There are certain jobs most people don’t think much about, until something goes wrong: think plumbers, electricians, etc. Backflow or a leaky sewer line will cause a wrinkle in anyone’s day! Luckily, there are plumbing repair services at the ready to help inspect, maintain, and do damage control. For older commercial buildings, it may be wise to have commercial plumbers inspect your sewers and plumbing systems and make sure they’re all up to date and that you have the most efficient system for your building. An inspection may even help you save money if you decide to install a water-saving appliance or new system.
When Should I Get My System Checked Out?
If you own a commercial building, like a hotel, mall, or apartment building that sees a lot of use, you may want to get your pipes checked by commercial plumbers as often as once a year, especially if the building is older. In older buildings that are undergoing renovations, you’ll definitely want to pay attention to the sewer — if it’s over 40 years old, you may want to just get a completely new one. Even in relatively new buildings, you should check the condition of your pipes — if they’re clay (which was used up until the 80s), they can easily be cracked or damaged by invading tree roots.
Why Is This Important?
Apart from keeping everything running correctly, there’s also a legal reason and a health sanitation reason. There’s a code known as The International Plumbing Code (IPC) that requires a minimum standard to prevent backflow, sanitary and storm drainage, water heaters, etc. It’s used in 35 states, either at the state level of government or the local level.
The other reason pertains to your health and the health of those around you. If a sewer overflows or a pipe bursts with waste in it, it can have a major contaminating effect for miles. You don’t want feces getting into your drinking water or running off into other bodies of water where they could pollute water sources for miles around.
Lastly, it’s highly inconvenient when pipes burst and flooding occurs. You can lose significant amounts of money in replacing items and restoring rooms after a flood. It’s good to have commercial plumbers come and pump septic tanks regularly — the recommended time span is every five to seven years.
Oh No! I Have A Leak! What Can A Plumber Do?
If the worst has already happened, rest assured. Most plumbers have the ability to slow down or put a halt on the leakage for the short term, to let other guests or residents of the building know about the water issue. Once everyone else knows, you can vacate the premises or isolate the area (depending on how serious the issue is) and get to work on fixing the problem at hand. Once the plumber identifies the problem, they’ll either be able to replace the part or mend it or unclog a drain, depending on what’s needed.
Never attempt a plumbing job yourself — the potential work needed to fix your mistakes as well might be more costly than the initial fee of hiring a plumber in the first place!
