Critical Maintenance for Restrooms

Best Practices for Reopening Facilities

Written by
The Part Works
Published on
February 8, 2021 at 11:09:00 AM PST February 8, 2021 at 11:09:00 AM PSTth, February 8, 2021 at 11:09:00 AM PST

Restrooms and Drinking Fountains: The most “Customer Facing” of all your Plumbing


Some of the biggest risk for transmission of infection (Covid19 or other microbial) is in the restrooms. A regular flow of users, touching the same handles on toilets, faucets, soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, and entry doors can spread infection. Touch points can be addressed with touch-less solutions, or antimicrobial treated handles and touch-less surfaces.


Perhaps less obvious is the risk of contamination via splashing water from aerated faucets. We actually have an entire blog post entitled “Faucet Outlets: Aerators vs Laminar-Flow” that details the differences, but it comes down to this: air introduced via the aerator increases the potential for splashing, which increases the potential for user contact with contaminated water. This can be addressed using Laminar flow either in conjunction with offset drain sinks or on its own.


Restroom Systems Maintenance and Repairs:

If your facility has been shut down for an extended period of time, you will need to check your restrooms for several things: 


   

Restrooms

Protective Equipment:

Protective equipment runs a wide gamut, depending on your application. It can include everything from single use PPE like over-shoe booties, masks, disposable coveralls and rubber gloves, to more permanent installation-based equipment, like 6 foot social distance markers on the floor, or clear plastic dividers. When thinking about protective equipment for your specific application, consider where possible congestion and contamination risks are highest in the restroom.


Evaluate the best options for antimicrobial in your application, whether antimicrobial treated fixtures and handles, touch-less retrofit kits, or a full touchl-ess remodel including flushometers, latches, toilet seats, faucets, soap dispensing and hand drying.



Drinking Fountains:

Another significant risk for contamination are drinking fountains. In the best case, they are touched repeatedly on the handles. In the worst, the bubbler head may be touched by the mouths of potentially contagious users. To reduce this risk, drinking fountains can be replaced with water bottle filling stations. An inexpensive solution is to install bubbler head lockout devices, which will inhibit the use of the bubbler temporarily. At any time in the future, the lockout device can be easily removed and bubbler’s will be usable again immediately. Don’t forget to replace all drinking fountain filters! Filters are an important protection against contaminant in the water and must be replace regularly. 















General Facility

Kitchen and Janitorial Closet