Istanbul Commercial Kitchen Drain Clearing
When we clear a kitchen drain in Istanbul, we look at the whole drainage system of the kitchen, not a single sink: sinks, floor drains, the outlet of the industrial dishwasher, the grease trap and the main line they all empty into. In a restaurant, patisserie or factory canteen, hundreds of plates, trays and pots are washed through the day. The grease, starch and food waste that travels down the line with that water is far beyond anything a home kitchen produces. A blockage rarely stays at one point, and usually affects several drains in the kitchen at the same time.
In apartment buildings, a blocked kitchen is often not the problem of a single flat but of the shared stack that the stacked kitchens connect to. Greasy washing-up water from every floor cools in the same vertical pipe and builds up most at the bends on the ground floor and basement level. In a business or a building, the Cantley team first locates the blockage with a camera, then washes the line from end to end with high-pressure water jetting, with no breaking and no digging. A kitchen drain clearing lasts only if the grease is stripped completely from the pipe wall, not just punched through.
Warning signs of a blockage in a busy kitchen
In commercial kitchens, a blockage shows itself through small but familiar warnings before service begins.
Water rising from the floor drain
If grey water rises in the floor drain in the dishwashing area or in front of the cooking line, the main line has narrowed with grease and the water has nowhere to go. Water standing around the drain like a pond after the floor is washed is an early stage of the same problem, and a slippery floor is an accident risk in a kitchen.
All the sinks slow down together
If the prep sink, the dish sink and the handwash basin all begin to empty slowly on the same day, the problem is not in the individual traps. The shared pipe where these drains join, or the outlet of the grease trap, has started to clog, and taking the traps apart one by one wastes time.
The dishwasher gives a warning
If the industrial dishwasher shows a drain warning, water is left in the tank at the end of a wash cycle, or water overflows from the drain next to the machine, the machine is trying to push its water into a blocked line. Checking the drain side before calling technical service often solves the problem faster.
A sour smell spreading through the kitchen
If the air smells of soured grease and rotting food when the kitchen opens in the morning, the source is usually a full grease trap or sediment sitting under the floor drains. This smell can reach the customer area and does not go away with air fresheners.
Kitchen water on the lower floors
In an apartment building, if greasy water comes up from the sink of a ground-floor or first-floor flat when nobody is using it, washing-up water from the upper floors is backing up in the blocked stack. In this case the problem is not that flat's alone but the whole kitchen stack's, and it should be handled together with the management.
What builds up and blocks busy kitchen lines
In a commercial kitchen the main problem is grease, but the way grease reaches the line differs from a home kitchen. Residue strained from fryers, fat running off the grill and the doner counter, and sauce and stock left in pots all go down the drain at high temperature along with the dishes. Hot water carries the grease for a while, but in the main line, especially in the long horizontal pipes in the basement, it cools and sticks to the pipe wall. The thin layers added after every service narrow the inner diameter of the pipe noticeably within a few months.
The second cause is the solids mixed into the grease. Dough scraps and flour in patisseries and bakeries, starch in kitchens that cook rice and pasta, coffee grounds in cafes, and food scraps that escape plate scraping in canteens all combine with grease. This mixture concentrates in the baskets of the floor drains and at the inlet of the grease trap, and over time hardens to a stone-like consistency. If the basket of a floor drain has been removed or is perforated, these scraps travel straight into the main line.
The third cause is a grease trap that is not emptied regularly. A grease trap is installed to hold the grease, which is lighter than water, at the surface and the heavy sediment at the bottom, so that nearly clean water goes on to the main line. When the grease layer on top thickens and the sediment at the bottom rises, the trap can no longer do this job and grease escapes straight into the outlet pipe. In apartment buildings, the kitchen stack is usually separate from the bathroom stack and built with narrower pipes. Grease collecting at the basement bends becomes the source of repeated blockages that spread from floor to floor.
Our working order in a commercial kitchen
We work without disrupting how your kitchen runs, moving from the outermost point of the line towards the main connection.
Timing and survey plan
On the phone we ask when the kitchen is in service, how many sinks and drains there are, and where the grease trap is. Where possible we schedule the work outside service hours, before opening in the morning or after closing at night. In an emergency we close off only the blocked section and let the rest of the kitchen keep working.
