If you own a plant, pipelines are an integral part of your infrastructure. To ensure these work correctly and safely over the years, you'll need to maintain them properly. This maintenance can go according to plan if you remember these tips. 

Keep Areas Around Pipelines Clear

A lot of times, pipelines will stop functioning correctly because they experience structural damage and blockage underneath. This often occurs when things like roots and trees come in contact with pipelines. You can combat these underground issues by clearing the area appropriately. This will involve digging around your pipelines and inspecting these areas for overgrowing trees and roots. 

If they're identified, they need to be removed in a systematic manner before problems result. Using these clearing techniques also gives you easier access to these pipelines for when they need to be further inspected or repaired. 

Look Out for Corrosion 

The last thing you want happening to your pipes is for them to experience corrosion. This can spread like wildfire and drastically affect the performance of your pipes. You can prevent severe damage from occurring by catching early signs of corrosion, fortunately.

Probably the most effective way of catching pipe corrosion is with intelligent pigging. This essentially involves using smart pigs, which are heavy-duty machinery designed to track the health of your pipelines using innovative sensors. It's these sensors that will let you know if corrosion is present, and then you can address problem areas before your pipes need to be replaced entirely. 

Have Pipelines Inspected Annually 

Even if nothing seems to be going wrong with your plant's pipelines, you should still have them professionally inspected at least once a year. These inspections help identify red flags early on before they cost your company a lot of money. Licensed pipeline contractors such as those with Guildner Pipeline Maintenance can utilize innovative techniques and devices to perform these inspections thoroughly and safely. 

For example, these contractors can utilize a device known as a 3D toolbox. It captures detailed images and measurements of your pipelines, which enables contractors to identify possible dents, cracks, and corrosion. If damage is detected during these inspections, you'll receive a full report that details what's wrong and how much it will cost to fix.

If you own and manage a plant, chances are it has a lot of pipelines. To ensure they do their job correctly, save on expensive repairs, and enhance the safety of your work site, you need to perform the right maintenance steps on them regularly.