Hidden Plumbing Nightmares That Could Cost Your Business Thousands

Plumbing issues can cost thousands of pounds, especially if they are not dealt with efficiently. As soon as you suspect you could have any type of plumbing issue, from weird noises coming from the drains to a slowly draining toilet, you should get in touch with an experienced plumber. This could save you a lot of money and a lot of hassle. Keeping that in mind, below we are going to take a look at seven hidden plumbing nightmares that will cost business owners thousands. You especially need to be mindful of these problems if you are currently looking for new business premises to move into.

1. The age of the hot water unit

Check the age of the hot water unit before you purchase any sort of business premises or even rent an office space. After all, while you may not have to pay for a new water unit, any damage or time out of action could still cost your business significant amounts. You should find this information on the badge. If poorly maintained, hot water units have a life of eight to ten years. If they have been regularly serviced, as they should be, they should last between 15-20 years. However, most homeowners and business owners do not get their heaters serviced, as they should. If the unit is over eight years old, you do need to factor in that you may need a replacement soon. Should you need a replacement, you may wish to find out more information about the installation of hot water units by checking out professional plumbers’ websites, like summersphc.com/chesterton/services/plumbing/water-heater-installation/ – and you may even decide to use them to do the replacement!

2. Galvanised pipes

Galvanised pipes will need to be replaced. There is a simple way to test this. If you have copper pipes outside of your offices, you should run your fingers across the surface. Is the material rough, pitted or thick? If so, they could be galvanised. This is why a lot of business owners make the switch to different types of metal pipes and fittings, like this Hexagon Nipple Stainless Steel piece. Stainless steel does not rust like other metals, which is why it tends to be such a popular choice.

Galvanised pipes will need to be replaced

3. Blocked pipes

Not all blocked pipes are a simply plunge job, some require drainage specialists, as the block can be further down the system, making it impossible for a plunger to do the trick. If you suspect a blockage, flush the toilet and make sure the water goes away quickly, and listen out for any weird sounds from the drain. So, what should you do if the blockage is evident, and someone at work alerts you to it? Call in the pros like Sarkinen Plumbing straight away. While there are lots of DIY guides on the Internet, they can often cause more harm than good!

4. Concealed access points

Access points are covered up when people have something to hide in the subfloor or roof area. If this is the case, you need to consider why the access points at this business building have been covered up.

Not all blocked pipes are a simply plunge job, some require drainage specialists, as the block can be further down the system, making it impossible for a plunger to do the trick

5. Ask for a drainage diagram

This will show you where the pipes are in the property. Ask for the plans for the property and the drainage diagram. If the drainage diagram does not match up with the fixtures in the office space you are considering buying, this indicates that the drainage diagram was not updated at the time of renovation. This could mean that the pipes weren’t updated. This could result in a huge upheaval and expense for you later down the line, so it is really important to thoroughly understand everything that has gone on at the property beforehand. This is why professional property surveys are especially important for commercial buildings.

6. The condition of the roof and guttering

You need to go up and check the condition of the roof and the guttering. If there is rust, this should act as a red flag, as you may have problems in the future.

Finally, renovation cover-ups are another big problem. You should always find out who conducted the work, when it was completed, and if any issues were found at the time

7. Renovation cover-ups

Finally, renovation cover-ups are another big problem. You should always find out who conducted the work, when it was completed, and if any issues were found at the time. If an owner builder or a cheap builder carried out the renovations, you need to be wary; as such shortcuts can result in problems. Check to ensure that the workmanship is good and that quality fittings have been used. You also need to check paint, as it is common for property owners to use paint as a cover up for stains on the wall that has occurred as a consequence of damp. It does not matter who is selling the offices, whether it is a business owner, a commercial landlord, or someone who used to live there and has turned it into offices, don’t underestimate what sort of corners they may have taken in the past to save a few pounds. As you can see, there are a number of plumbing problems that you may not anticipate, which could cost you a lot of money. As soon as you notice any type of potential plumbing issue, you need to get in contact with a plumber as soon as possible, as this is the only way to stop the issue from getting worse and more expensive. You may not want to the upheaval or the expense, and this is understandable. But these problems do not go away, and they will only result in a much, much bigger disaster for your company. It is better to be safe than sorry!

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