Many multifamily buildings offer laundry facilities for their residents. This amenity offers convenience for tenants and can also act as an additional revenue stream. However, it’s important to note that you may need Houston commercial plumbing repair for these common laundry areas from time to time. A common part that may need repairs and service is the drain trough.
Houston Commercial Plumbing Repair for Laundry Drain Troughs
If you’re having issues with your commercial washing machines, there is a chance you may need Houston multi-family commercial plumbing services for the drain trough. Some common issues coming from drain troughs include slow draining washers and clogged drain lines.
What are Drain Troughs for Commercial Laundry Facilities?
First, you might be wondering what a drain trough is. Drain troughs are an important part of dealing with wastewater from commercial washing machines. When you have multiple washing machines, they will typically all drain into the drain trough. The drain trough is essentially a type of drainage interceptor. The trough receives the drained water and filters out lint and other solids before the water goes to the main sewer system.
In fact, Houston codes often require you to have a device that filters drained water from commercial laundry facilities. Section 1012.1 of the Houston Amendments to the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code states that you must have a device that intercepts lint and solids from entering the main drainage system. The interceptor should prevent things larger than 1/2 inch from going down the drain. A drain trough can act as this interceptor. It features a main basin where the water collects and a piece of metal mesh between the basin and the drainage pipe.
Common Types of Houston Commercial Plumbing Repair Services for Drain Troughs
Like any component of your commercial plumbing system, drain troughs need service and repair from time to time. Typically a drain trough in need of service will not allow washers to drain, or will make them drain slowly. The Houston commercial plumbing repair for this is usually simply cleaning out the clogged lint screen. As a preventative maintenance measure, you should clean out this screen regularly, but many property managers and maintenance technicians forget to do this. Many also don’t know they need to.
Another potential issue is that the drain trough is actually too small for the size of your laundry facility. Drain troughs should have enough capacity to handle a mass drain from all the attached washers at once. This can happen during a power outage, so you should ensure the trough can handle this high volume of wastewater.
While rare, drain troughs can also become damaged and leak. Cracks or loose connections can cause the trough to leak. Most drain troughs are located behind the line of washing machines, so it may even look like the washers themselves are leaking. Fixing this issue may be simply tightening the connection to the main drain line or you may need your Houston commercial plumbing company to replace the trough altogether.
Houston Multi-Family Commercial Plumbing Services from AAA Plumbers
When you need top quality commercial plumbing solutions, call our experts at AAA Plumbers. We’ve been providing commercial plumbing services since 1984 and offer 24/7 service for commercial buildings of all types, from apartment complexes to government buildings. Get in touch now to schedule service or call us 24 hours a day at (713) 462-4753 for emergency service.
