When business operations are disrupted, costs can be high. There are many reasons why businesses are disrupted. In 2020, a pandemic broke out. In 2022, the UK was hit by months of strike action.
Last year’s strike action cost the economy £1.7bn. Your business probably won’t be hit this way. However, it will suffer some kind of damage at some point. For example, small businesses may be affected by absenteeism. Sometimes disaster strikes.
Businesses need to plan for business continuity and recovery times in the event of a major incident. The cost of downtime can be considerable. Rapid response is required to reduce the impact of downtime.
How an emergency plumber can help business operations avoid disaster
Natural disasters, fires and network breaches can cause businesses to lose valuable uptime. But something as simple as a burst pipe can have just as big an impact on a business. Calculating how much your business would lose if it stopped operating for one hour is easy.
Divide your weekly revenue by your business hours. For example, if your small business earns £100,000 a week and runs for 40 hours, you will lose £2,500 per hour of operation.
On-call emergency plumbing services can help businesses mitigate the financial losses caused by burst pipes and flooding.
How can emergency plumbing services help businesses save money?
The quicker a plumber responds to an emergency call, the less damage will be caused. A serious leak can cause a business to cease operations, and the damage can be costly.
Emergency plumbers help commercial businesses by:
- fast response time
- Prevent costly damage
- Experience and expertise
- Keep the place safe
- Minimize distractions
- Compliance and Supervision Code
A quick response means the problem is resolved quickly. Broken pipes can dump hundreds of gallons of water into a building in just minutes. With wires and equipment surrounding them, commercial units can quickly become dangerous due to standing water.
Health and safety are also a factor. Sewage can accumulate in the plumbing system and pose a health risk. Plumbers will help businesses recover quickly and ensure all safety codes are met.
Water hygiene is vital to all trades, and professional plumbers understand the importance of health and safety.
Services provided by emergency plumbers
Generally speaking, emergency plumbers provide services around the clock. Many businesses operate outside of traditional business hours. Therefore, emergency plumbers need to be on call 24/7.
Sometimes, the problem is invisible. For example, you may notice a bad smell within your premises. This may indicate a problem with the sewage system. Or there may be clogged drains and pipes.
Any customer-facing business needs to deal with issues like this quickly. Establishments such as restaurants will quickly lose customers due to such issues.
Emergency plumbing services include:
- sewage system
- gas leak
- clogged drain pipe
- Burst water pipe
- Water heater failure
- Toilet is clogged
Your business may be inadvertently breaching health and safety laws without your knowledge. In addition to damaging your pocket, plumbing problems can also damage your reputation. You may not even have a say in the shutdown. Local health and safety officials may order your business to temporarily close.
The economic benefits that plumbers bring to businesses
If a leak seems small, you might be tempted to ignore it or put off repairs for a while. Calling a plumber to deal with a small leak may seem overkill. However, the damage can accumulate unseen.
Moisture accumulation can cause many problems in homes and commercial establishments. Mold and moisture may occur. Additionally, some parts of the building will become vulnerable.
Fixing plumbing issues will prevent larger costs in the future. Water damage can cost thousands of pounds in repairs, all while your doors remain closed to customers.
Business failure
Sewage leaks and contaminated water can cause serious health hazards. And mold or moisture can also be harmful to human health. You could be putting your customers and employees at risk.
Ignoring these types of plumbing problems can cause your business to temporarily shut down. In this scenario, many small businesses will struggle financially to cope with the loss of revenue.
Half of small businesses only have enough cash reserves to last a month in the event of a disaster. Resolving the pipeline issues will help operations continue without a cash flow crisis.
reputational loss
Word spread quickly through online comments and social media. If you have problems with your plumbing involving clogged toilets or bad odors, your customers may not come back. Not only will you lose customer retention, but your reputation will take a hit.
Many businesses forced to close due to pest problems or other disruptions subsequently failed to reopen. For example, the reputational damage to the restaurant industry may be irreversible.
Avoid major disasters
Thinking about the worst-case scenario, plumbers can help businesses avoid serious accidents. If left unchecked, gas leaks can have catastrophic consequences. Prolonged exposure to leaks can weaken a building’s structure.
The Importance of Commercial Plumbing Maintenance
Emergency plumbers are responsible for a variety of plumbing repairs and installations. They also perform assessments and provide maintenance services.
Preventive maintenance is one way to avoid the need for an emergency plumber. While disasters happen through no one’s fault, preventive maintenance can at least mitigate the risk of catastrophic flooding.
Spot wear
Commercial plumbing systems are heavily used every day. This means they experience far more wear and tear than residential pipes. Maintenance allows plumbers to detect potential problems early. We’ll catch defective fixtures or leaks before serious problems arise.
A catastrophic leak can quickly lead to flooding. Damage caused here can affect floors, carpets, and upholstery. For commercial enterprises, this will have severe financial implications. Not only does your business have to close due to lost revenue, it also has to pay for recovery costs.
Optimize water efficiency
Preventive maintenance of this nature will help avoid costly repairs in the future and reduce utility bills. Thames Water reports that around 24% of water is lost through leaks. Stopping dripping faucets and leaky pipes will reduce your water balls.
Improve health and safety
Don’t wait until you smell a bad odor or see a clogged toilet to perform regular maintenance. A plumber will be able to spot potential health hazards, such as mold growth, and get to the root of the problem.
Regular maintenance, along with some testing, will ensure your premises is safe. Water quality can be tested and backflow prevention testing can also be performed. Preventive maintenance helps with compliance and meeting legal requirements.
generalize
Emergency plumbers help businesses continue to operate with minimal downtime. With revenue and reputation at stake, quick response is critical. An emergency plumber can be called before any obvious problems are discovered. Strange smells and gurgling noises can indicate clogs and sewer problems.
Preventive maintenance in commercial establishments is also crucial. Regular inspections and maintenance work will help avoid serious problems and possibly even disaster.
