Fat, Oil & Grease Blockage Removal

Fat, oil, and grease are one of the most common causes of serious drainage blockages, especially in restaurants, pubs, hotels, and commercial kitchens. When it cools, fat solidifies inside pipework, trapping food waste and debris until the line restricts or blocks completely.

ICE Drainage provides fast, professional fat, oil, and grease blockage removal across London and the Home Counties, helping businesses restore flow quickly and reduce repeat incidents.

What is a fat, oil, and grease blockage?

A grease blockage happens when cooking oils, fats, and grease enter the drainage system and build up on the inside of the pipe. Over time, this creates a sticky lining that catches food scraps and sediment, coffee grounds, wipes and paper products, and soap scum and general debris.

Eventually, the pipe diameter reduces and flow slows, until you get a full blockage, a back-up, or an overflowing manhole. These blockages can affect internal kitchen waste lines, external drains and manholes, shared lines serving multiple units, and pump stations and interceptors.

Signs you've got a grease-related blockage

Grease blockages often start with warning signs. Call us if you notice slow-draining sinks in kitchens or wash-up areas, gurgling sounds from plugholes, persistent bad smells, especially near floor drains, water backing up during busy service, repeated blockages that keep returning, or external flooding or an overflowing manhole.

If foul water is present, keep staff and customers away from the affected area and call ICE Drainage.

Why grease blockages are a big problem for hospitality

For hospitality sites, a grease blockage can quickly become a business-critical incident. It can lead to kitchen downtime and cancelled covers, hygiene risks and potential compliance issues, flooding that damages flooring and equipment, odours affecting customer experience, and emergency call-outs and higher costs.

If you're a facilities manager or operator with multiple sites, we can support reactive call-outs and build a maintenance plan to reduce repeat incidents.

Our fat, oil, and grease blockage removal process

Every site is different, but our goal is always the same: restore flow quickly, remove the build-up properly, and reduce the chance of it coming back.

We start with a rapid assessment, gathering key details about the site, symptoms, access points, and any flooding, and advising on immediate steps to reduce risk. We then clear the blockage safely, using the most suitable method for the pipework and severity, focusing on removing the grease build-up rather than just pushing through it. Where appropriate, we clean the line to restore capacity, reducing residual grease, improving flow, and cutting out snag points.

If blockages are recurring, we may recommend a CCTV inspection to confirm where the grease build-up is located, whether there are poor gradients or damaged pipework, whether root ingress or structural defects are present, and whether there are connection issues on a shared line. We finish with practical prevention advice on grease management, servicing frequency, and maintenance to keep your drains flowing.

Grease trap issues and emergency support

Grease traps, or interceptors, are designed to capture fats and oils before they reach the main drainage system, but they need to be serviced correctly to work. Common grease trap problems include overfilled units causing back-ups, poor maintenance leading to odours, incorrect sizing for the kitchen's output, and blocked inlet or outlet pipes.

If you suspect your grease trap is contributing to a blockage, we can help assess the setup and recommend the right next steps.

Planned maintenance to prevent grease blockages

Emergency call-outs are disruptive and expensive. The most cost-effective way to control grease build-up is a proactive maintenance plan. We can support this with scheduled drain jetting for kitchen lines, grease trap and interceptor servicing guidance, gully cleaning and maintenance, condition reporting and CCTV surveys, and planned preventative maintenance contracts for single or multi-site operators.

If you're frequently dealing with slow drainage or odours, a targeted plan can significantly reduce emergency incidents.

Why choose ICE Drainage?

• Rapid response across London and the Home Counties
• A hospitality-first approach, so we understand service disruption
• Competitive pricing and clear recommendations
• Safety-led engineers working to industry standards
• Credentials including Safe Contractor, SSSTS, and Constructionline Gold
• Backed by ICE Cleaning, a leading sewage cleaning company in the UK

What to do if your kitchen drain is blocked

If you're dealing with a suspected grease blockage right now:

• Stop using affected sinks or dishwashers if water is rising
• Keep staff away from any foul water
• Avoid pouring boiling water or chemicals down the drain, as this can shift grease and worsen blockages further down the line
• If it's safe to do so, take photos or video for your records or insurance
• Call ICE Drainage for urgent support

Get a free quote for fat, oil, and grease blockage removal

Need urgent help with a fat, oil, and grease blockage? Contact ICE Drainage to get started. We can often provide an initial quote from a short description and a few photos.

We cover London and the Home Counties, with support from our wider UK capability for urgent situations.