# Grease interceptor



## mrjasontgreek

The old one might have been getting close to the end of its life...


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## mrjasontgreek

New one in place


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## mrjasontgreek

...and concrete


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## rjbphd

Did u put another steel replacment or pvc one?


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## mrjasontgreek

I was supplied with a steel one. I don't really understand why they couldn't make one from PVC or even fibreglass...


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## plumbdrum

mrjasontgreek said:


> I was supplied with a steel one. I don't really understand why they couldn't make one from PVC or even fibreglass...



They do make them. Where's your flow control tee?


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## mrjasontgreek

plumbdrum said:


> They do make them. Where's your flow control tee?


Since I've never seen or heard of one I assume they're not required here. There is a plate on the inlet of the interceptor that restricts flow to 20 GPM


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## rjbphd

mrjasontgreek said:


> I was supplied with a steel one. I don't really understand why they couldn't make one from PVC or even fibreglass...


They have all kind of pvc,fiberglas,ploymor kind in all different sizes... google it.. its those backazzward code preventing us to install them...


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## rjbphd

mrjasontgreek said:


> Since I've never seen or heard of one I assume they're not required here. There is a plate on the inlet of the interceptor that restricts flow to 20 GPM


At least, u'll have job security going back there within 5 years or less to replace it again


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## mrjasontgreek

rjbphd said:


> They have all kind of pvc,fiberglas,ploymor kind in all different sizes... google it.. its those backazzward code preventing us to install them...


They say no plastic due to the heat. Surely fibreglass could handle it. It's good enough for a fire department ladder...


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## mrjasontgreek

rjbphd said:


> At least, u'll have job security going back there within 5 years or less to replace it again


In five years I hope to be working home again, on the other side of the country! :laughing:


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## rjbphd

mrjasontgreek said:


> They say no plastic due to the heat. Surely fibreglass could handle it. It's good enough for a fire department ladder...


Same with all the pvc pipe and fittings??? Heat and chemical reaction eats out the steel trap in almost no time..


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## bct p&h

No plastic because of the heat seems like a BS excuse to me. Not supposed to have anything over 140 going into drains anyway and if the water does get over that it will melt the grease to the point of the interceptor being pointless. The real reason people still put in steel interceptors is because they are cheaper than the plastic ones, believe it or not. 
Did you vent the flow control?


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> No plastic because of the heat seems like a BS excuse to me. Not supposed to have anything over 140 going into drains anyway and if the water does get over that it will melt the grease to the point of the interceptor being pointless. The real reason people still put in steel interceptors is because they are cheaper than the plastic ones, believe it or not.
> Did you vent the flow control?



Your a Ma guy if I remember correct? 150 for our drains, and I was wondering where the vent was also, also the vent for the trap he'll have to put on the sink?


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## mrjasontgreek

We aren't required to put traps ahead of interceptors, most do but they consider the interceptor a trap. This is replaced exactly as it was


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## mrjasontgreek

I'll double check the code book tonight for the exact wording


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## plumbdrum

There's a difference between a trap and a interceptor


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## mrjasontgreek

plumbdrum said:


> There's a difference between a trap and a interceptor


Yes, there is. However...


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## plumbdrum

mrjasontgreek said:


> Yes, there is. However...



Well, ya got me there. Lol, different codes


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## mrjasontgreek

It's a very handy rule!


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## mrjasontgreek

bct p&h said:


> No plastic because of the heat seems like a BS excuse to me. Not supposed to have anything over 140 going into drains anyway and if the water does get over that it will melt the grease to the point of the interceptor being pointless. The real reason people still put in steel interceptors is because they are cheaper than the plastic ones, believe it or not.
> Did you vent the flow control?


I asked why no plastic or fibreglass and this was the answer I got. It may be an issue with CSA approval; those guys have some weird ideas.


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## mccmech

plumbdrum said:


> Your a Ma guy if I remember correct? 150 for our drains, and I was wondering where the vent was also, also the vent for the trap he'll have to put on the sink?


