ARTICLES

COMMERCIAL PLUMBING EMERGENCY TIPS

SEP 21, 2017

A plumbing emergency is a nightmare when you are dealing with it at your home, but a commercial plumbing emergency has to potential for even more hassle and disaster. At best, it can interfere with business operations. At worst, a commercial plumbing emergency can jeopardize the safety of employees and customers. Here, we have put together a checklist of things managers can do to prepare for and deal with a plumbing emergency in the workplace.

COMMERCIAL PLUMBING EMERGENCY CHECKLIST

WHAT CONSTITUTES A PLUMBING EMERGENCY?

A DRIP OR LEAK:

Though not the most serious plumbing emergency you can encounter, drips and leaks can vary in intensity and over time, can cost money in terms of wasted water and, on the more extreme end of the spectrum, can lead to more serious plumbing emergency. Basically, a drip or a leak is a plumbing emergency if there is a lot of water leaking.

But do not write off that minor dripping faucet as no big deal, either! Did you know that a single leaking faucet dripping 3 times per minute will result in 104 gallons of wasted water every year? Though not an emergency, a minor leak that you cannot locate or repair yourself will warrant a call to the plumber sooner rather than later.

STANDING WATER:

An unattended leak is the number one culprit behind standing water. Other causes may include backed up drains. Whatever the cause, standing water is a plumbing emergency because in addition to causing permanent structural damage, all of that water can leave people vulnerable to electrical hazards.

MALFUNCTIONING WATER HEATER:

Issues with the water heater constitute a plumbing emergency for multiple reasons. Though rare, in extreme cases, there is a possibility that the water heater could explode. A more likely plumbing emergency involving the water heater is a thermostat that leads water to get too hot and to scald people. Alternatively, a water heater that does not adequately heat water can be a sanitary issue, especially for commercial plumbing clients like restaurants who need to wash dishes and the like.

WHAT TO DO IN A PLUMBING EMERGENCY

If you are facing a plumbing emergency like those outlined above, there are some very basic steps you can take before calling a commercial plumbing service to ensure the safety of those at your business and to minimize the damage.

MAIN WATER SHUT OFF:

In cases where there is a specific fixture that is overflowing like a washing machine or a toilet, you can easily locate the water shut off for that specific fixture, usually directly behind it. However, some leaks do not correspond to an individual shut off and to avoid the hazards of a standing water plumbing emergency as we outlined above, you will need to turn of the main water shut off to the entire building. If you do not already know where this is, do yourself a favor and find out. Then make sure that some of your employees, particularly managers, also know where it is and to turn it off if there is a serious leak in the building or if they ever encounter standing water and suspect a plumbing emergency.

BREAKER BOX:

Hopefully you know where the breaker box is and the circuit breakers are clearly labeled with which corresponds to power in which part of the building. If this is not the case, you and some workers need to take a trip to the breaker box and familiarize yourselves. In the case that you find standing water, for instance, you will want to cut power to that area of the building to eliminate the risk of injury due to electrical shock. Similarly, it may come in handy during a plumbing emergency involving the water heater …

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE WATER HEATER:

Is the water heater at your business gas or electric? If it is electric, it is a good thing you have already gone and checked out the breaker box like we told you to in the previous paragraph. If it is gas, do you know where the gas shut off valve is? If a water heater overheats, it is a plumbing emergency that requires the system be shut down immediately to avoid larger problems. Additionally, turn of the water valve that feeds into the water heater. Then you should be all set to have a commercial plumbing professional come to fix your water heater and get you back into business.

EMERGENCY COMMERCIAL PLUMBER IN PHOENIX AZ

No matter your residential or commercial plumbing emergency, our experienced professionals will be happy to come save the day. We have same day appointments available 24 hours a day and all of our work is guaranteed. After you have taken the steps outlined above to deal with your plumbing emergency, give us a call. We’ll be there ASAP!