How can you protect your commercial property from water damage? Here are some ways in which you can prevent water leakages in your building!
Water leaks tend to be pretty costly, particularly when they occur in commercial buildings. They don’t just cost you thousands of dollars in repairs, but they also force the companies that are operating in your building to shut down until the building is restored. This is why you must tackle any plumbing problems that you spot right away and take certain measures to make sure that your building doesn’t experience a massive water leak. 
Here are some steps that you can take to prevent a water leak in your commercial building:
Regular Maintenance of Plumbing
If you want to prevent leaks, then make sure to keep your plumbing and pipes in top shape. Invest in regular and timely maintenance of your building’s plumbing system to avoid a major leak. Here are some maintenance tips that you need to follow:
Regular Inspection of Pipes
Make sure to get your building’s pipes, toilet fixtures, faucets, and plumbing systems visually inspected by a professional at least every 3 to 4 months. This will help you spot minor plumbing issues, such as a minor leak, before they lead to bigger issues.
Upgrade Old and Worn-out Plumbing
Make sure to upgrade your old faucets, pipes, and fittings that are in bad condition and won’t survive high-volume usage. This will help you avoid spending money on costly repairs in the future.
Keep a Check on Filtration systems and Water Heaters
Systems such as commercial water heaters can create huge issues, such as leaks and system failures, if they aren’t properly maintained.
Be Prepared for Emergency Situations
Minor leaks are pretty easy to fix, however, if you don’t fix them right away, then they can lead to some major leaks within your commercial property. You must have an emergency plan in place for such instances to avoid costly repairs. Here are some essential details that you need to keep in mind:
Have an Action Plan
You should give clear directives to your employees so that they know exactly who they have to contact in case of a major leak. They should also know who’s responsible for important tasks such as shutting off the main water valve. Every employee should also know where the essential water systems are located in your building.
Make an Emergency Contacts List
Make an emergency contact list and distribute it among all of your employees. This list should include the contact information of building supervisors, plumbers, other tenants, and all other people that you should reach out to in such an emergency.
Have a Plan to Protect Your Data
Make sure that you have all of your data backed up on an external hard drive or a cloud-based system. This will ensure that all of your assets will remain safe in a crisis.
Have Off-Site Work Locations in Mind
If your building has suffered extensive damage and has to remain closed until the repairs are done, then you’ll need a different location where your employees could work from. You should notify all of your employees and clients of these temporary office spaces and their working hours.
How to Proceed If You Spot a Plumbing Leak
Here are the steps that you need to take if you spot a plumbing leak in your commercial building:
- Shut off the main water valve to immediately curtail the damage caused by the leak.
- For slow leaks, make sure that you block all entry points and access to the area to prevent the spread of the damage.
- Call your plumber right away to fix the leak.
After resolving the leak, assess the water damage and if needed, call a professional restoration service to get your building up and running again.
