Construction, renovations, or planned shutdowns: In every case, more knowledge is better. The more information you have about your facility’s piping systems, the better you can plan and the more you can minimize disruptions to operations or patient care.
You Can’t Isolate What You Can’t Find
Consider the scenario: You have planned construction coming up. Maybe it’s a renovation, an expansion, or simply replacing outdated infrastructure. To get the work done, you need to execute a planned shutdown of all systems in the affected area—including your piping systems.
But what happens when you don’t know which valve shuts off what portion of your pipes? What about when you have an incomplete understanding of the full circuit of the piping system? Or when you’re missing critical information about the age or condition of your pipes and valves?
If the existing piping infrastructure is compromised, you can’t plan effectively, which could lead to damage from leaks or widespread downtime from shutting down a larger portion of your facility than you needed. Both of which cost your facility money, time, and resources.
The Gap
All too often, the gap in piping knowledge comes from outdated documentation that doesn’t provide an adequate picture of where the pipes go, what they’re connected to, and what each valve does. Many facilities find themselves asking the right questions too late, when the investment has been made and work is already underway. This might include questions like:
- Does this shut-off valve turn off the water to one room, five rooms, or the entire wing?
- Is there another valve that can shut down only key areas without disrupting operations elsewhere?
- Can we limit the shutoff range?
- Is this shut-off valve going to hold, or is it too old or degraded?
- Could the condition of our pipes or valves potentially cause leaks?
- Will shutting this valve cause significant pressure changes impacting equipment, piping, or backflow preventers elsewhere in our system?
These unanswered questions ultimately mean that facilities:
- Shut down bigger portions of their system than they need to
- Face higher costs from change orders or additional work
- Lose money from leakage
- Face risks such as equipment damage, disruption of operations, mold growth, and more
- Waste time and labor trying to track down the right valves
The Bridge
What these facilities need is a current, actual representation of the entire impacted piping system, including:
- Documentation of all piping mains, branches, and areas served
- An inventory of all valves and backflow preventers
- The orientation and condition of all pipes and valves
- The operability of all valves
- All equipment served by the impacted system
- Any apparent system leaks
An on-site survey helps you identify both information gaps and where improvements could be made to simplify operations during renovations or other utility shutdowns. For example, up-to-date pipe drawings might reveal that if your facility installed a valve in a specific location, you could more efficiently complete the required work by shutting down only a small portion of your piping system(s). That means fewer labor hours, less downtime, and less money on alternative water sources.
Finally, filling in these gaps means you’re prepared if an emergency occurs during construction. You can prevent a catastrophic leak, a contamination event, or other damage—all of which have long-term impacts, whether that’s extended shutdowns or dangerous mold growth. When you know where your shut-off valves are located, you can respond immediately when damage is accidentally incurred.
Planning for Critical Utility Shutdowns
Accurate information about your piping systems allows you to limit the impact of shutdowns related to renovations, construction, or other maintenance efforts. You know the right valve(s) to use, the condition of your pipes, and where everything connects. You can shut down the smallest possible sections of piping to keep more of your facility in operation. And you can prevent catastrophic events like leaks, contamination, and mold growth from impacting your people, your patients, or your product.
Ready to learn more about how HydroCorp can support your facility with on-site surveys, piping schematics, or water management programs?
