Put simply, a commercial plumber is someone who deals with the water systems of businesses and commercial premises whereas a residential one works in people's homes. That said, many of the same skills are needed in either setting. After all, fixing a leaking tap takes the same set of plumbing skills whether you happen to be working in an office block or a residential address. Therefore, what makes commercial plumbing distinct from residential plumbing is a little more involved. Read on to find out what the most important differences between the two disciplines are.

The Size of the Plumbing System

To begin with, most commercial premises have larger plumbing systems than the typical Australian house. In most residences, there will be hot and cold water supply systems that run to the kitchen and bathrooms as well as the central heating system which will commonly go to every room. Other than that, there is very little else to consider. However, in the majority of commercial premises, the plumbing system won't just be larger but more complex. Therefore, calling a residential plumber to commercial premises to fix a fault will often be the wrong approach. A commercial plumber should have relevant experience with larger, more complex plumbing systems. Commercial plumbers should also be able to cope with plumbing systems that come under greater daily strain due to the number of people that rely on them.

Pressurisation and Water Heating

It is also useful to know that most commercial buildings will have a different level of pressurisation than you would find in a typical residential setting. For instance, many will have larger pipes running from the mains water supply, especially if the use of water is part of the company's commercial activities. Not all plumbers will be well-versed in handling these levels of pressure. Equally, the water heater that may be installed is likely to be larger by comparison to a typical domestic boiler. Again, this will require greater expertise and a more specialised set of skills that only a commercial plumbing firm can provide.

Handling Commercial Drainage

As well as knowledge of commercial heating and plumbing systems, a commercial plumber should have the skills necessary to deal with the more complex drainage issues associated with business premises. In office blocks, for example, draining problems can occur within long wet risers, something that is rarely an issue in domestic settings. Equally, the scope of a business facility's drainage system may be much larger than you'd find in even a very large home so, again, a commercial plumbing firm will be needed to address any problems with it.

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