One of the biggest impacts on people’s daily routines because of COVID-19 is the increased amount of time they are spending at home, with many continuing to work remotely where they can to adhere to lockdown rules.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that in April 2020, when the first lockdown was announced, 46.6% of Britain’s workforce did some work at home.
The shift to remote working has posed many challenges, with businesses and staff needing to adapt quickly to ensure staff can work efficiently from home whilst retaining a work/life balance.
A victim of remote working that has perhaps been overlooked is pumps. These systems that we rely on every day keep water pressure high and facilities such as toilets working properly, but with increased usage; these essential systems can run less efficiently and are at a higher risk of failure.
Find out more about the types of pumps that have been impacted by working from home and how building owners can ensure users always get a high level of performance from their pumps in our latest blog post.
Booster Pumps
Booster pumps are often used in larger buildings such as flats, apartment blocks, hotels, schools and offices to increase water pressure and ensure building users can get running water at an acceptable pressure regardless of what floor they are on. Whilst working from home is still prevalent, these pumps are being used by more people throughout the day.
When a booster pump fails or starts to underperform, the water pressure in the building will drop and those who are further away from the pump may struggle to get water at all.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for these pumps to be neglected by building owners and facilities management companies, with regular maintenance and servicing missed which increases the risk of breakdown and underperformance.
Additionally, many buildings are reliant on old booster sets which do not have backup pumps, cost more to run and are less efficient. These booster pumps are especially susceptible to failure or underperformance when demand increases.
If you are responsible for the maintenance of a booster set, we recommend that a visual inspection is done on a monthly basis – with a professional service carried out by a qualified person recommended annually or if a fault occurs
Sewage Treatment Plants
Another type of pumping system that may be susceptible to increased usage because of remote working is sewage treatment plants. These pumping systems are used to treat wastewater where access to mains drainage is not possible.
When a sewage treatment plant fails, it can prevent toilets from working and create odours resulting in a very unpleasant environment for building users which may force them to relocate until the problem is fixed.
In addition to the risk of failure, increased usage means that the sewage treatment plant will fill up quicker and may require more frequent emptying to avoid overfilling.
With more and more homes and businesses across the UK now using a sewage treatment plant, it is important to keep these essential systems well maintained to ensure they run properly even at times of increased usage.
Typically, sewage treatment plants up to 18PE should be serviced by a professional once or twice year. In commercial environments, this may be required more frequently.
Sewage / Wastewater Pumps
The final type of pump that is likely to be impacted by increased usage is sewage pumps. These pumps are essential in any residential and commercial premises and ensure that wastewater is lifted to the main drainage system.
When a sewage pump fails, it can be extremely detrimental to homes, businesses and other building users – impacting the use of the toilet and other essential facilities.
To ensure your sewage pump continues operating efficiently even with increased usage, those responsible should ensure that the pump is serviced by a professional on an annual basis or if a problem develops.
If you are responsible for the management of pumping systems within a commercial property, keeping a spare pump on site can also be beneficial. This ensures that work can be carried out faster should your main pump fail.
Servicing Contracts from Mawdsleys Pumps
At Mawdsleys Pumps Services, we offer tailored maintenance and servicing contracts for all types of pumping system to ensure your pump is always running efficiently and reduce the risk of failure. Our servicing contracts offer the following benefits to customers:
- 24/7 emergency callout in the event of a system failure
- One point of contact with a dedicated account manager
- Preventative maintenance scheduling
- Text and email reminders for servicing
- All types of pumps serviced
Keeping your pumps well maintained will not only save you money on potential repair costs, but will also increase building user’s satisfaction by ensuring a good level of service from the pump.
Talk to the Experts
If you have noticed underperformance from your pumping systems due to increased usage, we can help.
As well as offering regular servicing to ensure your pumps operate as expected – we offer a complete pumping systems service including design, installation and emergency repair.
For more information, give our team a call today on 0117 954 8030 or fill out a contact form and we will get back to you.