Maybe it's because I'm just a dumb NJ plumber but, my experience has been that the flow control yer you're looking for gets vented. The trap from the sink is at the bottom of the indirect waste floor sink that gets dumped into. Unless the sanitizer bowl is dropping directly into the sanitary drain, after the grease trap, which most health departments won't allow, I think you have yer answer that the sink will be vented by the flow control valve upstream of the grease interceptor. Oh, by the way, this NJ plumber will also vent the grease trap downstream of the interceptor.


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## mrjasontgreek

It is vented downstream. Not properly, it's run flat under the floor, but it can't be changed now.


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## mrjasontgreek

From the appendix


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## plumbdrum

What's a millimeter?


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## mrjasontgreek

And the section specifically on interceptors:


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## rjbphd

mrjasontgreek said:


> From the appendix


Everything in metric over there???


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## mrjasontgreek

25.4mm = 1"


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## mrjasontgreek

rjbphd said:


> Everything in metric over there???


In theory, but metric doesn't really work when you're next door to the last place in the universe that uses imperial measurements, and stubbornly refuses to change... :whistling2:

Our code is in metric, government drawings are in metric. The real world here uses imperial for pretty much everything, except for temperature, sometimes, unless it's to do with cooking or water, then Fahrenheit. We measure distance in kilometres, but shorter lengths in feet, it's completely screwed up. You can buy a quart of milk, or a 2 litre bottle of coke.


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## mrjasontgreek

Here's metric and imperial in the same chart :blink:


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## bct p&h

plumbdrum said:


> Your a Ma guy if I remember correct? 150 for our drains, and I was wondering where the vent was also, also the vent for the trap he'll have to put on the sink?


Yup. Off by 10 degrees, my mistake.


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## mccmech

mrjasontgreek said:


> From the appendix


In NJ, illustrations are not an acceptable justification of the code. Even if the illustration is in the code book. It's a legal thing.:-(


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## mccmech

plumbdrum said:


> What's a millimeter?


I'll tell you that answer if you tell me what's a henway? ;-)


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## mrjasontgreek

mccmech said:


> In NJ, illustrations are not an acceptable justification of the code. Even if the illustration is in the code book. It's a legal thing.:-(


That's confusing... All the illustrations in ours are to demonstrate examples of acceptable methods


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## mccmech

mrjasontgreek said:


> And the section specifically on interceptors:


May we see section 2.5.5.2, where it discusses the venting of grease interceptors? Just for clarification. The page you posted only states that venting is required, not how or where.


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## bct p&h

mccmech said:


> Maybe it's because I'm just a dumb NJ plumber but, my experience has been that the flow control yer you're looking for gets vented. The trap from the sink is at the bottom of the indirect waste floor sink that gets dumped into. Unless the sanitizer bowl is dropping directly into the sanitary drain, after the grease trap, which most health departments won't allow, I think you have yer answer that the sink will be vented by the flow control valve upstream of the grease interceptor. Oh, by the way, this NJ plumber will also vent the grease trap downstream of the interceptor.


3 bays around here can't waste indirectly. Some health departments want the sanitizer bay indirect, but it still has to go through the interceptor.
If the flow control isn't vented it doesn't drain well and gets clogged up with the grease that is supposed to be contained in the interceptor. I've seen it happen more than a few times. If my book wasn't in the truck I'd snap a picture of how MA wants them piped.


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## mrjasontgreek

2.5.5.2 is for oil interceptors...


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## mccmech

mrjasontgreek said:


> That's confusing... All the illustrations in ours are to demonstrate examples of acceptable methods


I totally get that, but our code book illustrations hold no weight in court, only the verbiage. But then again, our code actually contradicts itself sometimes, depending on the subject matter and which chapter it's covered in. Go figure!!!!


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## mrjasontgreek

I should have caught this paragraph too


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## mccmech

mrjasontgreek said:


> 2.5.5.2 is for oil interceptors...


