Are you responsible for overall maintenance at a high rise commercial building? If so, you want to ensure that all of the utilities work as expected and avoid any issues that could lead to knock-on or more significant problems. In particular, you'll want to ensure that the plumbing infrastructure is in good condition and that you take proactive steps if necessary to keep all your tenants happy. One area that is often overlooked in these situations is drainage ventilation. Is the system in your property working as it should and if not, what can you do about it?
Plumbing and Ventilation
In a high-rise building, there may be many individual units and a number of bathrooms and kitchen facilities in each. This means that there are many separate plumbing installations that must all work properly and have adequate ventilation. Each of these installations will have a protective barrier that aims to isolate it from the rest of the drainage system and keep potentially harmful gases or pathogens at bay. Still, it's not always easy to maintain the right amount of ventilation as many of those units are isolated and may not have immediate access to the outside environment.
Maintaining Working Order
Most of these installations will rely on a water trap seal, and these need to be inspected regularly to see if they are still working as they should. In some cases, you may need to add some additional steps to ensure proper operation, especially if it is not an easy solution to vent directly to the exterior of the building.
Installing Additional Valves
In this case, you may need to install air admittance valves instead, as these can significantly reduce the challenge and avoid too many vents on the outside of the building. When one of these valves is installed next to the existing water trap seal and in full working order, overall maintenance can be much easier. It may also reduce the amount of space required to achieve the same objective.
Getting Professional Help
Do you know if you already have these valves in place and if they are there, do they still work as intended? Remember, adequate ventilation is crucial to ensure that harmful gases are properly managed and that all your occupants are kept safe. Reach out to a commercial plumbing contractor in your area so they can check the whole system and make any adjustments as needed.
