Do you know how to prevent burst pipes in your commercial building

You’re running a business and whether it’s large or small, there’s never a dull moment. As long as those moments are dry, things will be okay, but what if there’s an unexpected water damage situation that you suddenly realize you were completely unprepared for? This time of year, one of the most costly and even dangerous situations for your company can come in the form of a pipe that explodes when water freezes, expands and causes the pipe to fail. So if you don’t know how to prevent burst pipes in your commercial building, then we’ve got an easy checklist for you below that will give you the peace of mind that you’ve minimized your risk of a flooding disaster. We’ll also describe what steps you should take if you have a flood cleanup, sewer cleanup or any other degree of water damage in your business.

1. INSULATE YOUR PIPES. If you’re working in an older building, the pipes may not have been properly covered to help retain enough heat. The further north you live, the colder it’s obviously going to be during the winter, and the more important this task will be. The good news is that basic pipe insulation is inexpensive and you can probably install it yourself if your pipes are easily and safely accessible. However, if you’re in a larger building like a warehouse, you may want to consider hiring a professional to inspect all of your pipes and insulate them. Depending on your budget and the scope of your facility, you can also look into having electric heating cable installed to protect any sections of pipe that are most vulnerable to a deep freeze.

2. KEEP THE HEAT ON. It’s tempting to save some money by lowering your thermostat when people aren’t going to be in the building, but in the dead of winter when temperatures drop far below freezing, you could be increasing the risk that your pipes will burst, and that’s probably going to cost you more money in the long run than if you just kept your building warm.

3. LET THE FAUCETS DRIP. Once again, this may not sound like the most environmentally-conscious thing to do because we all want to save water, and this is absolutely true. But in the case of a deep winter freeze, a little drip could save an enormous amount of water by avoiding an exploded pipe that floods your business with who knows how many gallons before you can get it stopped. You don’t have to keep the water flowing in a stream: a few drips per minute should be enough to keep the water in the pipe moving and less likely to freeze.

4. KNOW HOW TO SHUT OFF YOUR WATER. We’re not trying to insult your intelligence here — just making sure that you’ve thought about how you would stop the flow of water into your commercial building if a pipe did explode or there was another catastrophic leak situation. Identify the main shutoff valve and ensure that you’re not the only person who knows where it is and how to get it turned off. That could be the difference between a localized leak and a massive flood cleanup situation — which means you could save yourself thousands of dollars by doing this one simple preventative step.

Now, what do you do if a pipe has burst, or you’re afraid it’s going to happen soon?

* TURN OFF THE WATER. Put your training into action by shutting off the water and making sure that any valuable items, including documents or important pieces of equipment, are removed from the affected area.

* DON'T PANIC. The fact that you’re already reading an article like this shows that you’re a proactive business owner who is smart and who makes good decisions, even when things are bad. Avoid the temptation to rush into hiring the nearest service provider, or the one who has the flashiest logo or the catchiest slogan. None of those things mean they’ll know what they’re doing when it comes to fixing your water damage.

* CONTACT ADVANTACLEAN. As part of your investigation into local water removal and flood cleanup service providers, we recommend you consider us because we have a track record of over 25 years of outstanding water damage restoration service to commercial businesses like yours in large cities and small towns across America. Our water damage response crews use the best equipment, we’re highly trained and experienced in all sorts of flooding scenarios, and we’re also certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). That means you’ll have the peace of mind you need that your water damage restoration is being done the right way the first time. Read our reviews and see what other business owners have been saying about our work. Then contact us today!