Doing Regular Plumbing maintenance now, will save you in a crisis!

Sometimes I feel like an Ambo… an Ambulance worker providing emergency care to buildings!

This occurred to me during all the heavy rainfall we had in Sydney for weeks on end.

It was our busiest time!

Nearly every call was an emergency.  A carpark basement flooding, a roof leak causing a ceiling to fall in, a blocked downpipe causing flash flooding into the kitchen of a restaurant, just to name a few.  

Responding to competing emergencies

It’s up to me to triage each case and decide which emergency to attend first.  Obviously, sewerage leaks will trump almost every other issue, mainly because the bacteria can be dangerous to public health – but also, the obvious smell!

Apart from that, I have to quickly decide which plumbing injury will cause the most damage to property and people, and then treat that first.  Having 2 reliable and skilled plumbers with me means we can get to more emergencies. Even with their help, I’m totally exhausted at the end of the day, that’s for sure!  

How do we work with Body Corporates and Strata Managers? 

Ivy Street Plumbing works with Body Corporates and Strata Managers to keep the skeleton, the organs, and the external shell of a building in tip top health.  

We work alongside them throughout the year to complete preventative maintenance too. 

Strata Buildings require ongoing maintenance plumbing

Some people don’t realise that Strata Building roofing must be inspected every 6 months to make sure debris is cleared, and broken or cracked tiles are fixed, blocked down pipes are cleared, and any other issues are identified.

What we observed during Sydney’s heavy rainfall, was the buildings with the worst emergency plumbing issues were the ones that hadn’t prioritised regular preventative maintenance.

In those cases, the damage was always more expensive, and harder to fix than buildings that were up to date with all their inspections and plumbing maintenance.

Ambos and plumbers have a lot in common!

During the emergency response period after the heavy rains and flooding, I started to think Ambos must feel frustrated when people who don’t do preventative maintenance on their body, then suffer an emergency health issue. 

I imagine they have a great sense of pride in being there for that person when they need them and making sure they have a chance to rectify the underlying cause.

That’s how I feel when I attend a plumbing emergency that could have been prevented.  I’m always so glad I could be there for them to fix the leak, or relieve the blockage, returning the building to tip top shape.

Regular plumbing maintenance will save you heartache later

As much as I love to be there for people in their emergency plumbing moments, I always take the opportunity to remind them about regular maintenance and how it can lessen the damage caused during an emergency.  I’d much rather save them the hassle and clean up, by being there on a normal day every 6 months.

Well, for now, the rain has subsided, and the sun has come back out.  We’re getting back to the jobs we couldn’t do until it’s dry.

Don’t leave it too long to chat to me about plumbing maintenance at your building. Rainy days are always around the corner!