I beg your pardon. Just re-read the page, I jumped to a conclusion when I saw the word oil in the section.


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## mccmech

bct p&h said:


> 3 bays around here can't waste indirectly. Some health departments want the sanitizer bay indirect, but it still has to go through the interceptor.
> If the flow control isn't vented it doesn't drain well and gets clogged up with the grease that is supposed to be contained in the interceptor. I've seen it happen more than a few times. If my book wasn't in the truck I'd snap a picture of how MA wants them piped.


You are saying Ma does NOT drain 3-bays indirectly? Am I mis-reading your first sentence?


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## mrjasontgreek

So that would be all our rules regarding interceptors here in the great white north! I should note that this particular one is serving just one 3-compartment sink.


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## mrjasontgreek

If I had done it originally, I would have piped the drain from the sink into the wall, trapped and vented it, and vented the interceptor like an oil interceptor. Unfortunately it's hard to do that kind of changes when they only shut the restaurant down for a short time, and I'm not the one that quoted it


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## mccmech

mrjasontgreek said:


> I should have caught this paragraph too


Interesting design in your illustration. The interceptors I've installed typically have the baffle on the inlet side of the interceptor. Now ya got me doubting myself. Thanks dude! ;-) ;-)


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## mrjasontgreek

mccmech said:


> Interesting design in your illustration. The interceptors I've installed typically have the baffle on the inlet side of the interceptor. Now ya got me doubting myself. Thanks dude! ;-) ;-)


All the ones I've worked on have a steel plate that slides over the inlet for a flow control, a removable baffle about 4" in from that, a fixed baffle coming off the bottom a little farther over to create a seal from the first baffle, then a fixed baffle covering the outlet that has a removable plug on the top


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## mrjasontgreek

Here's a cutaway


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## mccmech

mrjasontgreek said:


> Here's a cutaway


This goes back toy previous comment about code book illustrations holding no weight. If you compare your hand-drawn picture to the code book illustration you'll see they look nothing alike. Interceptors I've installed resemble your drawing.


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## plumbdrum

mccmech said:


> You are saying Ma does NOT drain 3-bays indirectly? Am I mis-reading your first sentence?



Ya betchya


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## gardenparty

Canplas makes them to withstand 220 degrees F or 140 C. They are about 1/3 the weight of the metal ones and we have replaces a lot of the grease interceptors in our camps with these. The biggest they make is only 50 GPM but they do make the air intake tee and the flow control as well in both 2" and 3". The have a wireless monitor control available but I have never put one of those in.


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## mrjasontgreek

gardenparty said:


> Canplas makes them to withstand 220 degrees F or 140 C. They are about 1/3 the weight of the metal ones and we have replaces a lot of the grease interceptors in our camps with these. The biggest they make is only 50 GPM but they do make the air intake tee and the flow control as well in both 2" and 3". The have a wireless monitor control available but I have never put one of those in.


Well. That would have been nice. Sure as hell I'm going to be installing those when I work for myself.


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## mccmech

plumbdrum said:


> Ya betchya


Sooooo, now let the teeth pulling begin. Since some members don't like to volunteer anything other than criticism, are there any Mass. Plumbers who might like to share how that great state plumbs their multi-bay sinks. I've gotta figure the grease interceptors are above grade, on a slab install, since, if the sink is hard-piped to the I tercel tot, the indirect discharge would be downstream of the interceptor.


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## plumbdrum

I'll post some pics this week, also a sketch from the code


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## plumbdrum

The top pic would be how it's done here, not out of my Code, but a similar install


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## plumbdrum

Here's out of my code with pre-rinse and dishwasher. That's all that needs to be a indirect drain


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## bct p&h

mccmech said:


> Sooooo, now let the teeth pulling begin. Since some members don't like to volunteer anything other than criticism, are there any Mass. Plumbers who might like to share how that great state plumbs their multi-bay sinks. I've gotta figure the grease interceptors are above grade, on a slab install, since, if the sink is hard-piped to the I tercel tot, the indirect discharge would be downstream of the interceptor.


