There are numerous reasons why every commercial building should have a scheduled plumbing maintenance program. Here are a few that top the list of most business and building owners.
1. Minimize disruptions of business operations.
2. Avoid more extensive and more expensive damage from undiscovered problems.
3. Keep water consumption low.
4. Comply with local, state, and federal inspection and reporting laws, codes, and regulations.
ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing stays up to date in all of these areas, and has found that maintenance plans are especially important for restaurants, hotels, and healthcare and senior care facilities. The following is just four of the many specific examples where professional plumbing maintenance can help your business.
Grease Trap Cleaning
Any facility involved in food preparation will have (or should have!) a grease trap to intercept fats, oils, and grease (FOG) and keep them from reaching the sewer. Those traps need regular cleaning by someone like ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing with the training and experience to spot any problems that need correcting. Otherwise you’ll face drain backups, and possibly even fines for code violation. In nearly all cases a FOG report needs to be made at each cleaning and filed with the EPA.
Toilets and Urinals
The tankless flush valves used in commercial toilets and urinals have numerous moving parts that need periodic adjustment and replacement. Otherwise the fixture will flush for too short or long a period, won’t flush at all, or will flush continuously wasting huge amounts of water. Even waterless urinals need periodic replacement of a liquid additive or cartridge. Even if you’re comfortable having your own staff perform this task, a periodic professional inspection will make sure that this is being done and done properly.
Plumbing Leaks
Water leaks at fixtures are pretty easy to spot, but leaks within walls or under the floor can do very significant damage before they’re spotted. A slab leak can undermine your building’s foundation and cause structural damage before you even know it exists. Hidden leaks can go on for months without anyone realizing it. It’s important to have regular pressure and other leak tests to avoid this. If there is a leak, up to date professionals such as ASAP can locate the leak and make repairs without tearing hole after hole in your walls or floor trying to find it.
Water Heaters and Boilers
Water heaters need regular backflushing to reduce the build up of scale, which results in less hot water being available and higher energy bills. Boilers require more advanced cleaning at regular intervals, and performance usually suffers even more from neglect. Closed-water boiler systems also have some dozen key items that need scheduled inspection, adjustment, and servicing.
Regular Plumbing Maintenance – Conclusions
The various reasons for scheduled plumbing maintenance all boil down to one word: dollars. That is, the cost of lost productivity or sales, fines and penalties, increased water and associated sewage fees, and the costs of damage resulting from unknown or neglected problems. Plus one more we haven’t mentioned — replacement costs. With proper maintenance plumbing, fixtures, and equipment will last significantly longer. All of this can get pretty complicated, and shouldn’t be done piecemeal.
The master plumbers at ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing include experienced experts in the many specific details and characteristics of plumbing for the many different types of commercial and industrial buildings. We’ll work with you to create a custom inspection and maintenance plan that will save you significant money in the long run. And leave you with a file folder’s worth of things you won’t have to deal with or worry about anymore.