for a plumbing disaster that could strike at any time.

Thankfully restaurateurs can take proactive steps to mitigate and prevent most unexpected drain line plumbing problems. Let’s take a quick walk around the restaurant and look at each drain:

• Compartment Sinks and Garbage Disposals
• Floor Sinks and Mop Sinks
• Floor Drains
• Toilet Drains
• Beverage Drain Lines

For more information on available solutions to “protect” each of these, click here.

As the old saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Being proactive about drain line and plumbing issues in your restaurant may require a little time and money up front, but the preventive measures will typically save you from unexpected and expensive plumbing emergencies and repairs. There’s never a good time for a drain line backup, but today is always a good day to prevent one.

To start your emergency-service-alleviating preventative maintenance program, click here.

Credit: RFMA/Drain-Net Technologies