Why would the interceptor be above grade, especially on a slab? 
On a 3 bay you hang a 3" trap under the middle bay. Off the trap you put in a 3"x2" double tee wye (double san tee if you prefer) bush the top down to 2" and tie it into the middle bay. The left and right bowls get a 2" wye and ⅛ on it's back tied into the bays and the ends get an eco. Before the trap I like to put a dandi, some people like a wye and ⅛ with an eco. 
I just went through my phone because I thought I had a picture of one but I'm not finding it.
Side note: last time I was ordering the 3" dwv copper fittings for one the guy at the supply house said they were going to stop making 3" dwv copper. What else am I supposed to use in MA? No hub fittings are too big to fit all of that under the sink and PVC isn't allowed for that in commercial.


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## mccmech

bct p&h said:


> Why would the interceptor be above grade, especially on a slab?
> On a 3 bay you hang a 3" trap under the middle bay. Off the trap you put in a 3"x2" double tee wye (double san tee if you prefer) bush the top down to 2" and tie it into the middle bay. The left and right bowls get a 2" wye and ⅛ on it's back tied into the bays and the ends get an eco. Before the trap I like to put a dandi, some people like a wye and ⅛ with an eco.
> I just went through my phone because I thought I had a picture of one but I'm not finding it.
> Side note: last time I was ordering the 3" dwv copper fittings for one the guy at the supply house said they were going to stop making 3" dwv copper. What else am I supposed to use in MA? No hub fittings are too big to fit all of that under the sink and PVC isn't allowed for that in commercial.


Because, at some point, there needs to be protection from cross contamination. That is usually accomplished through the indirect waste of the sink bowls. NJ code, at least in the past, has allowed for direct piping, as long as there is a floor drain down stream of the sink tie-in, which would not allow a sewage backup to make it's way to the sink. I have not yet met a health inspector who would permit that type of arrangement. That has been the only reason for my question about the plumbing of Multi-bay sinks in Ma.. I'm a curious geek who likes to hear the other nine ways that ten of us would do the same job!


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## bct p&h

mccmech said:


> Because, at some point, there needs to be protection from cross contamination. That is usually accomplished through the indirect waste of the sink bowls. NJ code, at least in the past, has allowed for direct piping, as long as there is a floor drain down stream of the sink tie-in, which would not allow a sewage backup to make it's way to the sink. I have not yet met a health inspector who would permit that type of arrangement. That has been the only reason for my question about the plumbing of Multi-bay sinks in Ma.. I'm a curious geek who likes to hear the other nine ways that ten of us would do the same job!


I think you missed something. I didn't ask why would it drain indirect. I asked why would the interceptor be above grade.
A commercial kitchen in MA the only indirect drains are the dishwasher, prep sink, ice bins ect. They don't want drains backing up into the food itself or anything that comes into contact with the food when it's "clean". 
In MA a required fixture is a garbage disposal in a commercial kitchen but the engineer/architect never puts it on the print. I recently did a pizza place and asked the inspector where he wanted it. He told me to put it on the drain board of the prep sink. The problem with that is the disposal has to tie in solid. If that disposal ever backs up it is going to go into the prep sink that could have food in it. I argued until I was blue in the face and got nowhere. Granted, this pizza place doesn't prep anything and they will never use the disposal or the prep sink but what happens when they move out and another restaurant moves in?


