The Most Underutilized Commercial Plumbing Service by Facility Managers

When it comes to commercial plumbing services, there’s one kind of service that stands out above all others. It’s also the most overlooked by facility managers — preventative maintenance. There are a number of reasons for this, of course, but the end result is the same. When you neglect to have a commercial plumber perform preventative maintenance on your plumbing system, you could be setting yourself up for expensive trouble down the road.

Facility Managers Should Create a Preventative Maintenance Plan

Whether your commercial property is a hotel, restaurant, retail location, or multi-level apartment building, a preventative maintenance plan can help. It will save you from enormous headaches and huge repair bills down the road. 

Ideally, you should have your plumbing inspected quarterly. While this might sound like a lot, keeping this frequency can help to prevent small problems from accumulating over time. This is especially true when it comes to clogs, which can start slow but rapidly become more severe until they’re much more difficult to clear.

 Almost every plumbing company offers preventative maintenance as a standard commercial plumbing service. Simply call up your commercial plumber and set up a recurring maintenance schedule, and they’ll help to make sure that your plumbing keeps flowing smoothly.

Why Do Facility Managers Neglect This Commercial Plumbing Service?

For the most part, facility managers tend to put off preventative maintenance because they’ve been trained to respond to problems rather than prevent them—and that’s understandable. If you’re presented with a leaking pipe and a pipe that has the potential to clog, you’re going to focus on the active problem rather than the potential one.

However, preventative maintenance is one of the most important commercial plumbing services available. With regular inspections and cleanings, you can ensure that problems don’t stack up. A clogged drain won’t lead to a burst pipe or leaks from pressure. An outdated system won’t be forgotten. With preventative maintenance, you’ll know that your plumbing systems are thoroughly examined on a regular basis.

Facility managers have a lot of responsibilities, and it’s understandable that a few of them may fall through the cracks from time to time. The best solution for this problem is to set up a recurring maintenance plan with your plumber. That way, they’ll help to take responsibility for ensuring that your maintenance plan is reviewed and accounted for regularly.

What Does A Commercial Plumbing Preventative Maintenance Program Include?

One of the most frequent questions that commercial plumbers get asked is what exactly goes into a preventative maintenance program. While there are some differences, as part of their standard commercial plumbing service, most companies will go through a similar checklist.

Commercial plumbers will begin by looking for the following things:

• The water pressure
• Drainage of every sink, toilet, tub, and shower
• Issues with the backflow valve
• Sump pump operation
• Leaks, safety features, and proper function for boilers and water heaters
• Leaks and damage, including on sewer pipes
• Slow-running drains 

Of course, each company may have additional items they add to their checklist. However, if you have any needs that might be particular to your building, you should inquire about adding these to your list. Your quarterly inspection is about making sure your plumbing is operating smoothly. It’s important to make sure that all systems are fully accounted for.