Businesses and industries can suffer financial harm from burst pipes and other water-related mishaps. When an industry is flooded or frozen, the business may be forced to close to restore the damage. This will result in revenue loss. It is crucial that repairs are made promptly so they don’t cause costlier damage, including mold growth and structural damage.
A water-related incident can cause serious damage to your business, which requires swift mitigation. Water can lead to loss of property eventually, whether it causes slow damage or immediate. Pipe bursts, flooding, rotting of wood, bacterial growth, mold growth, rusting of metal equipment- mostly made of steel and iron, are some common water damages that happen in commercial buildings.
Insurance for small businesses can also contribute to reducing the financial impact. However, it’s best to prevent such situations from occurring in the first place.
Here are some tips to keep your industries safe from water damage.
13 ways to prevent water damage in your industry
- Have regular maintenance
A number of factors can cause water damage, including heating, cooling, plumbing, drainage, and sewer systems. Water damage caused by machinery is also a possibility in industrial structures. Routine maintenance, along with making sure all of these systems are functioning properly, can prevent disasters.
- Insulate exposed pipes
Overnight, exposed pipes are at risk of freezing when temperatures drop during the winter. Poorly insulated pipes may freeze due to falling temperatures or cold drafts, causing pressure to build and eventually bursting. Consequently, a burst pipe can result in expensive damage to property.
It’s important to insulate pipes to prevent them from freezing. The insulation can be purchased in most hardware stores. If you use more insulation, your pipes will be better protected.
- Fix even the smallest of problems
Water is persistent, as we all know it. Even the tiniest leak can have serious consequences. Don’t let minor leaks linger. The damage may grow, and mold problems will likely follow.
- Maintain adequate heat levels
You will need to be vigilant about your business’s thermostat if you want to avoid pipes freezing. If the office is vacant or on weekends, make sure that the thermostat is never lower than 50 degrees. You should avoid allowing your pipes to suffer drastic temperature changes between day and night. Ensure that thermostat battery are regularly replaced so that they’re working properly.
- Don’t forget maintenance of the roof
Repairing your roof is costly, but it is not as costly as repairing an entire building after water damage. As the last line of defense in protecting your building against the natural damaging elements, your roof is an essential component.
- Locate the shut-off valve
You must act rapidly if a pipe bursts. You should know where the water supply shutoff valve is in your building. When the main valve is shut off, water will stop flowing into the building, preventing flooding until the problem can be resolved. Stainless steel butterfly valves are great for industrial purposes and places where water leakage is a common problem. Gate valves are also highly useful and reliable in shutting off the overall water supply in a building.
- Seal all cracks and gaps
Make sure there are no cracks, holes, or other gaps in the exterior and foundation of your building so that cold air cannot penetrate or warm air cannot escape. Sealants, such as caulk and weather stripping, can improve the energy efficiency of your industry and prevent frozen pipes.
- Keep track of valuable items
It always helps to be aware of the important items’ worth in your industry. You may want to move valuable items from your business floor if there’s a risk of flooding. In the event of flooding, make sure teams are able to evacuate the building safely and that everyone can get to higher ground as soon as possible.
- Use water detection devices
Water detection devices are extremely useful not only in industries but in small businesses too. These are small devices that get stimulated when they detect moisture and sound an alarm. They enhance your water damage protection efforts because of their effectiveness in identifying even a small water leak. Manually finding a leak is difficult as well as less efficient. You might want to use these devices in high-risk areas in your industry such as water heaters, toilets, etc.
- Keep a check on your monthly water usage
It might sound rather unrelated but this method can help in identifying a water leak or overconsumption of water without your knowledge. It is not usual to have water leaks in a commercial building, so when you find an unusual spike in your water consumption or bill, you might get an idea of water leakage or wastage from your workplace.
- Insurance
You can use the above-listed methods to minimize the water damage to some extent. However, it is highly unlikely to prevent all water-related incidents. The cost of repairing big water damages is extremely high, even for industries. You can file an insurance claim in case it is difficult to manage all the issues financially.
Conclusion
So, these were a few tips to prevent water damage in your industry. As per the saying, “precaution is better than cure”, keep your industrial building in good condition always and do not think about maintenance as a waste of money. This regular maintenance of your workplace will surely help you in saving thousands of bucks in the future.
