Entrepreneurs and business owners tend to be heavily focused on the operations and overall growth of their business, and therefore do not view the efficiency of their plumbing system as a priority.
The health, safety, and productivity of employees are very crucial for business owners, especially if they are focused on growth. In the event of a plumbing system malfunction, your business could face a series of issues that can cost a fortune or lead to closure. Taking precautionary measures such as asking yourself as a business owner the question “when was the last time I had my building’s plumbing system checked or serviced?” is crucial to prevent any catastrophic events from occurring.
Making sure that your commercial plumbing system is running efficiently is very important for a variety of reasons. Plumbing issues that arise can cause significant damage to the company’s overall infrastructure since it can be very costly, disturb productivity, and cause legal complications if they are not fixed immediately.
Ultimately, in the occurrence of an emergency within the plumbing system, a small issue can become a major problem. The last thing you want as a business owner is to face the loss of your own business or any ramifications legally. To keep your commercial facility plumbing in pristine condition you will want to have your facility regularly serviced and inspected by a commercial plumber.
Common Plumbing Problems Business Owners Face
It’s important to point out that if you think commercial plumbing is similar to residential plumbing, except on a larger scale, then you’d be right but also wrong. While the two have many similarities, the primary difference is that in commercial plumbing for business owners a lot more is at stake.
Having a commercial plumbing service provider allows you to focus your efforts on the operations of your business. Some of the most common commercial plumbing problems include:
- Clogged Drains – Clogged drains can be caused by various reasons, but can be prevented by ensuring that employees and contractors are aware of the items that should not be flushed. These items include paper towels, diapers, feminine hygiene products, or plastic bags.
- Leaking Pipes – Leaks are very common for commercial businesses for the reason that their plumbing system is much more complex and their building has miles’ worth of pipes. Common areas where leaks occur are sinks, toilets, pipes, and faucets.
- Sewage Odors – Unpleasant sewage odors are a very common issue in commercial buildings. This often occurs when the pipes are old and have been affected by wear and tear from toilets, faucets, and sinks. This is one of the reasons why it’s very important to not put the items we listed above down the toilet.
- Low Water Pressure – The loss of hot water can be very bad for you business, especially business owners in the hospitality industry such as restaurants. It is important for a business owner to understand that commercial-grade water heaters have to work much harder to generate warm water, making them more susceptible to breaking down or deteriorating at a fast pace.
Commercial plumbing issues like this are very detrimental to the business since they can ruin its reputation, cause health safety violations, and cost an arm and a leg. Hiring a professional plumber who specializes in commercial plumbing can prevent these problems from causing any further damage, saving you time and money.
Plumbing Tips for Business Owners
Commercial plumbing can be tough on a large number of business owners as well as business managers since you’re inevitably expected to have all sorts of maintenance issues appear. Preventing plumbing issues, in general, is a challenge of its own; however, there are a variety of tactics you can use to prevent any extensive damage to your plumbing system. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Keep plumbing fixtures clean and free of debris – Scheduling regular cleanings and maintenance checks can help prevent any contaminants from entering your plumbing system ensuring there are no backups or cloggings.
- Educate your employees about proper plumbing etiquette – Employees should be trained on proper plumbing etiquette for the safety of themselves as well as others to ensure the company is following local health and safety guidelines.
- Inspect plumbing fixtures regularly for leaks or damage – Business managers and owners should conduct regular checks for any damages or leaks keeping the systems running smoothly and helping avoid any unexpected damages.
- Repair any leaks as soon as possible to avoid water damage – Make sure to call your professional commercial plumbing service to repair any pipes and leaks right away to prevent water damage but more importantly the growth of mold.
- Install a backflow prevention device to protect your business’ water supply – A backflow preventer is great for many commercial business owners in the hospitality industry since it helps protect your water supply from contamination.
- Regularly flush the drains in your business to prevent clogs and backups – If you’re a business owner, having a consistent drainage cleaning is essential because it protects your pipes from blockages, prevents biohazards, eliminates clean-up costs, and stays in compliance with local codes.
- Have a professional plumber inspect your plumbing system at least once a year – Hiring a commercial plumbing service to inspect your plumbing system yearly helps find any current defects or faults that could occur in the near future.
- Have a plumber on call in case of an emergency – When looking for a commercial plumbing service ensure that they are available 24/7 in case your business has a plumbing emergency.
What Are Your Specific Business Plumbing Needs?
Businesses in the hospitality industry, specifically in the sector of food and beverage rely heavily on their plumbing system to be functioning properly year round. Restaurants and food service businesses primarily focus on ensuring they provide the best possible customer experience. Although, in the event that your business has a plumbing system malfunction, your business could take an outrageous hit. Forcing you or the maintenance manager to focus efforts on resolving the problem rather than your customers.
Make sure that you focus a large amount of your efforts informing employees on cleaning and maintenance as well as have a commercial plumbing service provider available 24/7. Common issues that arise are clogged drains, sewers, and grease traps. The best advice to prevent a major issue like mentioned above is to get your drains regularly jetted and have your grease traps cleaned professionally on a regular basis. These steps will not only keep your drains clog-free but will prevent any safety hazards as well as sewage odors.
Hospitality businesses need to focus a large portion of their efforts on plumbing system care and maintenance compared to other businesses within different industries. The primary reason is these businesses rely heavily on the production of food as well as beverages. Both food and beverages require the usage of the plumbing system.
Do You Have a Plan in Place for Dealing With Plumbing Emergencies?
Having hundreds of miles of pipework make up commercial plumbing systems for food and beverage businesses, in addition to those businesses in hospitality. However, not all of these business owners have an emergency plan. Follow these steps to ensure in the case of a plumbing emergency your business is ready to take massive action:
- Emergency Commercial Plumbing Service – Many business owners forget to call a plumber when an emergency occurs. By calling a commercial plumber you can reduce any further damage.
- Shut off Closet Water Source – When commercial plumbing issues arise turn the water off to prevent any further damage.
- Turn off the water heater – By turning off your water heater you avoid the possibility of damaging it.
- Find and address any small leaks – Searching for small leaks can allow you to resolve the issue or can allow the commercial plumbing service to fix the problem quicker.
- Open drains – By opening the drains all the water that was in the main water valve will help prevent any further backup and build-up that could cause any further damage.
How Do You Know When It’s Time To Call a Professional Plumber for Assistance?
It’s very important as a business owner to have a strategic plan in place in the event that your plumbing system erupts, especially business owners in hospitality. In order to prevent any further damage of your business, which could affect your customers and employees, we recommend hiring a professional plumber in these 5 instances:
- Pipe leaks – Save your business from the threats of significant water loss which can cause further damage due to the build-up of mold.
- Clogged drains – A clogged drain causes a multitude of problems for your business since it creates a strong odor and enables the possibility of insects to arise.
- Grease trap build up – Grease traps are essential for many restaurant businesses. Grease trap cleaning and maintenance help prevent grease from going into the sewage system.
- Sewer odor/build up – In the event that your business has a build-up of grease in its sewer and starts to create a distinct odor call a professional plumbing company to use a technique of hydro jetting.
Time is money, meaning if you don’t have a plan to prevent your time from being wasted finding a trustworthy professional commercial plumbing service, you are losing money. Having a licensed plumbing company that is willing to provide 24/7 emergency plumbing services is essential for your business. Ensuring that your business does not receive any further damage, decrease in productivity, or loss of customers.