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## plumbdrum

You better tie your kitchen sink in indirectly. You are stopping the water with some sort of stopper and filling a sink, where is your cross contamination. Dishwasher I can see , but not a 3bay


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> I think you missed something. I didn't ask why would it drain indirect. I asked why would the interceptor be above grade.
> A commercial kitchen in MA the only indirect drains are the dishwasher, prep sink, ice bins ect. They don't want drains backing up into the food itself or anything that comes into contact with the food when it's "clean".
> In MA a required fixture is a garbage disposal in a commercial kitchen but the engineer/architect never puts it on the print. I recently did a pizza place and asked the inspector where he wanted it. He told me to put it on the drain board of the prep sink. The problem with that is the disposal has to tie in solid. If that disposal ever backs up it is going to go into the prep sink that could have food in it. I argued until I was blue in the face and got nowhere. Granted, this pizza place doesn't prep anything and they will never use the disposal or the prep sink but what happens when they move out and another restaurant moves in?



Ahhhh, the old seats over 20 with a municipal sewer code. Lol


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> I think you missed something. I didn't ask why would it drain indirect. I asked why would the interceptor be above grade.
> A commercial kitchen in MA the only indirect drains are the dishwasher, prep sink, ice bins ect. They don't want drains backing up into the food itself or anything that comes into contact with the food when it's "clean".
> In MA a required fixture is a garbage disposal in a commercial kitchen but the engineer/architect never puts it on the print. I recently did a pizza place and asked the inspector where he wanted it. He told me to put it on the drain board of the prep sink. The problem with that is the disposal has to tie in solid. If that disposal ever backs up it is going to go into the prep sink that could have food in it. I argued until I was blue in the face and got nowhere. Granted, this pizza place doesn't prep anything and they will never use the disposal or the prep sink but what happens when they move out and another restaurant moves in?




You hit the nail on the head.


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> I think you missed something. I didn't ask why would it drain indirect. I asked why would the interceptor be above grade.
> A commercial kitchen in MA the only indirect drains are the dishwasher, prep sink, ice bins ect. They don't want drains backing up into the food itself or anything that comes into contact with the food when it's "clean".
> In MA a required fixture is a garbage disposal in a commercial kitchen but the engineer/architect never puts it on the print. I recently did a pizza place and asked the inspector where he wanted it. He told me to put it on the drain board of the prep sink. The problem with that is the disposal has to tie in solid. If that disposal ever backs up it is going to go into the prep sink that could have food in it. I argued until I was blue in the face and got nowhere. Granted, this pizza place doesn't prep anything and they will never use the disposal or the prep sink but what happens when they move out and another restaurant moves in?



Did you have a pre-rinse sink? If so you should have put the disposal there.


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## mccmech

bct p&h said:


> I think you missed something. I didn't ask why would it drain indirect. I asked why would the interceptor be above grade.
> A commercial kitchen in MA the only indirect drains are the dishwasher, prep sink, ice bins ect. They don't want drains backing up into the food itself or anything that comes into contact with the food when it's "clean".
> In MA a required fixture is a garbage disposal in a commercial kitchen but the engineer/architect never puts it on the print. I recently did a pizza place and asked the inspector where he wanted it. He told me to put it on the drain board of the prep sink. The problem with that is the disposal has to tie in solid. If that disposal ever backs up it is going to go into the prep sink that could have food in it. I argued until I was blue in the face and got nowhere. Granted, this pizza place doesn't prep anything and they will never use the disposal or the prep sink but what happens when they move out and another restaurant moves in?


Actually, I didn't miss anything. I'm trying to see how you folks plumb your fixture. My belief that the interceptor would be above grade was to allow for indirect drainage downstream of the receptor. I have never seen an installation of indirect waste below grade. I got my answer from what Plumdrum posted regardless.


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## plumbdrum

Now there are plenty of install where the interceptor is at finish grade but it is still vented like shown in pic. Long sweep out of unit and vent your trap on the vertical and flow control gets vented wherever manufacture says it can go


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## mccmech

plumbdrum said:


> You better tie your kitchen sink in indirectly. You are stopping the water with some sort of stopper and filling a sink, where is your cross contamination. Dishwasher I can see , but not a 3bay


Thanks for the sarcasm, Richard!


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## plumbdrum

mccmech said:


> Thanks for the sarcasm, Richard!