Drain and trap cleaning
The baskets and covers of the floor drains are opened and the sediment inside is taken out into a bucket. The sink traps and the dishwasher drain connection are taken apart and cleaned. This first step lets us tell whether the blockage is inside the kitchen or in the main line, and it lets the pressurised water move freely along the line in the next stage.
Emptying the grease trap
The grease trap is opened, the grease layer on the surface and the sediment at the bottom are removed, and the compartments and the inlet and outlet openings are washed. If the baffle plate of the trap has come out of place or the outlet pipe has shifted, we show you. Once the trap is cleaned, a good share of the overflows in the kitchen stop. If they do not, the problem is in the line after the trap.
Washing the line with pressurised water
A drain snake only opens a narrow hole through hardened grease and leaves the layer on the pipe wall in place. This is why, in commercial kitchens, we wash the line from end to end with a high-pressure water jet. The rotating nozzle strips the grease from the wall as it moves through the pipe and carries the pieces in the direction of flow. The long horizontal pipes in the basement are cleaned this way too.
Camera and maintenance schedule
After washing, a camera is run through the line and we check together whether any grease remains and whether the pipe has any sag or reverse slope. Based on the footage and how busy the kitchen is, we talk with the business about how often the grease trap should be emptied and when the line should be washed again.
How to manage the kitchen until the team arrives
- Cordon off the area around the overflowing floor drain with a dry zone and keep staff from crossing it carrying trays. Greasy water makes the floor very slippery.
- Stop the dishwasher from starting a new wash. Every discharge pushes more water into the blocked line and increases the overflow from the drains.
- Pour fryer oil, pot bottoms and sauce residue into a lidded bin or a waste oil container, not down the drain.
- You may lift the lid of the grease trap and look inside, but do not step into it and do not push the grease on the surface towards the drain.
- In an apartment building, if water is coming into the kitchen of a neighbour on a lower floor, tell the management and ask all the flats to cut down on washing-up water until the stack is cleared.
- If you have poured a chemical drain opener or any other chemical into the line, tell the team the name of the product. There is a splash risk during pressurised washing and when parts are taken apart.
Pictures from the field
Removing and cleaning the trap under the kitchen counter 
Checking the kitchen drain line with a drain camera 
Crew clearing a washing machine drain
Commercial Kitchen Drain Clearing by district
We provide this service in all 39 districts of Istanbul. Choose your district.
Frequently asked questions
What happens in the kitchen when the grease trap is full?
When the grease trap is full it can no longer separate the grease, and the floor drains and sinks in the kitchen begin to overflow first. The grease layer on the surface escapes into the outlet pipe, hardens in the main line and carries the blockage as far as the building's connection. A heavy smell often starts at this stage too. The trap needs to be emptied and washed, and then the outlet line cleaned with pressurised water.
Can a kitchen drain be cleared while the restaurant is open?
It can, but where possible it is better to choose a time outside service. In an emergency we close off the sinks and drains connected to the blocked line and work in a way that lets the other part of the kitchen keep running. We usually plan smelly jobs such as grease trap cleaning and line washing for before opening in the morning or after closing at night.
If the kitchen stack in an apartment building is blocked, which flat is it cleared from?
The stack is usually opened from the cleaning hatch in the basement or from the lowest accessible connection, not from the sinks of individual flats. Because the blockage is usually in the lower bends of the stack, the overflow shows up on the lower floor. As the stack is the shared line of all the flats, we plan the work with the building management and share the camera footage with them.
Isn't a drain snake enough for a kitchen line?
On greasy kitchen lines a snake alone is not enough. It opens a narrow path for water through the middle of hardened grease, but it does not remove the thick layer on the pipe wall, and the line closes up again quickly. For a lasting result, the line needs to be washed with high-pressure water and then checked with a camera.
Are tiles or floors broken during kitchen drain clearing?
No, floors and tiles are not broken when clearing a kitchen drain. The line is reached through the floor drains, the trap connections, the grease trap and the cleaning hatches. Breaking only comes up if the camera clearly shows that the pipe has collapsed or broken, and in that case we explain to you, with the footage, which point would have to be opened.
