Plumbing maintenance, especially sewer line maintenance, is one of the most overlooked aspects in the daily operations of most businesses. Keyrenter Gilbert notes that it is not uncommon for problems in a commercial building’s sewer to occur for weeks and months, undetected.
What often happens is that the business only discovers the issues in its plumbing systems after they have caused an ugly emergency in the premises. Yet, all along, those problems may have left telltale signs of their presence. But these were either ignored or misunderstood.
When plumbing issues are allowed to disrupt the operations of your business, the impact goes beyond the monetary cost of fixing those problems. In addition to how the problems affect staff morale and performance, they can also hurt the reputation of the enterprise.
Customers and visitors to your commercial building may use the condition of the plumbing fixtures as a yardstick for judging the quality of the businesses in the building. If the toilets are slow or smelly, it can disgust customers and discourage them from visiting your business.
That is why proper sewer line repair and maintenance is not just something nice that businesses should do, but it is as important as the everyday business activities of organizations. This fact becomes obvious when the plumbing systems and sewer lines stop working.
How can you detect if there are problems in your sewer line that need to be addressed urgently? Below are the signs you will see in your commercial building if your sewer line is due for urgent repairs.
Signs that your commercial sewer line needs immediate attention
- The smell of raw sewage
The smell of sewage inside your commercial building or in its outdoor areas means you have a cracked sewer line that is leaking wastewater into the environment. This is a huge problem that can inflict structural damage on your building or destroy your driveway, walkway, and landscaping. If you notice this happening in your building, you must act immediately.
- Multiple slow drains
If several drains in your building become sluggish at once, you probably have a major blockage in your sewer line. Multiple slow drains in a commercial building are often the direct result of problems happening deep inside the sewer system. You should have a professional plumber conduct a video inspection to determine the location, cause, and extent of the issue.
- Chronic drainage problems
If there are recurring drainage issues in your building, you should check the building’s sewer lines. Since all the drainage pipes in your building ultimately connect to the sewer line, problems in the sewer line can ripple backward to impede the function of various drains. Chronic drain issues in your building mean that you are probably treating the wrong problem.
- Fluctuating water level in toilets
If the water level inside the toilet bowls in your commercial building changes erratically, your sewer line is most likely in trouble. This happens when air is trapped inside the sewer line due to the blockages in the pipes. The trapped air prevents the free flow of water through the sewer line, causing the water level in toilets to rise and fall unpredictably.
- Pest invasion of the building
A broken sewer line that is discharging wastewater into its surroundings will attract pests to your commercial building. These pests target your building because they want access to the nutrient-rich water. Other pests may also visit your premises to feed on the vermin feasting on the contents of your damaged sewer line.
- Strange noises from the toilets
Bubbling and gurgling sounds from your plumbing fixtures show that you have trapped air inside the sewer line that is forcing its way out through the fixture drains in your building. These strange noises are sometimes accompanied by the odor of sewer gases, and they mostly happen when you flush the toilets.
- Lush or soggy spots
If there are spots in your yard that are consistently damp or soggy, a broken sewer line may be discharging wastewater into the area. If there are plants in the area, you will find that the grass in that area is greener than the grass in the rest of your yard, even though both areas receive the same amount of water and fertilizer.
If you find any of the above signs in your commercial building, please take steps to address them before the problems cause a sewer line backup in your business premises. A backed-up sewer line can force you to close shop for several days while the issue is being fixed.
It is cheaper to have a commercial plumber check your sewer line by conducting a sewer camera inspection. This inspection will reveal the details of the problems in your sewer line and help you make an informed decision on the best way to solve the problem.