I prefer to be called Dick


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## mccmech

plumbdrum said:


> I prefer to be called Dick


You got it, Dick!


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## bct p&h

plumbdrum said:


> Did you have a pre-rinse sink? If so you should have put the disposal there.


3 bay with dishwasher on the right drain board. After that was the prep sink with the disposal in the drain board. I wanted it in the left drain board of the 3 bay because that would be next to the rinse bay of the 3 bay. I have to go back there soon to swap the gas main for the cooking equipment from lp to natural as soon as the gas company increases the main from the street. I'll take some pictures then.


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## bct p&h

mccmech said:


> Actually, I didn't miss anything. I'm trying to see how you folks plumb your fixture. My belief that the interceptor would be above grade was to allow for indirect drainage downstream of the receptor. I have never seen an installation of indirect waste below grade. I got my answer from what Plumdrum posted regardless.


Wouldn't the interceptor at grade with a floor sink for the indirect be a lot cleaner of an install? If they are concerned with them mopping the floor into the interceptor you could always install the floor sink an inch or two aff and have them tile the exposed sides.


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## mccmech

bct p&h said:


> Wouldn't the interceptor at grade with a floor sink for the indirect be a lot cleaner of an install? If they are concerned with them mopping the floor into the interceptor you could always install the floor sink an inch or two aff and have them tile the exposed sides.


Dude, never mind! I was curious & trying, as I've stated already, to see how other plumbers do their thing. I know how I do my grease trap installs, and for what it's worth, I have never gotten failed. That's because I do it according to my state's code. I'm sorry I tried to understand how things are done in Mass.!!!


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## bct p&h

mccmech said:


> Dude, never mind! I was curious & trying, as I've stated already, to see how other plumbers do their thing. I know how I do my grease trap installs, and for what it's worth, I have never gotten failed. That's because I do it according to my state's code. I'm sorry I tried to understand how things are done in Mass.!!!


I wasn't trying to bust your balls. I just questioned why you would assume the interceptor would be above grade. You answered it but I thought you didn't. Just a little confusion because you are used to doing it one way and I'm used to doing it another.


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## fhrooter72

Our code here (UPC 1014.1.3) says "no food waste disposal unit or dishwasher shall be connected to or disharge into a grease interceptor." 

Can somebody tell me why?


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## bct p&h

fhrooter72 said:


> Our code here (UPC 1014.1.3) says "no food waste disposal unit or dishwasher shall be connected to or disharge into a grease interceptor."
> 
> Can somebody tell me why?


Food solids will get stuck in the flow restrictor and make a mess in the baffles of the interceptor. I'm not sure why they say no dishwasher though. They discharge through a screen to prevent food from going down the drain. Maybe they are concerned about the heat of the water from the booster pump melting the grease?


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## bct p&h

Finally back to swap the gas over. This is the 3 bay. Grease interceptor is in the floor


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## bct p&h

And this is the disposal that I argued about how it shouldn't be there.


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## plumbdrum

Nice work, I always had a hard time finding 3" copper traps, always had to do it in no-hub. now that food waste grinder I would question, it's obviously not a commercial food waste grinder. But if that's what you were given and the inspector doesn't pick it up good for you


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## Letterrip

No disposal on grease line here. One can go in a kitchen, but must be run separate from the grease lines. 

And yeah, a badger 5 has no business in a commercial kitchen. In the grand scheme of things, it would have been nothing to upgrade to at least a basic 3/4 hp unit with multiple grinding stages.


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## bct p&h

When I got that trap I heard they were going to stop making them.

I prefer using copper under the 3 bay because it's a lot more solid than no hub clamps. You are right, finding them can be an issue. I ordered those during the rough so I would have them come time for the finish.

The inspector is actually the one that said to throw the badger 5 in there. He said that because they will never use it why waste the money. It is in a chain pizza place. Everything comes precut in bags so they don't even use the prep sink. 

