# Elevator Sump Pump Discharge Into Grease Interceptor?



## Mule (Apr 28, 2010)

Can the discharge from an elevator sump pump be piped to the grease interceptor serving a kitchen or would it require it's own oil interceptor?


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## Moscow (Apr 28, 2010)

I would say no becasue the sump is in for ground water, ground water may not enter into the sanitry sewer system it has to go to the strom sewer and therefor needs it's own oil seperator.

Justin


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## north star (Apr 28, 2010)

** **

*Mule,*

*Per Section 1003.3.1 in the 2006 IPC: "**Grease interceptors and automatic*

*grease removal devices required."*

A grease interceptor or automatic grease removal device shall be required to receive

the drainage from fixtures and equipment with grease-laden waste located in food

preparation areas, such as in restaurants, hotel kitchens, hospitals, school kitchens,

bars, factory cafeterias and clubs.        Fixtures and equipment shall include pot sinks,

prerinse sinks;   soup kettles or similar devices; wok stations; floor drains or sinks

into which kettles are drained; automatic hood wash units and dishwashers without

prerinse sinks.    *Grease interceptors and automatic grease removal devices shall*

*receive waste **only** from fixtures and equipment that allow fats, oils or grease*

*to be discharged.*

*From Section 1003.4 in the 2006 IPC: **"Oil separators required."*

At repair garages, car-washing facilities, at factories where oily and flammable liquid

wastes are produced *and in hydraulic elevator pits*, separators shall be installed

into which all oil-bearing, grease-bearing or flammable wastes shall be discharged

before emptying into the building drainage system or other point of disposal.

*Exception:* An oil separator is not required in hydraulic elevator pits where

an approved alarm system is installed.

** **


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## skipharper (Apr 29, 2010)

No to the grease interceptor. I would say to daylight, an oil seperator would be somewhat rediculous.


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## RJJ (Apr 29, 2010)

NO!NO! I had to lengthen my response because the machine said it was to short!


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## Mule (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks for the responses.

North Star, thanks for the "specific" code sections.

This site spoils us sooooo bad. I would rather just come on here and ask instead of researching myself. But when someone else askes a question I will look up the code sections to make sure I am close to what I am thinking! Strange but true!


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## Mule (Apr 29, 2010)

Okay, what is an approved alarm system?.......I didn't look to see if it was within the code!


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## north star (Apr 29, 2010)

** **

*Mule,*

*As I understand the alarm requirement [ in Section 1003.4 ], rather than installing an*

*approved type of oil separator, an approved type of sensor [ alarm ] will be installed in*

*the sump pit to monitor for oily wastes. I'm not quite sure as to how it actually*

*works, ...maybe measuring the viscosity of the water or something, but this sensor*

*will shut down the sump pump before pumping any hazardous wastes are pumped in to*

*the sanitary **or **storm sewer systems. * 

** **


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## Darren Emery (Apr 30, 2010)

I had to research the alarm/sensor recently - pretty ingenious design.  Two different floats, and electrically sensing probe that can tell the difference between water and oil.

More info HERE if interested.


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## Alias (Apr 30, 2010)

Darren -

Thanks for the post with the information on the alarm/sensor design.  Very helpful with the potential arrival of elevators here.

Sue, on the frontier


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## north star (Apr 30, 2010)

** **



*FWIW,*



*We have a project here now that is proposing to install one of these alarm sensor*

*thingies on the elevator sump pump pit.*



** **


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## georgia plans exam (Apr 30, 2010)

The State of Georgia has deleted the exception to IPC Section 1003.4 by amendment.

GPES


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## peach (May 2, 2010)

Sort of depends on the elevator equipment; if it's hydraulic, it will eject oily water. Any sump ejecting water into a parking garage needs to go to an oil separator.  Would I allow it to go to a kitchen grease interceptor (maybe.. have you ever seen the water coming out of a steel sprinkler system? .. it's nasty oily)..

I don't think a kitchen grease interceptor can generally handle the 3000 gallons per hour that a sump is supposed to be able to pump (I don't have ASME 17.1 handy, but I think that's what it is)..

look elsewhere to dump the sump.


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## Mule (May 3, 2010)

Thanks for all of your answers. I told them to either install a separate separator or install an approved alarm.


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## Mule (May 4, 2010)

These guys just don't get it! They called me again this AM wanting to know why they couldn't discharge the elevator pit into the grease interceptor.

Here is my response.What do you think?

From the 2006 IPC,

_1003.3 Grease interceptors. Grease interceptors shall comply_

_with the requirements of Sections 1003.3.1 through 1003.3.5._

_1003.3.1 Grease interceptors and automatic grease_

_removal devices required. A grease interceptor or automatic_

_grease removal device shall be required to receive the_

_drainage from fixtures and equipment with grease-laden_

_waste located in food preparation areas, such as in restaurants,_

_hotel kitchens, hospitals, school kitchens, bars, factory_

_cafeterias and clubs. Fixtures and equipment shall_

_include pot sinks, prerinse sinks; soup kettles or similar_

_devices; wok stations; floor drains or sinks into which kettles_

_are drained; automatic hoodwash units and dishwashers_

_without prerinse sinks. Grease interceptors and automatic_

_grease removal devices shall receive waste only from fixtures_

_and equipment that allow fats, oils or grease to be discharged._

The code is specific on what is allowed to be discharged into a grease interceptor and that grease interceptors shall receive waste only from fixtures and equipment that allow fats, oils or grease to be discharged.