Do you do regular cleaning for canteen and cafe kitchens?
Yes, we do periodic cleaning for school, factory and office canteens and for cafes. On the first visit we look at the camera footage to see how quickly the line is fatting up with grease, and we set the interval for grease trap emptying and line washing with you according to how busy the kitchen is. That way the blockage does not appear on a busy service day.
Our other services
No-Dig Drain Unclogging
We locate the blockage with a camera, then clear it with a drain snake and pressurised water. Your tiles stay where they are.
See detailsToilet Unclogging
From an overflowing toilet to the building's shared stack, we clear the toilet drain.
See detailsWashbasin Unclogging
Whether the blockage is in the trap or in the line inside the wall, we clear it cleanly.
See detailsKitchen Sink Unclogging
We jet the whole kitchen drain line with high-pressure water to remove built-up grease and starch.
See detailsShower and Bathtub Drain Unclogging
We clear the hair and soap that build up in floor drains, shower channels and bathtub drains.
See detailsBalcony Drain Unclogging
We clear balcony drains clogged with leaves, soil and sand before the rain arrives.
See detailsDrain Unclogging
We work out which drain is blocked, then clear the line in your home or workplace.
See detailsBlocked Drain Clearing
Is the blockage in the trap, the shared stack or the building outlet? We find it and show you the cause so it doesn't come back.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Unclogging
We clear PVC drain pipes without breaking anything, using heads that won't damage them.
See detailsPipe Unclogging
PVC, cast iron, galvanised or concrete pipe: we clear the blocked pipe with a head suited to its material.
See detailsCCTV Drain Unclogging
We look inside the pipe together on a screen and clear the blockage exactly where it is.
See detailsManhole Unclogging
We clear the inlet and outlet lines of an overflowing manhole and get the flow moving again.
See detailsSewer Line Unclogging
We clear the building's main sewer line all the way to the street connection.
See detailsChannel Drain Unclogging
We use high-pressure water to clear garden lines, ramp and car park grates, and storm drains.
See detailsSewer Cleaning
We regularly clean out sludge, grease and root build-up with high-pressure water jetting.
See detailsSewer Camera Inspection
We find cracks, collapses and root intrusion with a CCTV drain camera and show you the footage.
See detailsSewer Line Renewal
We locate the damaged section with a camera and replace only the part that needs it.
See detailsBackflow Valve Installation
We keep water that comes back up from the street in heavy rain out of your basement and ground floor.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Replacement
We replace PVC drain pipes that are cracked, leaking or laid with the wrong fall.
See detailsVacuum Truck Service
24/7 pumping with combination and mini vacuum trucks for septic tanks, manholes, grease traps and flooded basements.
See detailsSeptic Tank Pumping
We empty full or overflowing septic tanks by vacuum and take the waste to an authorised disposal point.
See detailsSeptic Tank Cleaning
We clean the sludge at the bottom, the crust on the walls and the inlet and outlet pipes with high-pressure water.
See detailsCombi Vacuum Jetting Truck
One truck jets the line clean and vacuums out the sludge, for blocked main lines and full manholes.
See detailsMini Vacuum Truck
Our small truck gets into narrow streets, steep hills, courtyards and low garage entrances.
See detailsCar Park Vacuum Truck
We pump out an enclosed car park flooded after rain and clear the grate and ramp channels.
See detailsVacuum Truck Hire
We assign an operator-driven vacuum truck to construction sites, factories and housing complexes for scheduled or regular work.
See detailsPrivate Vacuum Truck Service
A vacuum truck for your own property that comes on your schedule, with no waiting in a queue.
See detailsVacuum Truck Company
A vacuum truck company that asks about the job over the phone, picks the right truck and transports the waste according to the rules.
See detailsKeep your kitchen ready for service
If a floor drain is overflowing, the grease trap is full or the kitchen stack in your building is backing up, call 0212 923 66 85 or write to us on WhatsApp. Our team comes to every district of Istanbul 24/7, sees the line on site and clears it without breaking anything.