The disposal isn't piped into the interceptor, the floor sink for the prep sink is.


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> When I got that trap I heard they were going to stop making them.
> 
> I prefer using copper under the 3 bay because it's a lot more solid than no hub clamps. You are right, finding them can be an issue. I ordered those during the rough so I would have them come time for the finish.
> 
> The inspector is actually the one that said to throw the badger 5 in there. He said that because they will never use it why waste the money. It is in a chain pizza place. Everything comes precut in bags so they don't even use the prep sink.
> 
> The disposal isn't piped into the interceptor, the floor sink for the prep sink is.



The disposal type would be the old deviation from the code. Lol


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## Letterrip

bct p&h said:


> When I got that trap I heard they were going to stop making them. I prefer using copper under the 3 bay because it's a lot more solid than no hub clamps. You are right, finding them can be an issue. I ordered those during the rough so I would have them come time for the finish. The inspector is actually the one that said to throw the badger 5 in there. He said that because they will never use it why waste the money. It is in a chain pizza place. Everything comes precut in bags so they don't even use the prep sink. The disposal isn't piped into the interceptor, the floor sink for the prep sink is.


Just read back on the thread and saw that this has all been covered already. BTW, nice looking work there!!


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## bct p&h

plumbdrum said:


> The disposal type would be the old deviation from the code. Lol


Haha on something like that, I'm not going to fight him. I actually brought it up to him because the print he approved didn't have it on there in the first place. His solution was "just throw a badger 5 on the drain board of the prep sink". That turned into the whole discussion of me not wanting it there because if it backs up it will go into the prep sink that could be filled with food. I would have fought that one harder if they actually used the prep sink. 
I was talking with the contractor today while waiting for the inspector to take a look at the gas piping and he said the plumbing inspector alone added $12,000 to the cost of the job by having me add things that weren't on the plan he approved. I told him he should take it up with his engineer because 99% of the things he had me add should have been on the print. If I bid it the way it should have been instead of what was on the print I'd never work again.


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> Haha on something like that, I'm not going to fight him. I actually brought it up to him because the print he approved didn't have it on there in the first place. His solution was "just throw a badger 5 on the drain board of the prep sink". That turned into the whole discussion of me not wanting it there because if it backs up it will go into the prep sink that could be filled with food. I would have fought that one harder if they actually used the prep sink.
> I was talking with the contractor today while waiting for the inspector to take a look at the gas piping and he said the plumbing inspector alone added $12,000 to the cost of the job by having me add things that weren't on the plan he approved. I told him he should take it up with his engineer because 99% of the things he had me add should have been on the print. If I bid it the way it should have been instead of what was on the print I'd never work again.



We have a good system in place in my city. Any commercial plans that come into the building dept. Come over to the plumbing dept. for a plan review before any building permit is issued, that way any surprises get caught before the work starts. As far as architects go, they don't supersede 248 CMR so their stamp means crap to me.


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## bct p&h

plumbdrum said:


> We have a good system in place in my city. Any commercial plans that come into the building dept. Come over to the plumbing dept. for a plan review before any building permit is issued, that way any surprises get caught before the work starts. As far as architects go, they don't supersede 248 CMR so their stamp means crap to me.


That's the way it should be. I just don't understand how these architects and engineers get away with charging for plans that aren't up to code. 
The biggest problem I have is when contractors get all bent out of shape when the inspector tells them they need to add a backflow here or there. Most of the time they get pissed off at me because they think I either don't know what I'm doing or I should have included it in my bid. I knew the whole time there needed to be a backflow there. I didn't include it in my bid because if I did I wouldn't have gotten the job.
I've lost work with contractors that I've done a ton of work with to another guy that is thousands or tens of thousands cheaper than me. I usually get a phone call from them at the end of the job saying that the new guy they got ended up costing them the same or more than my original bid. And I'll explain to them that I thought we were at the point were I could bid with them the way it should be and not what was on the print, guess not. Live and learn.


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