15 Brilliant Tips for Plumbing and Water Supply in Kenya

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Plumbing and water supply are essential services for any home or business. When the plumbing in your property begins to fail, it can create unsafe conditions for your employees and customers. A failing water supply system can be a risk to the health of anyone living or working there. In both commercial and residential properties, plumbing and water supply problems can also reduce resale value as well as increase operating costs from repair and replacement expenses. There are several things you can do to prevent plumbing and water supply problems in your property before they occur. Understanding their importance will help you take preventive measures if you see signs of an impending problem or if you already have issues with them in your premises. These tips will help you identify potential risks with your current setup so that you don’t end up spending more money than necessary on repairs due to a bigger issue beyond the scope of just repairing the pipes or source of water supply.

Keep Your Fixtures and Equipment Updated

The older the fixtures in your property, the more likely they are to break down and require repair or replacement. Many fixtures have a limited lifespan, so when you install them you should expect them to last for a certain length of time and then require replacements. Water heaters, for example, are good for about 10 years on average. So if you have water heaters that are much older than that, they are more likely to need replacement than repairs. Other fixtures and equipment with a life expectancy of less than 10 years include water valves, water supply lines, and water shut-off valves. Greener products and fixtures, such as low-flow faucets and toilets, are available to replace fixtures that are older or that use more water than necessary.

Check for Leaks Daily

Finding a leaking pipe is often a process of elimination, but it can be a time-consuming and frustrating one. To reduce the time you’d spend tracking down leaks with your current piping system, you can install devices that detect leaks. Soil moisture sensors and acoustic leak sensors are two common types of leak detection sensors you can install in the ground around your water service lines. A visual leak detection system uses water pressure to draw a line on a wall or floor that changes color when a line leaks. A pressure differential probe can detect leaks from a line by measuring pressure levels. You can also monitor water usage and conduct regular inspections to look for leaks in an indoor plumbing system. Leaks can increase your water bill and create unhealthy conditions in your property. And if a leak is big enough, it could damage the piping system and require costly repairs.

Don’t Forget the Venting

Plumbing vents, such as a roof vent or wall vent, are necessary to remove excess moisture and gases that are drawn in with water use. Stopping water flow or backing up a sewage system can lead to a dangerous situation that can endanger the health of people living or working in the building. A backflow preventer is a device that prevents sewage from backing up into the water supply. These devices prevent flooding in the building and protect public health by stopping sewage from backing up into the water supply.

Be Proactive About Upgrading Piping

If your pipes or water supply system is nearing the end of its lifespan, or if you’ve had issues with leaks in the past, it’s time to consider replacing the piping. It’s also a good idea to upgrade if you’re installing a larger system or adding more fixtures in one area. Replacing your plumbing is a big task, but it’s definitely something you want to do before you end up with more serious problems down the road. Before you go ahead and replace your pipes, make sure you’ve considered all the costs of doing so, including demolition and excavating the area to access the pipes, replacing the pipes, and repairing any damage to your property that occurs during the process. You can offset some of the costs of replacing your pipes by repairing them before they break down completely or before they become a serious problem.

Protect Your Pipes With Drain Covers

Drain covers are an inexpensive and easy way to protect your drainage system and catch debris that may be clogging your drain. A clogged drain can cause flooding in your building, especially if the flood is coming from the drains in the basement. Drain covers trap debris and prevent it from traveling down the drain and causing a clog. Drain covers are especially useful for outdoor drains that are prone to collecting leaves and other debris. Drain covers are available in a variety of styles, including covers that swivel to collect debris and those with removable covers for easy cleaning. You can also purchase covers that have built-in filters that help prevent trapped debris from getting into the drainage system.

Bundle Your Piping Changes Together

Rather than just fixing one piping problem at a time, consider changing all of your piping systems at once, if you have several problems you need to address. This will help reduce the cost of replacing your pipes since you won’t have to perform multiple repairs over time. It’s also a good idea to get a few estimates for your piping changes and pick a contractor based on their experience, reputation, and cost.

Add Grease Traps to Your Kitchen and Restrooms

Grease and waste matter in your pipes will lead to clogs and other problems. A grease trap is a device that collects this matter and prevents it from entering your sewage system. Grease traps are helpful for commercial kitchens and bathrooms. Grease traps are easy to install and will help save you time and money by preventing plumbing problems in your building.

Check for Root Cause, Not Just Symptoms

A problem in your plumbing system may seem minor, but it could be a symptom of a bigger issue. If you’re only dealing with a single issue and you’ve corrected it, it may come back or you may have missed something. You should always look at the root cause of the issue and not just the symptoms. You can do this by conducting a thorough inspection of your system, and you should hire a professional to do so when needed.

Get a Professional Inspection and Audit of Your System

A professional inspection and audit will help you identify problems in your plumbing system. It also gives you an idea of how much it will cost to fix them. This can be helpful when negotiating with contractors who will give you an estimate for repairs. It’s also a good idea to have a contractor assess the health of your system and make recommendations for maintenance. Having a professional involved can help manage the expectations of what is actually wrong with your system and what will need to be replaced.

Conclusion

Your plumbing and water supply systems are essential to the health and safety of your building, employees, and customers. Neglecting these systems can lead to costly repairs and replacements, and it can also be dangerous. These systems will likely need to be kept up and maintained regularly. You can reduce the risk of issues with them by keeping them clean, checking for signs of problems, and making repairs promptly when necessary. These systems can also be improved with upgrades such as new piping, fixtures, or equipment. Plumbing and water supply systems are often expensive to replace, so it’s important to keep them in good shape and repair them as needed to avoid bigger problems in the future.