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History

Welcome To BMS Mechanical!

In the mid 1980's it became apparent that the lower mainland water system caused a serious corrosion problem for water pipes. The situation was exacerbated by non-conforming plumbing and the old building code. Working closely with consulting engineers and experimenting with different methods of "upgrading" piping systems, BMS established one of the first systematic replacement methods.
The first full scale retrofit project involving complete pipe replacement of a 24-storey high-rise was undertaken in 1986. This project was successfully completed on time,

Our glacial water actually dissolves copper pipes from the inside…
within budget and with minimal impact to residents. In the years since then, BMS has been improving techniques and fine-tuning methods to give the best response to their clients.


The Problem:

In most of North America, scale builds up on the inside of pipes so that they become narrower with time. In the Greater Vancouver Area, Our glacial water actually dissolves copper pipes from the inside out. Over time the pipe walls become thinner as more and more copper is dissolved or eroded from the inside of the pipe.

The first stage of corrosion usually involves pinhole leaks in the water pipes. The leaks increase in frequency to the point that a shut-down to repair one leak will often create further leaks.

A shut down to repair one leak will often create further leaks…
Once the pipes have reacted to the latter stages of corrosions the only viable alternative is usually complete replacement.


Solution: The BMS Method

Given enough time and money, any qualified plumber can replace all the pipes in any given building.

The hard part is to do it without completely destroying the building interior and taking several months to do it. We have all heard horror stories of building owners that simply hire a plumber who starts tearing open walls and replacing pipes with little regard for residents' concerns and no attempt made at following a written schedule.

We've all heard the horror stories of when a plumber starts tearing open walls..

BMS was one of the pioneers to specialize in retrofit work in virtually every type of building, thus earning the highest reputation for expertise, capability and efficiency, as our many property owners, managers and engineering consultants will testify. However, each building is different. Because of this, BMS spends time at the initial design stage to ensure that the building owner's concerns and expectations are addressed.

The last thing anyone wants during a project of this type is surprises. We work closely with building owners and representatives (be it a strata council or property manager) to assure that they are getting exactly what they expect before the first wall is cut open.

To keep residents informed we hold informal "wine & cheese" information meetings; as well as provide schedules and written notification to all residents to keep them informed of all progress.

Our design staff keeps abreast of all changes to building and plumbing codes. Care is taken to assure that all changes to the building needed to allow new pipes to do not compromise structural integrity or safety (such as fire retardant walls). Design of plumbing systems uses type K Copper (the strongest available and the sizing of the pipes assures adequate flow, pressure and minimum noise at completion of the project.

BMS ensures that the best possible systems are implemented with overall costs decreased

Based on our experience and our planning, we avoid the disturbance and anguish associated with any project and we deliver the best possible system which is also the most cost effective.

BMS has mastered the retrofit techniques for complete plumbing replacement and has established proven procedures for keeping disruptions to a minimum.

BMS, your best answer to plumbing problems. Contact us today