Had a place once where the underground trap was basically a black hole—nobody wanted to deal with it until it was too late. I get why folks like them out of sight, but honestly, I’d rather have the mess where I can see it and fix it before it turns into a disaster. In-kitchen units might be a pain sometimes, but at least you know when things are going sideways.
I hear you on the “out of sight, out of mind” problem with underground traps. In theory, they keep the kitchen cleaner and free up space, but man, when they go bad, they really go bad. I’ve seen places where nobody checked the underground trap for months—by the time someone noticed, it was basically a science experiment down there. Not fun.
Personally, I lean toward in-kitchen units for that exact reason. Yeah, they’re not pretty and they can be a pain to clean, but at least you get a heads-up when things start to clog or smell. You can’t ignore it for long, which is actually a good thing in the long run. Plus, if there’s ever a leak or backup, you’re not digging up half the floor to fix it.
That said, I get why some folks prefer everything tucked away. Just comes down to whether you want to deal with small messes now or big messes later... and trust me, those big ones are never cheap or easy.
Honestly, the idea of having to jackhammer my own kitchen floor just to fix a hidden grease trap is nightmare fuel. I’d rather deal with a stinky under-sink unit than risk a surprise plumbing disaster. At least you know what you’re dealing with up front.
I get where you’re coming from—having to bust up your floor for a plumbing fix sounds like a total headache. But I’ve seen some under-sink units that turn into grease monsters if you don’t stay on top of cleaning. Personally, I’d rather deal with the occasional gross-out than a hidden problem that could get expensive fast. Still, if you’re good about maintenance, those in-kitchen traps aren’t the worst thing. It’s all about what kind of mess you’re willing to handle, I guess.
Yeah, I hear you on the “grease monster” under the sink—seen plenty of those, and trust me, they’re not fun to clean out. But honestly, I’d rather have something I can get my hands on and fix right away, even if it means dealing with the occasional nasty clean-up. Once you’ve had to jackhammer a slab just to find a leak or clear a clog, you start thinking twice about putting stuff underground if you can help it. Maintenance is key either way, but at least with the in-kitchen setup, you can see trouble coming before it wrecks your whole floor.
