Did you know Essendon Plumbing Services are experts in commercial plumbing?
We received a call for help recently from a regular commercial client of ours in Somerton who reported a large amount of water coming out from under a concrete hard stand area in their factory.
Taking the Call & Allocating the Job
Our admin team quickly allocated Benny, an experienced commercial plumber, to attend site. And because it was a plumbing emergency, Benny was onto it straight away and arrived on site within the hour to investigate.
Arrival on Site & Investigation
Ben checked-in before starting his investigation into what was causing the water leak.
- Firstly, he needed to determine whether the water was coming from the domestic water supply or the fire hydrant and sprinkler service water supply to the site.
- Both water feeds are delivered from the same water authority main but are separated via a metered valve assembly at the point of entry to the premises.
- Ben checked the fire system first and there was no drop in pressure when he isolated the system, he also noted the jacking pump, which maintains a constant pressure in the pipework, wasn’t activating so he assumed the fire system was not the cause of the water leak.
- Ben then started a test on the domestic water supply.
- The first thing he tried was isolating the water supply at the meter assembly to see if the pressure dropped, as he suspected the mains water supply of the domestic water dropped a significant amount in a short period of time.
- Ben quickly concluded the domestic water was the cause of the leaking pipe.
- The water coming out from under the concrete slab also started to slow down when he isolated the system, assuring Ben he was correct in his analysis that the domestic water was the source of the water leaking.
Leak Detection
As the burst pipe was under a concrete slab, Ben needed to carry out leak detection works to accurately determine the location of the burst pipe, minimising the amount of concrete that would need to be cut. This could also minimise excavation works, saving our client time and money.
Ben called in one of our affiliate businesses who specialise in commercial leak detection to attend site that evening. Our client requested the burst pipe location work be carried out after hours, to cause minimal disruptions to their operations.
The pipework was isolated and pumped up with compressed air to raise the pressure in the main pipe, giving an accurate location of the leaking pipe. The burst pipe was located fast, and the repair work was scheduled to proceed the following morning.
Repairing the Leaking Pipe
The next morning, the first job was to cut the concrete. This entailed a 3m x 1m area of concrete was saw cut and then removed with the use of Essendon Plumbing Services Caterpillar excavator, before starting the excavation down to the burst pipe.
The leaking water pipe was located at a depth of about 1m and, after exposing around the water pipe, the cause of the leak was identified as a split 50mm copper pipe.
Ben organised with the client to shut down the water supply to carry out the repair work at a time that best suited their operations, he then prefabricated the material needed to repair the pipe so when the shutdown occurred, the water would be off for only a short amount of time.
Ben carried out the repair work and had the domestic water back on within 1hr.
Testing & Backfilling
Ben then conducted a quick test for any leaks before backfilling the excavation. There were no leaks, so it was time to start backfilling the excavated area so the concrete could be re-instated.
Packing sand was installed around the pipework to provide bedding and support, and the remainder of the excavated area was backfilled in layers with compacted crushed rock to the bottom of concrete level.
Steel dowel bars were installed to the concrete walls of the trench then 2 x layers of SL-92 steel reinforcement mesh was installed, ready for concrete the following morning.
Concreting
32mpa of concrete was booked for delivery the following morning and the area was barricaded off for safety. The team at Essendon Plumbing Services were back on site at 7am ready for the concrete delivery, by lunchtime the concrete was in, the site was cleaned, and Ben was off to his next plumbing job.
Another Happy Client
Our customer noted how happy she was with the efficiency in which the work was done, from phone call to concrete was effortless on their behalf.
Most notably she remarked how there was minimal impact to the site and their general operations whilst repair work was carried out. Essendon Plumbing Services prides itself on successfully delivering a premium plumbing experience for all our customers, every time.
Need a Local Plumber to Fix a Burst Water Pipe?
Don’t hesitate to call Essendon Plumbing Services on 1300 231 976 or book online.
With over 30 years’ experience in both the commercial and domestic plumbing, our team will definitely be able to help you out.
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19 Catalina Drive Tullamarine VIC 3043
03 9335 4755
info@essendonplumbingservices.com.au
