Wipe Out Grease

Grease build up can be one of the biggest headaches in the industry and can cause major plumbing issues. McElroy’s is a 60-year-old plumbing company that struggled with grease shutting down kitchens.

After an extensive search for solutions through existing drain machine manufacturers and local and national product suppliers, Charlie Campbell, McElroy’s plumbing services division manager, found a company offering similar products for treating these issues at a municipal and waste water treatment plant level and met with their owner to create an environmentally-friendly product line to clean and then treat drain lines at the plumber/drain cleaner level. Campbell spent the next eight years perfecting the methodologies and conducting extensive field testing.

“We developed a 5-strain spore blend product that attacks the grease, literally consuming and converting it to water and carbon dioxide,” says Campbell. “The concept has more than quadrupled the size of our drain cleaning division and is now available to plumbers and drain cleaners in other states and markets.

“We spun off the company and created EnviroServe Corp. in 2004 so that we could expand the concept and teach plumbers, septic haulers, and drain maintenance professionals to use the products at the point of generation, which are now sold nationally. Our Kansas-based company is now 9 years old.” Campbell serves as president of EnviroServe Corporation.

Pro-Active Greasing Control

“Few people realize that every time they wash dishes, they are putting fats, oils and grease (FOG) in the waste lines,” says Campbell. “They develop a false sense of security that their grease trap will take care of it.

“Some products say you don’t have to pump your grease trap any more, but that’s just not true. In a grease trap, the FOG separates into three layers: a scum layer on top, a sludge layer at the bottom and the middle, clear-water layer. Everything comes in and out of the trap through that middle layer and we want it as clear as we can get it. Of course, you still have some FOG leaving the grease trap and that is what most municipalities want to control. Our products help with that and prevent blocked drain lines, the inconvenience of closing down business due to blocked lines and the awful smell.

“When we dose with the bacillus (environmentally beneficial microbes), it builds a biofilm in the waste line and forms a colony over time. The microbes attack and consume the grease with the bi-product being water and carbon dioxide. The biofilm continues to thrive and build upon itself removing problems before they manifest themselves in the form of a plugged line. Normally, we do 8-12 weeks of doses.”

Why Redose?

Harmful chemicals can kill the microbial colony. “Chemical cleaners can harm the colony and cause depletion,” says Campbell. “All we are doing is replenishing that damage when we dose. The dosing frequency can continue to reduce over time–the longer they are on the program, the less you have to dose.

“Another reason microbes may be eliminated is very hot water. Most restaurants use very hot water which breaks up the grease, but then it just reforms down the line.

“The microbes are so microscopic that you can’t see them, so you have to look for their presence in another way. Video inspect the sewer every 6 months or so as you reduce the dosing frequency. When you see a little bit of grease build up, you dial it back up a notch and then you’re in a sweet spot.”

Grease Traps

“No product on the market will alleviate the need to clean a grease trap,” says Campbell. “That bottom layer is made up of non-organic material and will not break down, which is why we are catching them in the trap. If you don’t clean out that bottom layer, then you will have build up. Because you only have so much space to work with in the trap, the bottom layer gets bigger and top layer gets bigger, then that middle layer is reduced and the whole thing becomes clogged. Our product will reduce the frequency a trap needs to be cleaned, but it still needs to be done.”

Septic Systems/Lagoons

“We have a similar system that is used in septic tanks,” says Campbell. “In septic, there is less dosing because it is a dead end road allowing more contact time, unlike an open sewer line.

“It comes in a two-year supply. The first phase is inoculation–like putting a coat of primer on wood before you paint (put in a scoop every week for four weeks). The second phase is dosing, which is like putting on a single coat of paint. After the four weeks, you typically just need to put it in once a month to maintain
the colony.”

The Products

JetFoam liquefies grease and keeps it in suspension and is available in five-gallon buckets. “This allows you to get a superior cleaning with your jetter,” says Campbell. “This allows you to clean twice as much sewer line in a single pass, which means fewer jetting passes, which will reduce wear on the equipment. JetFoam is an environmentally-friendly, non-corrosive blend of surfactants and emulsifiers. It is harmless to pumps and hoses.”

ESC-DT Liquid is an industrial-strength blend of synergistically selected bacteria strains designed to aggressively look for and metabolize or consume sewer grease and available in five-gallon packs. “ESC-DT makes your grease trap work at its peak efficiency,” says Campbell. “It reduces the number of grease trap cleanings, but you still have to clean the grease trap. It also prevents down-line blockages.”

ESC-OC Liquid is a odor-controlling formula, that comes in the standard 5-gallon head pack. “We have some funeral homes that use embalming fluid, and needed something to help control the smell,” says Campbell.

The Peristaultic Pump is a 110-volt automated dosing pump that is used for introducing the liquid product into the drains. This automates the dosing and takes the risk for mistakes out of the equation.

ESC Mop & Maintain is an additive that “eliminates the slick greasy floor feeling.”

Natural Cleanse Septic is sold in 2-pound containers. It should be used once a week for four weeks and then once a month thereafter.

EnviroServe Corporation’s variety of products can help you better serve your grease and septic clients and add to your bottom line.

For more information on EnviroServe, please visit www.enviroservecorp.com.

Story by Jennifer Taylor

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