A time will come when you will have plumbing problems that could make your entire commercial building dysfunctional. You should never delay any quality plumbing maintenance because the issue will become even worse. You can expect the usual issues to happen with your plumbing system, such as overflowing toilet water, leaking faucets, and burst water pipes. 

While the mentioned plumbing problems are usually not a problem for others, others may cause the entire building to stink. Any building would rather have faucet water overflowing out of the sink rather than toilet waste flowing back up and making the entire bathroom stink. If you want to prevent any stinky plumbing problems, you can find several tips and tricks that some commercial buildings use. 

Tip #1: Fix Your Sewer Line’s Breach Problems

You should know that any sewer line can get damaged by many elements. One way to damage a sewer line is when clogs start building up until the pressure causes the line to burst. Another is when tree roots could grow through the line, causing extensive damage to the pipe’s surface. Lastly, the sewer line could potentially sink further because of soil issues. 

And when the sewer line breaks, the waste inside will flow out and make your building stink. It is one of the most disgusting plumbing problems you would not want happening to your building, so you should try to prevent it as early as possible. Remember that preventing a problem is the best solution rather than fixing it when it happens. 

An excellent way to prevent it is by having every toilet and drain inspected by a professional plumber. Usually, they inspect the toilet to see if it’s flushing the water smoothly. And when they notice that the water isn’t going down faster than usual, that’s usually an indication of a sewer line clog. And when they inspect drains, they would try to listen if there’s a gurgling sound because it’s also another indication of a clog. 

Tip #2: Clean Out Your Garbage Disposal Frequently

If your office kitchen has a garbage disposal, ensure that you have it cleaned from time to time. The garbage disposal’s purpose is to grind large food residue that you dump into the sink, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to clean it. Food stuck on the garbage disposal grinder for a long time will cause a foul smell, which will linger around the room. 

The stench will be overbearing for many, so you need to get it cleaned at least after a week of constant use. In most cases, your building’s cleaning personnel can clean it without a problem since they know how a garbage disposal works and how to take care of them. And once they finish cleaning it, you can advise them to place citrus peels in the garbage disposal to eliminate the overwhelming stench even further. 

Tip #3: Fix and Maintain Your P-Traps

You can find p-traps underneath showers, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures. The purpose of p-traps is to hold ample water to prevent sewer odor and gas from coming out of your drain. The problem usually happens when you use toilets or showers too often, and then the p-traps dry out. Insufficient water inside the p-traps could cause the putrid stench from the sewer lines to climb up and out of the drains. You can fix the problem by cycling water through the rarely used fixtures regularly. 

Ensure you follow the mentioned tips above if you want to avoid the stench from invading your building. If you want to make your plumber’s job more accessible, it would be best to install a plumbing access door where they can work on the pipes without a problem.

Guest Contributor: Chris Jackson