How to Prevent Costly Water Leaks in Your Hotel

Water leaks in your hotel can appear suddenly and sometimes become ongoing issues that are difficult for hotel staff to solve. The size and complexity of your hotel’s water system, as well as the number of hotel rooms that are impacted, may hamper the services that you provide to guests and damage your reputation.  In addition, it’s virtually impossible to predict when such a problem will occur. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of being aware of water leaks, as well as how you can prevent them from wreaking havoc in your hotel.

The Exponential Costs of Leak Problems

Water leaks can come from a variety of sources, including pipes, water heaters and tanks, roofs, etc. Unlike updating the mini-fridges in your guest rooms or replacing the roofing system when it reaches the end of its lifecycle, water pipes, for example, typically won’t be replaced until they crack, split, or burst. Also, pipes are not easily accessible once installed and cannot be visually inspected on a set schedule.

Water leaks will cause your staff to scramble from area to area trying to find the source of the leak. While the water could be leaking from a ceiling tile in the dining room, the leak could be located in a different area as it is traveling down pipes and dripping through flooring. When staff are trying to find the leak, they are likely being pulled away from other activities that would help provide superior services to current guests.

Also, every leaking drip causes your hotel’s water costs to increase. The hot water heater will use energy that is wasted on water that is not delivered to guests, housekeeping, your onsite restaurant/kitchen, etc. In addition, severe leaks can cause flooding, ceiling collapse, or floor collapse due to oversaturated building materials. Not only will repair costs put a strain on the hotel’s budget, but you will also have to close off the impacted rooms, which means these closed rooms won’t generate revenue. You may also have to compensate guests for any damaged property and injuries.

Preventing Leaks in Your Hotel

Since you can’t open up every wall to visually inspect the pipes when performing preventative maintenance, instead you can focus on maintaining water and heating systems. Ensure that the equipment is running optimally and becomes serviced at least every 6 months.

Practicing 6S Lean Principles can also help your hotel avoid leaks. This manufacturing system aims to improve productivity and work performance by focusing on optimizing and organizing the workplace environment. By removing unnecessary equipment, regularly cleaning all public and non-public areas, and standardizing staff roles, you’ll be able to notice water system issues more quickly so that the right remediation tactics can be implemented.

Consider adding a water management system for leak detection and prevention. You can place leak detectors in your mechanical room and other areas where a water leak could potentially occur. A leak detector will send a notification to your staff when it detects a possible leak. Then you will be able to more quickly find the source of leak and perform repairs.

Detect Leaks for Better Hotel Water Management

Staying on top of leaks in a timely manner helps to reduce costs and prevent significant damage to your hotel. In recent years, hotel technology has become more sophisticated and cloud-based, allowing real-time notifications of all types of water issues including hot water problems. By implementing these digital tools, you can optimize hotel processes and automate tasks so your staff can focus on making the guests happy throughout their stay.

Here at Symmons, we provide our water management leak detection technology for the hospitality sector. Learn more about our Symmons Water Management solution to detect leaks in your hotel.