Yeah, I hear you on the long-term thinking. The upfront cost for outdoor traps can sting a bit, but honestly, the peace of mind is worth it. I’ve seen way too many kitchen setups where the indoor traps just turn into a nightmare—constant cleaning, weird smells, and tenants doing... creative things to “fix” clogs. It’s one of those things where you don’t really appreciate the investment until you’re not dealing with a mess every other week. Good call sticking with the outdoor option.
Honestly, I used to think indoor traps were the way to go—just seemed easier, right? But after dealing with a couple of those “creative fixes” (one guy tried pouring boiling water and dish soap down there every night... didn’t end well), I’m all for the outdoor setup now. Yeah, it’s more cash upfront, but you dodge so many headaches later. Plus, less chance of those weird smells creeping into the kitchen. The maintenance is just way less gross outside, too.
I get where you're coming from—indoor traps are a pain when folks start dumping random stuff down the drain, thinking it'll just “fix itself.” But I’ve seen outdoor ones freeze up in winter or get clogged if they’re not sized right. Ever run into issues with backups outside, or is your setup pretty smooth? Sometimes I wonder if it’s just a trade-off between different kinds of hassle.
I’ve definitely seen outdoor traps freeze up, especially in older installs where insulation wasn’t really considered. One winter, a restaurant I worked with had their whole line back up because the trap iced over—took hours to thaw and clear. Indoors, you dodge that, but then you’re dealing with odors and more frequent cleaning. Have you ever tried heat tracing or insulating your outdoor lines? Curious if that’s helped anyone avoid the freeze-ups.
Heat tracing can be a lifesaver for outdoor traps, but it’s not always cheap or easy to retrofit, especially on those old lines that look like they’ve seen better days. I’ve seen folks try wrapping with insulation and heat tape—works until someone forgets to plug it in. Honestly, I’d rather deal with a little stink inside than a frozen mess outside in January.
