A Guide to Commercial Plumbing for Educational Institutions

Schools and educational institutions are an essential part of our society, helping children and young adults to learn the tools needed to set them up for life. So, it’s important therefore to keep the institutions working and warm, which can be achieved through high-quality commercial plumbing services. In this article from Caledonian Heating & Plumbing, you can learn everything you need to know about plumbing for educational institutions. 

The Uses of Water On-Site

Integral to a healthy life, drinking water is an essential aspect of all workplaces and educational facilities. More than simply for sipping, however, water has a variety of purposes and can help create an environment conducive to learning. In this section, you can learn the different uses of water within school buildings, and why it is important for learning.

Drinking Water

Undeniably, the most important use for water within an educational institution is for consumption. Whether pumped out of a drinking fountain or utilised in catering services, water is integral to ensuring that students are hydrated and well-fed. Any water given to students and staff needs to be clean to prevent potential illnesses, keeping those occupying the space happy and healthy daily.

Facilities

In any building that regularly caters to a large amount of people, there need to be several usable bathrooms. To properly function, toilets require water to flush adequately, and sinks need to be installed to clean hands following the use of a toilet. Many educational institutions install multiple toilets throughout the premises, allowing students and staff to easily access a bathroom without disrupting learning excessively. 

Cleaning

With such frequent foot traffic, cleaning a school requires a substantial amount of equipment. Floors can especially become dirty, with mud and marks staining both carpets and hard flooring. To clean the floors, mop buckets need to be filled with warm water and chemicals to effectively lift the dirt and create a welcoming and clean environment for students to learn within. 

Heating

In large buildings, keeping a teaching space warm can be a substantial task. Heating methods therefore need to be effective yet efficient, helping to fully warm the property while keeping heating costs low. It’s essential to keep the teaching space warm for the benefit of both students and staff, as prolonged exposure to low temperatures can promote illnesses. Sickness prevents children from being able to learn, sabotaging their ability to further continue with education. 

Teaching

More than simply used for practical purposes, water can be advantageous for teaching too. One area where water is utilised frequently is for teaching science. From primary school to further education, water can be an incredibly useful tool, helping students get to know the world around them. One popular experiment is using water to understand different densities.

Emergency Care

Children are known to bump into different objects, causing cuts and scrapes as they go. This can lead to bleeding, which requires gentle cleaning and sanitising. To wash away blood and stickiness, access to a clean water tap is essential for medical care purposes. In science labs, for example, an eyewash station is key. The safe use of chemicals should always be emphasised, however, an eyewash station should be present in a classroom in the event of an accident or an emergency. 

Defining School Plumbing Services

Educational facilities will have different requirements for plumbing, depending on the types of education they offer and where they might be based. This means there is no one-size-fits-all approach to plumbing services for educational facilities, however, there are some undeniable staple services that need to be considered. In this section, you can learn more about the three most common features of plumbing services.

Plumbing Installations

For a school to function properly and comfortably, the right appliances and features are essential. Commercial plumbing professionals should be able to take care of installations expertly, creating a system of pipes that works cohesively and properly. By getting the right items installed the very first time, a workplace will prevent a situation where problems routinely occur and cause disruptions to the student’s learning.

Plumbing installations will cover a wide range of features, from sinks to showers. When considering the new features that need to be implemented into a property, it’s essential to ensure any appliances can sufficiently meet the needs of staff and students while still looking professional. It’s also recommended to have hard-wearing equipment, which doesn’t easily give up with the roughness of students. 

Plumbing Maintenance

Once the plumbing features have been installed, the next step is to ensure that they are well cared for. Mistreated or abandoned plumbing pieces do not tend to last particularly long, with corrosion and blockages becoming routine problems. Thankfully, disasters are easily preventable with regular visits from professionals.

When a plumber visits your workplace, they will ordinarily begin locating any problems you have. By checking over the system, they can ensure that the pipework is healthy and secure. If it is not, the professionals can take care of these issues quickly, preventing students and staff alike from being inconvenienced.

Water Testing

Ensuring that the water found in the pipe is safe is vital to the success of a school, which is why water testing should be a routine part of plumbing services for educational facilities. Risk assessments can be carried out which analyse the likelihood of an issue. Similarly, the water can be analysed for levels of contamination and bacteria, making it clear whether a water treatment process needs to take place.

Integrated into the water supply, legionella is one dangerous bacteria that can be found in tiny droplets of water. Inhaling any infected droplets can result in a condition known as Legionnaires’s disease. This condition can lead to a cough, shortness of breath, chest pains, high temperatures and flu-like symptoms. If a person is diagnosed with the disease, they will often spend a period of time in the hospital, which can result in a serious disruption to their daily lives, including those who receive regular schooling. 

Potential Plumbing Problems for Schools

Sometimes, it’s not all smooth sailing. Problems with the plumbing systems in a school can arise, so they must be diagnosed and treated promptly to keep the school functioning as it should. Read on to find out more about common plumbing problems encountered by schools.

Blockages

Unfortunately, blockages are not uncommon in highly populated facilities, with pipes being purposefully or accidentally blocked. Many materials found within a school can cause blockages in the pipework, from flushing wipes to pouring oil down the drain. Blockages can also vary from mild to severe, so it’s important to monitor any issues when they arise and try to prevent them. 

To address any issues found within your educational institution quickly, it’s essential to have a reliable and trustworthy plumbing service available to you. If left untreated, a blockage can lead to several other issues, including issues with overflowing, which can lead to an unhygienic and unsanitary environment for students to learn within. Choosing a professional plumbing services provider can help you avoid these situations with ease.

Leaks and Damage

Leaking pipes can often go undetected, hidden from those who work and study in the property. Left unchecked, these leaking pipes can lead to pooling and water damage, causing issues for the structure itself. A wet environment is also unpleasant to learn in and can cause damage to teaching materials, such as mould growth on textbooks. 

Preventing a leaking pipe is thankfully simple with professional plumbing experts, who will ensure that the pipes are in good health at all times. Many leaks are a result of blocked drains, damaged pipe joints or pipe corrosion, which can all be dealt with easily by a team of experienced plumbers. Leaks are more difficult to fix if left untreated for longer periods of time, so make sure to call the experts as soon as an issue has been identified.

Cold Water

For teaching facilities with sports areas, often you can find showers and other washing facilities readily available. These are installed to wash away sweat and dirt after exercising, helping to make students more comfortable. To provide a welcoming environment to do so, the temperature of the shower water must be monitored, preventing solely cold water from flowing.

While cold water may be pleasant on a hot day, showering in low-temperature water in the winter can lead students to feel uncomfortable, decreasing happiness overall. As happiness has a direct impact on the ability to absorb information properly, water temperature problems must be swiftly addressed. Professional plumbers can quickly do so, returning the water to its previously comfortable condition. 

Get In Touch

If you’re responsible for the facilities within an educational institution, you could benefit from the range of high-quality services offered by Caledonian Heating & Plumbing. As experts in commercial plumbing, our team can offer you high-quality plumbing services in Edinburgh and Dundee, whether you’re after water treatments or plumbing installations.

Please visit our website to learn more about us and what we do at Caledonian Heating & Plumbing. If you require further information and support, please contact us directly.