Hi, my kitchen sink is somewhat special, it has a garbage-collection box underneath, the pipe from sink goes through garbage disposal into the right-bottom side of the box and then another pipe goes out of the left-top side of the box into the main drain pipe. As a result, every few months, the box will be filled with oily garbage, and the sink will clog (if I turn on garbage disposal, the very dirty oily liquid will actually surge up into the sink). The way to handle this is to open the box and scoop out all the oily garbage, which is tiresome (partly because the screws on the box are getting rusted) and very unpleasant.

I have been advised by some people to remove this box completely, such that the garbage can simply flow through into main drainage. Also, they think that the box will fail completely sooner or later because of the rust, at which point the oily garbage will flow out into kitchen floor and cause a big problem. On the other side, some people advised me that this box is a good thing to have, since it prevents worse clogging in the main drainage.

Which of these advices should I follow? Should I or should I not remove the box? Or should I replace it with a better box? Thanks!



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The 'box' sounds like it is actually a grease interceptor.

It was installed for a reason.

Get an actual plumber involved.

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Oh yes, I think some people called it like that, I just forgot the name, sorry.

The issue is I got different suggestions from different professionals about this grease interceptor, some say that it is only useful in professional kitchens, and will only increase the frequency of clogging in a regular home, but some say that it is a good thing to have since it prevents the worst clogging. That's why I am asking here for more opinions, thanks.

i would remove it.
there are millions and millions of homes across the country that do not have a grease interceptor. most homeowners are somewhat careful not to dump things down the sink that should not be there. restaurnts (where they are required) have employees who are alot more careless about what goes down the drain..

I agree with the others it is most likely a greese intersepror but garbage disposals are not supposed to go thru them to begin with

IT is a GREASE INTERCEPTOR, and was NEVER intended to have a garbage disposer connected to it. As you have discovered, when the disposer is connected to it, it becomes a trash "collector" because everything that goes into it stays there. There is no way to make it NOT do what it is doing without repiping the sink so the disposer connects after the interceptor.

She is in Illinois. If she is in the Chicago area, we ALWAYS had to install a grease interceptor under the sink or a catch basin outside for the sink drains.

If a grease interceptor is still required, you need to invest in stainless steel hardware before the cheap mild steel hardware corrodes past the point at which you can still get it out.

Thanks for everyone's answer! I checked Chicago's ordinances, and I see:

"An interceptor shall not be required for single family dwellings, multiple residential dwelling buildings with six dwelling units or less and pantry sinks in office building break rooms where no oven, stove or range is in use."

and

"No grease interceptor shall receive the discharge from a food waste disposal or a commercial dishwashing machine."

So basicly that means I don't need the interceptor, and the way it is currently connected is wrong, right? So it seems the best way is to remove and/or bypass it, right?

Thanks for everyone's help again!



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correct

either

remove entirely

or

connect disposer downstream

imo: if not required by code ~ remove

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Thanks!



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