Your Building’s Plumbing Needs Preventive Maintenance, Too
As long as your plumbing is doing its job quietly and efficiently, hidden from view, it’s easy to ignore the system. Neglect your pipes for too long, though, and you’ll end up with clogs and leaks that interfere with your ability to conduct business. Preventive maintenance helps you avoid issues like these and save water, too.
Why Maintenance Matters
Clogs are among the most common problems in plumbing systems. The pipes in restrooms for staff and customers are at an especially high risk for this. There are always a few people who flush cigarette butts, moist towelettes, feminine hygiene products, and other items that clog toilets.
If your building maintenance crew doesn’t notice the developing clog early enough, you could end up with a smelly, wet mess from an overflowing toilet. Any guest or customer who happens to use the restroom at that time will come out with a less than favorable opinion of your business.
Restroom sinks are also at risk for clogs due to those who use them to dump their lunch leftovers, wash clothes, and for other inappropriate purposes. After a while, the drains begin to run slowly, making the sink harder to use.
Your landscaping can lead to clogs, too. If roots from trees or shrubs grow into your sewer line, they can trap debris or simply become overgrown and prevent waste water from flowing through. The first sign you’ll see is slow-running drains and frequent toilet clogs in the restroom closest to the ground floor. Your maintenance crew can easily miss these signs until one day when a toilet overflows.
With time, even high-quality plumbing suffers damage due to normal wear, minerals in the water, building vibrations, and temperature changes. These factors can cause corrosion and fractures that lead to breaks and leaks in your pipes. Additionally, copper pipes are susceptible to pinhole leaks.
Even minor leaks can do a lot of damage behind your walls and under your floors until they’re discovered. A dripping faucet or constantly running toilet wastes gallons of water over the year, running up your operating expenses. A major leak, such as a broken pipe, can force you to close off a whole room, interrupting your work until repairs and cleanup are complete.
How to Keep Your Pipes in Shape
To prevent clogs, leaks, and other plumbing issues, schedule a professional inspection for your plumbing system once a year. A plumber will bring in equipment that can be used to inspect the interior of your pipes for developing clogs. If necessary, the pipes can be thoroughly cleaned using either mechanical equipment or a chemical cleaner.
Your plumber will also inspect your pipes for weak points at risk for leaking. Damaged pipes can sometimes be repaired by soldering. If repair isn’t possible, the pipes can be replaced. That saves you the expense and hassle of dealing with a pipe that broke due to neglect.
To perform at top efficiency and achieve its maximum lifespan, your water heater tank should be flushed of sediment at least once a year. Your plumber can take care of this as part of routine plumbing maintenance.
To help you keep your operating costs low, your plumber can advise you on any plumbing upgrades that could reduce your water and energy use. This might include low-flow toilets and faucets, a more efficient water heater or an improved landscape irrigation system.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about Plumbing, HVACR, Fire Protection, and Alarm Systems in Mechanical, Commercial, and Residential settings. For more information about plumbing maintenance and to view projects we’ve worked on, visit our website!
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