Does your commercial site have a water leak?
Water leaks have the potential to cripple any business, at least temporarily. Though not immediately obvious, leakage can do untold damage to both the structure of a building and its immediate surroundings, halting operations in the process. Put simply, leaks cost… in more ways than one.
As responses go prompt diagnosis can at least lessen the financial burden but how do you know if your commercial site has fallen victim? Shared below are some of the key indicators….
Water Bill
A successful business is underpinned by a stringent financial department. Indeed, keeping abreast of outgoings is essential if profitability is to be realised, regardless of industry or sector. An attentive bookkeeper would then be left reeling by a sudden hike in water bills. This is ordinarily the first sign that a leak has taken hold.
Nearly all sites will boast a water meter of some description, one that displays a leak indicator no less. If site owners fear leakage, they would be wise to take an initial reading before ensuring no water is used for a short time thereafter. A subsequent reading should then be taken, wherein a sudden and inexplicable rise would confirm their suspicions.
This same process can be deployed to identify whether the problem is internal or external, quickening repair efforts by virtue of targeting a specific area.
Internal Damage
More apparent evidence of leakage comes in the form of physical damage such as wet patches, discoloration or staining. As tell-tale signs go these are as ugly as they are obvious and should trigger an immediate call to contractors like Pipefix.
Beware also of bad odours emanating from carpets. Over time mould and/or mildew tends to develop and give rise to unsavoury pongs. In worse case scenarios, workspaces become inhospitable, such is the strength of smell. If working from home is not feasible, the likelihood is productivity will diminish throughout the business; a financial headache of a different kind.
Elsewhere panic will often set in when structural damage becomes glaring. If a sewer pipe has indeed cracked the water it houses will escape to the surface, applying just enough pressure to penetrate.
Resulting cavasses in flooring – be they tile or brick – are both unsightly and dangerous, necessitating immediate attention. Further damage could manifest in the separation of walls, uneven or warped flooring, not to mention doors and windows coming loose.
Should any of the aforementioned arise you should be left in no doubt that your commercial site does – sadly – contain a leak.
Signs
While the above examples leave little to no room for doubt, water leaks often present further clues as to their existence…
Occasionally leaks can be heard. Sure enough, a plumbing system under strain may whoosh or hiss – increased volume akin to an alarm bells sounding. Take action!
Elsewhere frustration greets a low water pressure, this as kitchen and toilet taps, as well as outdoor hoses, deliver little more than a trickle. Again, this points to a bigger problem lurking beneath the surface and a need to call in the experts.
On the subject of water flow, leaks are known to spoil output with dirt or rust. Evidently, this presents problems aplenty, including that of potential illness. Absence will only rise if drinking water is polluted, reducing that all important productivity. Make no mistake, the quality of water is every bit as important as the quantity.
Unfortunately, underground leaks can taint the appearance of commercial sites no end. Where once luscious, green lawn may have greeted customers this can just as easily turn to ruin. Browning will regrettably result in grass drying and dying, a process quickened in summer months. The reason of course is the impact on sprinklers typically utilised to water such landscape. A drop in pressure will limit their impact with unfortunate consequences.
Finally, lavatories offer their own insight into water leaks of the domestic and commercial variety. Unfortunately, toilet flappers are not averse to breakage – resulting in a greater amount of water being flushed than ever intended; yet more waste.
Similarly filling mechanisms can malfunction and cause heightened usage. Thankfully such occurrences are simple enough to rectify – certainly compared to damaged foundation. Nevertheless, they prove an inconvenience all the same.
Response
If you suspect your commercial site has a water leak it pays to call in the professionals. Here at Pipefix we are proud to state we have never encountered a leak we have been unable to trace and repair. Better still our process is a transparent one, keeping clients abreast of our work as and when it unfolds.
Utilising tools such as acoustic microphones, moisture meters and thermal imaging we quickly identify the source of the problem before settling on the best course of action thereafter. Response will typically take one of three forms – the first of those being the application of a wrap round repair clamp. In certain cases that is simply not possible and so our engineers instead set about isolating the area in question before cutting the pipe out. Alternate pipes will be installed, replacing the pinch point as opposed to the entire system, allowing you peace of mind that disruption is kept to a minimum.
Every so often a leak will prove impossible to access but that is not to say a solution cannot be sought. Indeed, our typical approach when faced with such difficulty is to install a bypass section, imagining a different route for water flow. Site owners care little for how or where water flows, so long as it does so.
Finally, if a pipe replacement is appropriate yet unavailable on the day a temporary repair will always be implemented to restore water supply and provide temporary relief.
What is more – as touched upon earlier – Pipefix endeavour to keep clients in the loop, granting access to a customer portal updated with site notes and pictures by those repairing their leak(s).
In summary, water leaks are bad for commercial buildings and have the potential to derail business operations. Given this fact, vigilance is essential as you seek to limit the damage – something Pipefix can assist in and have done with Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire College to name but two.
