Commercial plumbing can be tricky. Most commercial spaces share plumbing resources, like hot water tanks, pipes, and central lines. So if a problem arises in one tenant’s part of the building, it can affect another. As a business owner, protecting your plumbing is essential for your service. Imagine going to a hairdresser that didn’t have hot water or an office that constantly had backed-up toilets. It wouldn’t be enjoyable.
There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a commercial plumbing system. As a business owner or manager, it’s your job to watch for potential issues and get them resolved before big problems happen. Here are some of the common problems that arise in commercial systems:
- Clogged toilets: The restroom in a business can be an interesting place. Unlike your home, you can’t control what goes into the toilet. You can try with signage warning people to be careful about what they put in the toilet, but that only goes so far. Eventually, you’re going to get a blockage, and that can shut down the whole restroom or affect the neighboring business. A business restroom hooked up to a commercial plumbing system requires more tools than a plunger. If clogs constantly happen or begin to affect the other restrooms in the building, you’re going to want an experienced plumber familiar with commercial systems to take a look.
- Sewer odor: Bathrooms can smell bad, but some air freshener and proper cleaning can take care of the odor. If that’s not working and you’re still stuck with that rank, sewer smell, you may have a plumbing issue. Inorganic gases like hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and hydrogen can easily build up in parts of your plumbing systems, including:
- The dry trap
- A blocked vent
- Damaged drain line
If you are constantly smelling a sewer odor, get a plumber to look at your system immediately. The gases that build up in pipes can cause serious respiratory issues. As a business owner, you could be liable for any injuries to your employees or customers.
- Clogged drains: Just like the restroom in a public space, you can’t always control what people put down the drain. A clogged drain can cause major issues if left untreated. Watch for these signs of a clog:
- Water draining slowly or pooling
- Water backing up
- Gurgling sounds
- Bad smelling drain
- Rotting foods smells in the garbage disposal.
These are just a few of the common issues that can arise in a commercial plumbing system. Unfortunately, there are a lot more. If you want to ensure that your business remains safe and clean, sign up with our facility management program. Our account manager will arrange all the maintenance and care your business needs with qualified, pre-screened contractors, and vendors. Instead of struggling to find a plumber when one of these issues arises, all you have to do is call your manager, and help will be on the way!
