Frequently Asked Questions

It is imperative when specifying drainage for commercial kitchens that all linear and point drains have a fixed and removable strainer on each outlet of the drain a requirement Australia-wide enforced by water authorities. For floor gullies, this is called a bucket trap,. Should the removable strainer be accidently discarded, there is still a fixed barrier to preventing solid foods fromentering the system.

For food processing facilities with an onsite treatment plant, fixed strainers likely won’t be required. This is because fixed strainers can impact the hygiene level of a floor waste.

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For the ultimate in hygienic drainage, EN 1672 and ISO 14159 are European and international standards that set out hygienic requirements for drainage in the food processing to reduce hygiene risks.

According to these standards, drains must be:

• Fully drainable with no residual, standing water.
• Any welds must butt up to each other and not have an overlapping joint, where bacteria can grow.
• Welds must be placed away from corners on smooth areas so there are no corner welds that cannot be cleaned.
• For cleanability, rounded internal corners are vital as opposed to hard,  90 degree corners.

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Stainless steel is the natural selection for food processing and commercial kitchen applications as it is easy to clean, has a smooth surface, is tolerant of high temperature wastewater and is highly corrosion resistant.

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Manufacturers should be able to provide you with calculations. When designing, be aware that fixed and removable strainers, plus any food scraps within those strainers, internal foul air traps and even grates can restrict the hydraulic capacity of the drain and therefore must be taken into account.

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The aperture of the grate must also be considered if trolleys will travel over the top of the grates. Plate stackers are used a lot for functions to pre-plate starters and desserts and are stored in cool rooms ready for serving. A large aperture grate won’t suit cool rooms, as the wheels of plate stackers and trolleys could get stuck and the food go everywhere. Collaborating with the kitchen consultant and engaging with them on these issues will certainly lead to a great result for the end users.

Slip resistance is a key concern in any application, but it’s likelihood is amplified by the grease and oil present in commercial food preparation and processing applications.

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AS 3996 is the Australian standard grates and covers. However, AS 3996 does not classify floor gullies as the grates are too small for testing. There is no Australian Standard to test the load capabilities of floor waste grates. The European Standard, EN 1253 is these fore used

When selecting a load class, be sure to consider the type of traffic that the grate will be exposed to. Small and solid tyres exert a concentrated load over a much smaller area than a pneumatic tyre, which creates a higher stress on the grate.

Every grate should have a load rating to help make your assessment of suitability for the application.

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Stainless steel and nitrile rubber are easy to clean. Washing with soap or a mild detergent and warm water, followed by a clean water rinse is usually adequate for most industrial applications. An enhanced aesthetic appearance will be achieved if the cleaned surface is finally wiped dry.

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