Commercial plumbing systems in Denver, CO, often see much more use than those in a residential setting, which can lead to a wide variety of problems. Employees, customers and visitors aren’t always easy on the plumbing fixtures in a commercial building and, sometimes, end up damaging toilets, faucets, etc. Keeping your commercial plumbing in good shape and working order is important for your business. That’s why you should make sure to watch out for these common issues and know what to do should any of them arise.
1. Hidden Leaks
Some water lines and drain leaks can be spotted quickly. That’s because you’ll see water pooling up on the floor or yellow or brown water stains on the wall or ceiling. Other leaks can go unnoticed for some time. You will only realize that there’s a leak in your building’s plumbing because your water bill is suddenly much higher than usual.
Hidden leaks are especially common in commercial buildings since many of them are built on a concrete slab foundation. With this type of foundation, you may have insulated water lines underneath the foundation floor. These water lines are more susceptible to leaking since the soil or foundation can shift and damage the pipes. You also may not see any signs of the leak since all the water is seeping out underneath the building. This type of leak can be a serious issue since it can result in the building shifting or settling, resulting in cracks and damage to the foundation.
A sudden, unexpected increase in your building’s monthly water usage almost always indicates a plumbing leak. That’s why you make sure you’re monitoring your water bills so that you can immediately know if your usage spikes.
Professional plumbers have a few different tools at their disposal that can enable them to quickly identify and locate any leaks. One of the most effective methods is to use a thermal imaging camera to check for cold and hot spots inside walls, ceilings and under floors. All these areas will normally be at around the same temperature. That means a spot that shows up hotter or colder usually means hot or cold water is leaking in that area. Another effective method is acoustic leak detection, which involves using headphones and a highly sensitive listening disc. This disc is like a stethoscope and allows the plumber to listen through walls, floors, ceilings and behind cabinets for the sound of dripping or running water.
2. Dripping or Leaky Faucets
Manual faucets may start slowly dripping or leaking. Repeated use often leads to the cartridge valve, seal or other internal components wearing out, which makes it so that the water doesn’t get fully shut off when you turn the faucet off. A plumber can usually fix a leaky or dripping faucet quite easily just by replacing the valve or whatever other component is bad. However, you’re often better off just replacing the entire faucet if it’s more than 15 or so years old.
When replacing any faucet in your commercial building, we recommend installing an automatic or touchless model. Touchless faucets often last longer since they don’t have handles that constantly get used. They are also much more hygienic since no one must touch the faucet with their dirty hands after going to the bathroom. One final advantage is that they save water. They only run for a short time, which means you don’t need to leave the water running while lathering up your hands with soap.
3. Running Toilets and Urinals
Toilets and urinals that constantly or occasionally run when not in use are a major waste of water. Even if water just slowly leaks out of a toilet tank into the bowl and leads to the toilet occasionally running and refilling, it can easily waste more than 30 gallons of water a day. A toilet or urinal that constantly runs is a much bigger issue since it will often use around 3 gallons per minute. That means it could end up wasting more than 40,000 gallons in a single month, resulting in your water bill being astronomically high.
The primary reason a toilet will start running occasionally or never shut off is due to a worn-out rubber flapper. The flapper is what opens to allow water to rush into the toilet bowl when you flush. After flushing, the flapper then drops back down into place to create a watertight seal at the bottom of the tank. Toilet flappers almost always end up wearing out eventually since the water in the bowl causes the rubber to slowly deteriorate. This results in the flapper no longer sealing tightly, so water slowly leaks out into the bowl. Once the water in the tank gets below a certain level, the fill valve will activate so that the toilet starts running to refill the tank.
If you have a urinal that won’t stop running, it often indicates that the diaphragm in the flush head is clogged with debris. That means you’ll need to have a plumber remove the valve assembly and clean the flush head. In other cases, all a plumber may need to do is retighten the valve so that it shuts off the water.
4. Clogged Drains and Toilets
Clogged drains and toilets are common issues that affect commercial buildings. The first thing to attempt when dealing with a clog is to try to clear the blockage using a sink or toilet plunger. If this doesn’t work, your best bet is to have a plumber clean the toilet or drain with a pipe snake. We never recommend trying to eliminate the blockage with drain cleaner since the chemicals it contains are corrosive enough that they can damage your pipes. Having a plumbing company clean all the drains and toilets in your building once or twice a year can also be effective in helping you avoid major clogs.
5. Hot Water Issues
Most hot water issues in a building can be prevented through regular water heater inspections and maintenance. Since commercial water heaters get so much use, it’s a good idea to have a plumber check out and service your water heater at least twice a year. If you have issues with the water in your building not getting hot enough or running out of hot water, a good option is to upgrade to a tankless water heater. If you have multiple bathrooms in different parts of the building or on different floors, the best choice is often to install a smaller point-of-use unit in each bathroom. The water will get hot almost immediately after the faucet turns on.
6. Poor Water Pressure
Poor water pressure in your building can be a sign of a hidden leak. If you constantly have issues with the water pressure in all your plumbing fixtures being too low, it can also indicate your pipes are partially clogged with mineral deposits. Unfortunately, the only way you can usually fix this issue is to repipe the building. Another useful option in some cases is to install a pressure-boosting pump on the building’s main water line. This type of pump will increase the pressure by quite a bit, so you no longer have issues with toilets that don’t flush fully or faucets that only produce a weak trickle of water.
With more than 25 years of experience, Summit Heating, A/C, Plumbing & Electrical is the company to trust for commercial plumbing in the Denver area. Our experienced team can professionally handle all your leak detection, plumbing installation and repair needs. We’re also the company to call if you need any heating, air conditioning or electrical service. To schedule a plumbing inspection or any other service, contact us today.
