Commercial Burst Pipes

What You Need to Know About Burst Pipes in Your Business

Plumbing in commercial buildings is essential, but it’s also something that can be difficult to keep maintained. Your maintenance team handles cleaning and small repairs. You may have scheduled services for things like roofing and HVAC. But what about the pipes? When the pipes in your commercial building are damaged and start leaking, someone must take immediate action to call for repairs before too much water damage can occur. One of the biggest risks is burst pipes during the winter, especially if preventing frozen pipes is not a job that has been assigned.

How Can Commercial Pipes Burst?

Commercial pipes make up the plumbing inside commercial buildings. Just like home plumbing, these pipes need to be properly taken care of through the years; especially in the winter. Commercial pipes have water inside them all the time, which is why water comes right out when you turn on the faucet. During the winter, if the pipes get too cold, the water inside can freeze. Water expands when it becomes ice, which can burst the pipes. This allows non-frozen water to flow out causing some truly catastrophic cases of flooding and water damage.

This is most likely to happen when offices are allowed to drop below freezing temperatures during weekends and holidays when no one is in the office to turn on the heater. It’s easy to forget that commercial buildings need to be taken care of just like a house, including protecting the pipes from freezing and bursting.

How to Tell If Your Commercial Pipes Need Repair

Your commercial pipes may need repair in a number of situations, but a burst pipe is the most difficult to ignore. When a pipe bursts in your commercial building, the leak is often high-pressured. It may spray out of the pipe, but even a small leak can begin a leak that can cause serious water damage. The most important thing to watch for is signs of leaks and water damage.

Burst pipes most often occur under sinks and in the basement or between-spaces that are not directly heated when the building is heated. A burst pipe that you have visual access to may look torn or even exploded at the point where it burst. If a burst pipe is behind the wall of your commercial building, you may notice a growing stain, soggy drywall or floor, or a lurking mold smell. If you detect any of these signs, whether direct or indirect, it’s time to call a plumber to find the problem and repair the pipes.

How to Prevent Burst Pipes Over Time

The good news is that once your pipes are fixed, it’s relatively easy to prevent your commercial pipes from freezing and bursting again. There are a few different ways to do it.

Set heat to 40 F over weekends and holidays. Preventing your building from freezing inside by setting the heat low when the building will be empty
Open sink cabinets. Increase airflow with good ventilation.
Insulate pipes. Apply foam pipe insulation, a sliced pool noodle, or a strip of heat tape.

Why Call the Twin Home Experts

If your commercial pipes have burst, you need experts who know how to handle commercial plumbing and restore water-damaged materials. Whether your burst pipe caused a small leak or an explosion of freezing water, you need the Twin Home Experts. Our team is highly experienced with commercial plumbing and we’ll get those pipes and any related water damage cleaned up so you can minimize interruptions to your workflow. Contact us today to consult with our plumbing and water damage restoration experts.