The Pickle Bucket Challenge
At Omni Supply we enjoy working shoulder to shoulder with our distributors and customers. Our goal is to help them design the safe an
d correct grease containment solutions for their locations.
In this article we are focusing on a custom solution to rectify the problem in this picture. As you can see, improper rooftop grease containment, in this case the use of a pickle bucket, results in a number of issues:
- The need to empty the pickle bucket at least weekly, if not daily
- Increased risk of slips and falls because of the need to empty the pickle bucket
- Roof damage caused by the grease “eating” away at the roof membrane
- Increased fire risk
- Potential for EPA or other environmental fines because of grease runoff
In addition to the grease collection issue, the fan was not properly hinged to allow proper cleaning.
The Solution
To address the issues of properly cleaning the fan and collecting the grease we added a QuickFit Hinge and a GreaseBox. Both address important NFPA 96 Standards. NFPA 96 8.1.2.1 states, Up-blast fans with motors surrounded by an airstream shall be hinged and supplied
with a flexible weatherproof electrical cable and service hold-open retainer. The QuickFit Hinge’s patented design is the only hinge on the market that fully meets this requirement.
NFPA 96 8.1.2.3: Upblast fans shall have a drain directed to a readily accessible and visible grease receptacle to not exceed 3.8L (1 gallon). Clearly a pickle bucket, or other similar devices, will hold more than 1 gallon of liquid grease. Because of the placement of the fan the use of one of our 360-degree systems was not feasible. The unique design of the Grease Box allows the box to be 100% weatherproof, absorb grease and discharge only water is the perfect solution.
Finally to clean up the grease on the roof we applied Grease Away, to help emulsify and neutralize the liquid grease. After 72 hours the emulsified grease is washed away with a hose while still following EPA standards for runoff.
Omni Supply has a variety of solutions to fit any rooftop need. It is important to assess the parameters of the roof and the output of the system to determine which systems, or combination of systems, will help your customer be safe, compliant with NFPA 96 and applicable environmental laws and codes.
If your roof is giving you problems, trust Omni to give you the perfect solution.
