Common Commercial Bathroom Plumbing Problems And Repairs

As a business owner, the bathroom is often the most private room in an office or business. Today’s bathrooms are designed in a way that they offer more than just the ability to bathe or relieve yourself, but also offers enough space for a short rest. Sometimes, the room is used as a smoking zone. With the increase in the number of activities and users in modern commercial bathrooms, there has been a relatively large increase in the number of plumbing problems. In this article, we are going to highlight and discuss some of the common commercial bathroom plumbing problems and repairs.

10 Common Plumbing Problems with Commercial Bathrooms

Faucets Leaks

Have you ever wondered why your utility bills have been rising yet you have not added new appliances or users? Well, leaking faucets or pipes are often the reason. If the pipe below the sink is damaged, you will experience leakage. Any leaky faucets should be repaired as quickly as possible to ensure that you do not waste water, which definitely increases your water bills. Leaky faucets can also cause a lot of stagnant water to form, and if not drained can cause structural damage over the time, as well as a safety and health hazard.

Clogged Drains

Clogged drains are also a common residential and commercial plumbing problem, especially with bathroom sinks and toilet drains. Some of the causes that can lead to such clogging include throwing away sanitary napkins, food, and other items down the drain. Regular maintenance is required to ensure the drain is cleaned thoroughly. Can you imagine clogged drains in a commercial bathroom sink? This paints a very unprofessional picture of your business, and this can negatively affect you in the way your customers rate your business.

Toilet Clogs

Toilet clogging is another major problem faced in both commercial and residential toilets. It is not very common in commercial as it is in residential. This can be attributed to the fact that commercial bathrooms are not used as regularly, compared to residential homes where people live full-time. Clearing a clogged toilet can be a bit simple, often all you need to do is plunge it to have it clean itself. However, if that doesn’t work for you, you can use a plumbing snake to cut through the clog. In rare cases, you might find your toilet clogging regularly and this could be a sign of root intrusion or a similar blockage. Your drainage system should be checked thoroughly to avoid permanent clogging.

Running Toilets

Running toilet is another common problem in commercial bathrooms. Whether it is a small leak that causes a constant run of water in the toilet, it should be dealt with immediately. Neglecting such a small issue may lead to wasting of a LOT of water, which in return leads to higher water bills. Besides higher bills, constant running water is terrible for the environment and may lead to clogging, especially when the septic tank gets full. When septic tanks are full the water will start to overflow and this causes an unbearable stench and can result in permanent structural problems to your commercial premises.

Broken Toilet Handles

Can you imagine going into a toilet and you can’t flush water since the handle is broken? It is an embarrassing situation for both residential and commercial premises, and it can lead bad judgment against your business. This problem may occur due to use of excessive force thereby causing the handle to break. Children playing with the handle are a huge cause of this problem; some of the handles may have had defects when manufactured, but not as likely. Due to improved technology nowadays, manual handles can be replaced with cost-effective buttons and motion sensors to curb this problem.

Failed Internal Toilet Parts

Some commercial premises, especially hotels and bars, experience a great influx of people. This often leads to regular malfunctioning of the toilet due to a large number of users. However, this should never worry you- call a professional plumber to help fix it and maybe look into having a go-to plumber with high-quality plumbing tools for any times your business needs a quick fix or regular cleaning. Never attempt to repair your own plumbing malfunctions, as inexperienced people will usually worsen the problem and make it more complicated and more expensive to fix in the end. The most convenient solution to avoid this issue is to have a regular maintenance of the toilet, as stated.

Silent Leaks

Something that can be detrimental to your business is a silent leak. It is worse than having a broken handle or a clogged, leaky drain. A silent leak is as a result of pipes breaking and dripping. Leakage causes a significant amount of water to be lost thereby making the hydro bill incredibly high. It worsens when the leaking water starts producing a bad odour in the room. In severe cases the smell may spread into other rooms. You can imagine being in a hotel with an acrid smell, doesn’t go over very well with the guests. Silent leaks also contribute to major damage on the tiles and the wall.

Water Temperatures

A lack of hot water is common in many commercial bathrooms. The primary cause is a failed water heater or a burnt element in a shower. Heating tanks need to be maintained frequently since the accumulation of sediment can reach a point where it buries the heating elements inside the heater. Sediment build-up reduces the efficiency of the heater greatly, and if not cleaned often, the heaters will rust and get damaged completely and cost a lot of money to replace. Leakages also lead to a lack of hot water, hence you should ensure there is no leakage in piping or the tank.

Sewer Smells

A bad sewage smell is very disgusting when it comes to both residential and commercial bathrooms. There are many causes of a sewer smell coming through on your premises. One reason is poor cleaning methods in the drains. Another reason is clogging in the drain. Clogs are caused by the accumulation of hair, oil, dirt, and more, thereby making the flow of wastewater difficult. Sewer smell leads to low customer turnout and can even result in employees quitting the job if it gets so intense. The only way to solve this problem is by calling a plumber as quickly as you detect where the smell is coming from.

Low Water Pressure

This problem is highly attributed to sediment build up, tank leakage or faulty pipe work. Any minor problem can cause low water pressure, and those problems should be repaired thoroughly upon discovery. A toilet with low water pressure is a mess and can lead to a bad odour in the business. Most clogging in drains are caused by low water pressure since the waste products are unable to move when the toilet is flushed or water is rinsed down the drain, hence causing a blockage.

Reference:

https://www.mrrooter.com/about/blog/2016/september/10-most-common-commercial-bathroom-problems/
http://www.brewercommercialservices.com/most-common-commercial-bathroom-plumbing-issues-repairs/