Toledo is a city with many old buildings, especially commercial ones. These old buildings have good bones, but they lack great plumbing and often have issues such as leaks, rusting pipes, and low water pressure. We have worked with countless clients throughout the Ohio Valley to provide repiping services that make a real difference in their operations. Whether you have an older office building or even a manufacturing facility, our repiping services can make a world of difference in your building’s plumbing performance. So, with so many clients asking about repiping, we thought it was time to showcase how repiping works and when to consider this major upgrade.
When should you consider repiping?
Repiping is a major investment and should be considered only for specific issues your building may be facing. One of the biggest reasons to repipe is that your building’s existing pipes are corroding, and your tenants or staff are noticing discoloured or bad-tasting water. Typically, this means that rust is flaking off and affecting your water supply. Another common issue that a repipe can address once and for all is poor water pressure or recurring leaks in your system.
What kind of pipes do you repipe with?
This will depend on your specific building and your goals and budget for the project. For the vast majority of repiping services, we will replace your pipes with PVC due to cost savings and a relatively simple installation process. For some commercial operations, you may need copper, while others will prefer PEX, which is quickly becoming the go-to plumbing pipe material.
What is the process?
As one of the best commercial plumbing companies in Toledo, Ohio, our team of plumbers has completed dozens of commercial repiping services over the years. With that expertise and experience, we have developed a tried-and-tested repiping method that works for almost any building in any city in the Ohio Valley.
Inspection & Planning
Before we start planning, our team needs to understand what we are dealing with. Our inspection process will be both by eye and by in-pipe camera to determine where lines are going, what your needs will be, and to identify potential pinch points and leaks. We will then take the time to design the new layout and ensure that all of your various appliances and machines that require water are included in the new map.
Permits & Prep
Once we have our plan, we can start working with the city and state to ensure that we have all the permits and permissions in place. This will include providing them with our design documents and any necessary paperwork to start the process. We will also start site prep and order any materials that we will need for the project once it is approved.
Creating Access Points
Once we have all the permissions and permits in place, we can start the repiping service. The first step is to cut small access holes in your drywall and concrete to reach the existing pipes. Generally, these access points are around 16 inches, but may need to be larger, depending on the specific pipes we need to access and the area of your building.
Installation & Replacement
The next step in the process is to turn off the water and start the removal. Old pipes are removed from your ceiling, walls, and flooring, then dismantled and, where possible, recycled. Although we will look to remove all of your old pipes, in some circumstances, we may choose to disconnect the pipe rather than remove it. Then we will begin installing the new pipes through the access points and running them throughout your property, according to our set plumbing plan.
Testing
Once the entire system is installed, we will start testing it with air and then with water. Our testing process will include inspecting every connection and ensuring that all of your appliances are running without an issue. Once testing is complete, we will start restoring your property to normal, including repairing walls and access points, and patching any concrete we may have had to cut along the way for pipe laying.
If you think it might be time for commercial repiping at your building in Toledo, Ohio, our team is happy to chat. We have been the go-to commercial plumber in the Ohio Valley for years and can provide you and your company with the professional commercial plumbing advice to set your building up for success. Whether you need a second opinion or think it is time to pull the trigger on a commercial repiping, the team at Fry can help navigate the full process with our team of professional commercial plumbers leading the way.