This section of the code goes on to define fixtures and equipment. Fixtures and equipment shall include pot sinks, prerinse sinks; soup kettles or similar devices; wok stations; floor drains or sinks into which kettles are drained; automatic hoodwash units and dishwashers without prerinse sinks.

Elevator pits are not included as equipment that is allowed to discharge into a grease interceptor.

Then go to section 1003.4 Oil separators required.

_1003.4 Oil separators required. At repair garages, car-washing_

_facilities, at factories where oily and flammable liquid_

_wastes are produced and in hydraulic elevator pits, separators_

_shall be installed into which all oil-bearing, grease-bearing or _

_flammable wastes shall be discharged before emptying into the_

_building drainage system or other point of disposal._

_Exception: An oil separator is not required in hydraulic elevator_

_pits where an approved alarm system is installed._

Notice that one is an interceptor (grease) and the other is a separator (oil), two different applications. In my opinion the code is very specific on where grease interceptors are required and where an oil separator is required. Grease interceptors shall only accept grease-laden from fixtures and equipment located in food preparation areas. An oil separator is required where oily and flammable liquid wastes are produced.

Elevator pits must discharge into an oil separator however there is an exception in the code for elevator pits.

_Exception: An oil separator is not required in hydraulic elevator_

_pits where an approved alarm system is installed._

So I stand on my original interpretation that the elevator pit cannot discharge into the grease interceptor. You must either install an oil separator for the elevator pit or install an approved alarm system.

Thanks to all that responded. Also....Darren, thanks for the link.


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## peach (May 4, 2010)

You really need to get ASME 17.1 regarding ALL of the elevator requirements.  That one actually gets into the types of washers used, etc.  Talk about the "I don't understand.. and don't care to" zone... that's what QEI certification is about.


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## north star (May 5, 2010)

* *



*"QEI certification?" They don't want and ain't going to have no stinkin' certifications! *

*You know, it's all about the dollar and not doing the right thing, or the code thing.*

* *


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## Glennman CBO (May 5, 2010)

Doesn't the code section you quoted allow "oils"?

The grease interceptor shall receive "oils" from fixtures and equipment that allow oils to be discharged.

The specificitiy here that doesn't allow other fixtures to drain into the grease interceptor is referring to fixtures that do not discharge grease or oils, IMHO.


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## Mule (May 5, 2010)

After really reading the code...instead of just asking I feel like an oil separator is required or an approved alarm.

1003.3.1 Grease interceptors and automatic grease

removal devices required. A grease interceptor or automatic

grease removal device *shall be required to receive the*

*drainage from fixtures and equipment with grease-laden*

*waste located in food preparation areas,* such as in restaurants,

hotel kitchens, hospitals, school kitchens, bars, factory

cafeterias and clubs. *Fixtures and equipment shall*

*include pot sinks, prerinse sinks; soup kettles or similar*

*devices; wok stations; floor drains or sinks into which kettles*

*are drained; automatic hoodwash units and dishwashers*

*without prerinse sinks. *Grease interceptors and automatic

grease removal devices shall receive waste only from fixtures

and equipment that allow fats, oils or grease to be discharged.

The bold is what I consider as fixtures and equipment.

There is wording under Oil Separators that specifically calls out "elevator pits"

1003.4 Oil separators required. At repair garages, car-washing

facilities, at factories where oily and flammable liquid

wastes are produced *and in hydraulic elevator pits, separators*

*shall be installed i*nto which all oil-bearing, grease-bearing or

flammable wastes shall be discharged before emptying into the

building drainage system or other point of disposal.

You wouldn't believe what they've submitted now though!

A 55 gallon drum with a sump pump that has an alarm in it that is inside the janitors closet that is connected directly to the sanitary sewer.

The way it is spected out is an alarm will sound when the water reaches a certain level. If no one empties the oil accumilated then the barrel has another level where the sump pump will kick on and pump everything into the sanitary sewer.

I haven't found a listing for the design on the specs yet?


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## north star (May 5, 2010)

** **

*Glennman  &  others,*

*IMO, the types of oils are critical as to where they are being discharged to.*

*The Fats, Oils & Grease [ F.O.G. ] from the kitchen wastes are [ typically ],*

*more easily biodegradable than the petroleum based hydraulic oils, hence*

*the need [ as I understand it ] for a separate type of separator / collector.*

*The link is to "one type" of sump alarm.*

*http://www.alderonind.com/products/7002.html*

*Hope this helps!   *

** **


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