Science Behind the Product

Low pH Effectiveness

A major reason for grease trap failure is the inability of standard grease trap products to function at low pH. By testing grease traps in the field, and interviewing our customers and grease trap pumpers, we found the majority of traps have a pH in the range of 4.5 - 6.0. With this information, we tested the ability of the bacteria in standard grease trap products to function at a worst case pH of 4.25. Not surprisingly, we found that products currently on the market were not capable of functioning at this low pH (Figure 1).

To develop a product that functions in the low pH of a grease trap, we isolated bacteria from low pH environments. Samples were collected from environments such as pine forests and cranberry bogs, where nature has already selected strains that are capable of functioning at a low pH. The result of this extensive program was the isolation, selection and development of two new Bacillus strains that grow, degrade waste, and reduce odors at pH 4.25. These strains are included in Plumb-it
Drain Cleaner. As shown in Figure 2, these strains significantly improve the efficacy of Plumb-it's product over the competition.

Superior Fat Digestion

Using a similar bacterial selection system, we also isolated new bacterial strains capable of digesting high levels of Fat, Oil, and Grease (FOG). These superior lipase producers not only degrade the short chain fat molecules commonly degraded by the bacteria in most grease trap products, but also the more difficult to digest long chain fat molecules that are major contributors to FOG accumulation in the trap. Further testing of these new strains revealed the production of a biosurfactant which helps to increase the bioavailability of the FOG as a microbial food source. These activities are shown in the pictures below.

    Plumb-it Bacillus strain #1 vs.
    Standard Grease Trap Product
    Bacillus strain #1 degrades the fat

    Plumb-it Bacillus strain #2 vs.
    Standard Grease Trap Product
    Bacillus strain #2 degrades the fat

The isolation of these superior fat degrading strains prompted a study investigating the ability of the bacteria in Plumb-it Drain Cleaner to degrade Crisco (vegetable shortening). The study was performed utilizing a minimal medium with Crisco as the carbon source. The study was performed at pH 4.3 to replicate the conditions of a grease trap. Two fully formulated (surfactant containing) commercially available grease trap products were included in the study for comparison. The Plumb-it Drain Cleaner did not contain surfactant. As demonstrated in Figure 3, Plumb-it Drain Cleaner showed a significant improvement over our competitor's commercially available grease trap product, even without the addition of a surfactant.

Plumb-it's biological formula was produced as a result of a scientific selection of natural occurring specialized bacteria which were specifically selected and developed to degrade organic line deposits consisting of grease, fats, oils and other foods at accelerated rates and at low pH levels. We utilize only those bacteria that are classified by the ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) as Class 1 organisms.

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