Why “pumped” and “serviced” aren’t the same job
A trap holds three layers: the grease cap on top, water in the middle, settled solids on the bottom. The cut-rate service takes the cap — it’s fast and looks clean — and leaves the solids compacting below. Within weeks the trap has lost working volume, separation efficiency drops, and your discharge creeps toward the city’s FOG limits while the paperwork says “recently cleaned.” Every service we do takes all three layers, scrapes walls and baffles, checks the inlet and outlet, and leaves a dated receipt with gallons removed — the version of clean that survives a sample.
When your trap is telling you it’s time
- Sour smell around the dish pit that mopping doesn’t fix
- Floor drains near the kitchen slowing week over week
- Gurgling from the three-compartment sink
- Grease visible at the baffle when you lift the lid
- You can’t remember the last pump-out — the most reliable sign there is
Set the interval by arithmetic, not by habit
Most Richmond kitchens with indoor traps land between two and six weeks — but yours depends on trap size, covers, and menu. The frequency calculator does the math; your first pump-out confirms it against what actually comes out. From there it’s a standing schedule with a reminder before each visit, no contract, cancel whenever.