Ensuring efficient plumbing systems in private and commercial facilities
If we are given money for every time we have had plumbing problems, we will probably all be millionaires. And if facilities managers have to be paid extra for every time they are called out to sort plumbing problems, they would probably be only focusing on plumbing as their main source of income!
As we all know, plumbing is essential to all buildings – public and private – as it is what is used to distribute portable water in all buildings for drinking, for waste disposal, washing, heating etc., and consists of a system of pipes, drains, fitting, valves and fixtures.
Plumbing does not only ensure that our lives run smoothly (we can only imagine what it would be not to be without plumbing!), but can be set up in ways to save water – environmentally friendly while saving money as well. A lot of commercial and institutional facilities, especially in the so-called developed countries, are increasingly installing new generation plumbing systems that are water efficient and easier to install as well as to manage.
These systems include flush valves, urinals, faucets etc, and generally reduce water use and reduce water bills. This trend can be seen mostly in large commercial facilities, in international airports for example. Choosing urinals over regular/manual flush toilets, for example, means that very little water is used for urinals as it only involves getting rid of liquids.
There are different things that could cause plumbing problems and cause us unnecessary hassles as facilities managers and users of the facilities. One of the most common plumbing problems is a dripping tap. Dripping taps, apart from being very annoying giving an ongoing ‘drip, drip sound’, over the course of a day actually results in a significant amount of water waste.
This is usually caused by a faulty aerator. The aerator could easily be removed and cleaned. One permanent or semi-permanent way of dealing with this is, of course, what a lot of commercial buildings are doing – installing new generation faucets to replace the manual ones which do not need to be touched. This improved faucet technology means that not only is water saved, it actually improves overall hygiene of the buildings and subsequently the health of the users of the buildings.
Other problems with plumbing include evidence of leak in walls – this can be seen as mildew, mold and other unsightly things on the wall. This is usually caused by corrosion in the pipes carrying the water, improperly fixed pipes and increasingly common, low quality pipes leading to early corrosion of the pipes, ensuring that water constantly leaks in the walls until it becomes a major problem.
This is actually a common plumbing problem in Nigeria, and one that has cost a lot of buildings, private and commercial, millions of Naira. This is because the repairs are often costly, involving the breaking down of walls to try and fix the problem, leading to many a frustrated facilities manager and user of the building. Leaking seals in toilets, which like leaking faucets, slow draining sinks and tubs are also common plumbing problems.
In resolving these plumbing issues and ensuring that plumbing systems deliver the desired benefits to organisations, private houses and the environment, maintenance and engineering managers have to first focus on product selections. Products to use have to be selected based on how easy it would be to maintain, high quality standards, keeping up to date with new technology and those likely to save water, promote hygiene and save on overall costs.
By understanding the key maintenance considerations for each of these products, facilities managers will be better able to incorporate these regular inspection and repair routines, and technicians responsible for maintenance, able to efficiently troubleshoot and prevent potential problems and all the hassles, before they become major and costly hassles that we are often too familiar with.
Tunde Obileye