By Matthew Baring-Gould, Kingscliff-based drainage plumber. Servicing Tweed Heads for 4 years. 5.0 stars across 173 Google reviews. Licensed NSW 383340C and QLD 15036450. ABN 74 605 392 348.
Commercial kitchen in Brisbane City had its floor wastes blocked by months of sweep-in debris. Hydrojet across every branch line, hot-water flush to clear the fats, written note back to the operator about the real cause.
What the customer called us for
Commercial kitchen operator in Brisbane City. Their floor wastes had stopped draining and the smell was getting into the service area.
What we found when we got there
The floor wastes were full of general kitchen debris. Nothing exotic — food scraps, bits of packaging, grease build-up on everything. Over months the kitchen staff had been sweeping the floor into the drain instead of into the bin, and the drain had eventually said no.
Why we did it this way
Commercial kitchen floor wastes are not designed to accept solids. They are meant for the washdown water that goes with cleaning. Once the solids start going in, the branch lines fill up, then the main line fills up, then you have a shut-down kitchen.
What we did on site
- Hydrojetted every floor-waste branch back to the main.
- Jetted the main kitchen line from upstream to downstream.
- Flushed with hot water to break down the fat and grease that had bound the solids together.
- Documented the real cause on the service report so the operator could change the sweep-in habit before the next blockage.
The result
Floor wastes draining freely again. Operator has it in writing that the real cause is a staff-habit issue, not a plumbing fault — which is cheaper to fix.
If you have the same issue
If you run a commercial kitchen in Brisbane and your floor wastes are backing up more than once a year, the problem is almost always what the staff are sweeping in. Fix the habit and the plumbing bill drops. Call Matty on 0447 188 394 or request a quote.
Customer names and addresses have been withheld. Individual results vary. Drain Masters Plumbing is licensed in NSW (383340C) and QLD (15036450).
Frequently asked
How often should a commercial kitchen have its drains serviced?
Quarterly as a minimum for a busy kitchen. The grease arrestor on an annual compliance clean, the floor wastes every three to six months, the main sewer line annually.
What is the actual fix for repeat sweep-in blockages?
Bin lid at knee height next to every workstation, written sign at the floor waste, and a line in the daily close-down checklist to tip the sweep contents into the bin, not down the drain.
Can you do an after-hours job so we do not close?
Yes. Most of our commercial jobs are run after kitchen close so there is no service disruption. Day rate and after-hours rate differ.
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