Common Commercial Plumbing Problems and How to Prevent Them

by Red Facility Solutions RedFacility

Commercial plumbing systems are often more complex than their residential counterparts. They tend to work harder and for more extended periods. As a result, they frequently run into problems, sometimes daily.

As a commercial property owner or manager, you must make sure that your building is up to standard and that your plumbing system is working efficiently at all times. Making plumbing maintenance a priority in your commercial building maintenance to-do list pays dividends. It not only protects your investment by preventing potentially devastating disasters and expensive repairs, but it also protects your clients and staff by providing a comfortable and safe environment for everyone.

Continue reading to learn about some of the most common plumbing problems in commercial buildings, as well as some preventative maintenance advice.

Common Commercial Plumbing Problems

Water Leaks

Water leaks can appear pretty much anywhere in your commercial property. Pipes, faucets, and other plumbing fixtures can leak if they are defective or incorrectly installed. The most common are faucet leaks, which are caused by a corroded rubber gasket or O-ring. It is worth noting that leaks can appear anywhere there is a seam in your commercial plumbing system. A leak can also occur when seals wear off, loosen, or break. In some cases, water leaks are also caused by pipe cracks and ruptures.

Silent Leaks

Water leaks can be tricky to deal with because they might start out small, with just a single drip every minute, but then snowball into a major, expensive problem over time. Silent leaks are a common plumbing problem in which water leaks are hidden. Silent leaks worsen over time since no one knows about them, and therefore they are not addressed. These types of leaks can, and often do cause major structural failures. The most common locations for silent water leaks are bathrooms and underground plumbing.

Clogged Toilets and Drains

Whether you own/manage a facility where customers can come or a workplace where only employees can enter, the bathrooms are often the most used rooms in the building. As a result, plumbing clogs are a common problem. Unfortunately, not everyone follows the guidelines about what they should not flush down the toilet when it is not their own. Drains become clogged all too often in bathrooms and in staff break rooms, commercial kitchens, gyms, and businesses such as groomers and salons. Food, paper, leaves, and oil all contribute to clogged drains.

Prevention Tips

Discuss appropriate plumbing practices with your employees. Create posters illustrating proper plumbing procedures for the general public to display in public restrooms and break rooms.
Find a reputable commercial plumbing repair company and employ them regularly for all of your commercial plumbing needs. Verify that they are state-licensed master plumbers with at least ten years of commercial plumbing experience.
Maintain a regular plumbing maintenance and service schedule to ensure optimal and consistent performance and detect minor issues before they become major ones.
As soon as you become aware of a plumbing problem, have it resolved as quickly as possible. When it comes to plumbing, minor issues can quickly escalate into major problems. And the bigger the problem, the more expensive and invasive the repair.