(Newswire.net — February 14, 2021) — Modern healthcare facilities often require sophisticated plumbing solutions that adhere to national, state, and local standards and codes. As opposed to residential and commercial plumbing, healthcare plumbing sometimes involves the handling of dangerous chemicals.
Healthcare plumbing is considered delicate compared to ordinary plumbing. It requires extra attention and professionalism. There are a lot of chemicals and wastewater being released that needs proper handling. Any mistake can lead to grave consequences.
That’s why it is important to hire an experienced plumbing company that will be able to deal with the commonly experienced challenges. Most experienced companies have specialized equipment and detergents specifically designed for healthcare plumbing.
Here are some of the challenges faced in healthcare plumbing:
1. Designing a plumbing system for safety
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) stipulates the standards and best practices for installing vacuum and gas systems within medical facilities. The codes mandate that all valves, fittings, and piping used in transporting and delivering medical gas must be the same as those used in transporting oxygen.
Adhering to some of the codes and standards is not easy. Most contractors and plumbers find it difficult to adhere to these rules for different reasons. One of the major reasons is the extra cost involved in meeting these requirements.
2. Access to clean and safe water
Most medical facilities need access to purified water for the purposes of getting accurate results as well as the safety of patients. Hot water heating systems are supposed to be calibrated to minimize the risk for patients. This requires a plumber to install systems that purify water and prevent backflow and contamination.
The good news is that there are plumbing companies that offer proper sanitary management solutions in different parts of the country. All you have to do is to ensure that you understand the needs of your facility prior to hiring a plumber.
3. Management of waste
This is another major challenge facing healthcare plumbing. Chemicals and wastewater can cause serious issues when released into the environment without proper treatment and remediation.
It is important to take appropriate action right from the time the plumbing system is being installed. This will help to reduce the risk of infections and environmental degradation.
A plumber needs to come up with different strategies that will ensure dangerous chemicals and wastewater are treated before being released into the environment. This will not only protect the facility but also the outside population.
4. Replacement and repair services
Regular inspection is always required to ensure that plumbing fixtures and old gas lines are either repaired or replaced. This is more important in all healthcare facilities in order to minimize or eliminate the risk of fire or chemical leakages.
A plumber should be able to check and replace fittings, fixtures, and pipes that are not in good condition. Considering the fact that healthcare facilities always host patients and healthcare professionals, it is important to conduct regular inspections to avert any risks.
5. Lack of specialized equipment
Another major challenge faced by healthcare plumbers is the ability to get proper equipment that can properly handle wastewater and chemicals often released in healthcare facilities.
Most of the equipment available in the market is designed for regular plumbing. As such, a plumber is often forced to incur extra expenses to purchase healthcare plumbing equipment.
Bottom line
Healthcare plumbing has several unique challenges compared to regular plumbing services. This is basically because of the drugs and chemicals used in most healthcare facilities.
It requires a lot of attention in order to minimize the risk posed by such chemicals. A plumber must use modern and quality plumbing equipment during installation.