School's Almost Out: Is Your Pump System Ready?
- katherinefuad
- Jun 20
- 5 min read
The Summer holidays are fast approaching, and now is the ideal time for estates and facilities teams working in the education sector to think about booking in that maintenance visit or upgrade project.
Over the years, we've worked closely with schools, colleges and universities across the UK, and from this we've gained insights into the challenges that many clients face - from ageing plant, rising costs and limited budgets to sourcing the right contractor who can be flexible to work around access restraints.
Here's our round-up of five common challenges we come across and our tips on how to manage these risks.
Unexpected Pump Failures
The problem: When pumps fail during term time it can cause mayhem for everyone on site. Whether it's your HVAC, stormwater or wastewater systems that let you down, you may end up with loss of heating, cooled water, or even flooding, which could cause classrooms to be closed or even complete site shutdown.
In June 2025 a Schools Week investigation found nearly two schools on average close each day because of issues that include faulty buildings, utility failures and floods.
Since 2018, headteachers...decided to fully or partially shut almost 1,250 times because of storm damage, utility issues, structural problems, floods, gas leaks, boiler faults, pests or ceiling collapses. It means 1.9 closures every day if the data is extrapolated nationally.
How to prevent it: Get ahead by scheduling planned maintenance visits out of term times, when disruption is lowest and engineers have the space to work. A summer check-in can identify wear, faults or performance drops before they impact term-time operations.
Deckpro tip: Booking your visit early is key, our summer schedule fills quickly as schools look to tackle backlogged issues before the new term.
Ageing or Obsolete Equipment
The problem: Many institutions are relying on outdated or poorly matched pump systems that are nearing the end of their life. These are prone to failure and harder (and slower) to repair due to long lead times for parts.
The Guardian reported in December 2024 that 1 in 6 school children in the UK are studying in schools that either need major work done or are in a relatively poor condition.
A further 847,000 pupils study in a school with a high “relative condition need”, meaning a large number of defects and deterioration relative to the building’s size.
How to prevent it: Use the summer break to schedule upgrades or replacement works. Our team can assess performance, flag risk areas, and propose like-for-like or efficiency-focused replacements—even for non-standard systems.
Deckpro tip: Find a contractors (like deckpro) who offer free site surveys and reports that will identify any plant that is at risk of failure, and provide ROI calculations so you can justify spent and present this to your clients or superiors.
Unexpected Repairs Draining the Budget
The problem: Emergency callouts are disruptive and expensive, especially for schools working with fixed budgets. Without a plan in place, reactive repairs can quickly eat into the maintenance fund, and it becomes a vicious cycle where you have no budget for pro-active planning.
According to NAHT, The School Leaders' Union more than four fifths of school leaders (83%) say they lack funding needed to maintain their school buildings.
Six in 10 (62%) are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the state of their school buildings...Nearly a fifth (18%) of survey respondents reported that parts of their school estate, including specialist classrooms, laboratories, playgrounds, kitchens, and toilets can't be maintained.
How to prevent it: Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) on pump systems helps spread costs and improve predictability. It’s also a key tool in ensuring compliance and system longevity. Again, by planning ahead you can ensure this is done out of term time to minimise disruption.
Deckpro tip: Find out more about what's involved in a deckpro service with our 25-point checklist, which is available to read and download here. We've set the bar on what goes into a thorough, proper service so you can measure this against your incumbent supplier's scope of works!
Finding Contractors Who Understand Education Settings
The problem: Schools need engineers who are flexible, professional, and understand safeguarding requirements as well as being able to act fast when needed. But not every contractor is equipped to work in live education environments.
How to prevent it: Choose a team with enhanced DBS checks, keep thorough records of certification, have experience in education, and adopt a respectful, tidy approach to site work.
Deckpro tip: Tune into our recent podcast with Simon Newton, Founder and BDM at deckpro, to hear about the processes we put in place to manage sensitive or restricted access sites. Listen to the full podcast here.
A Case Example:
Last winter, we were called to a school based in Essex where several heating pumps had failed. We were on site the next day to asses and price up a full solution.
The pumps were leaking and suffering severe rust damage with faulty valves that had caused flooding in the plantroom. This caused heating failure across a large part of the school, during sub-zero overnight temperatures. With one pump a non-standard 4-inch size, a like-for-like replacement wasn’t straightforward, and delays risked further disruption. Despite the complexity of sourcing a performance-matched replacement and modifying pipework, we coordinated a plan that could be delivered in just 10 working days—far quicker than the typical 6-week turnaround!
Rising Costs & Sustainability Pressures
The problem: Aging systems and poor controls can waste energy—and rising utility bills are pushing schools to find efficiencies wherever possible.
How to prevent it: Simple upgrades like inverter drives, improved control panels or smarter pump selection can lead to long-term savings and help meet decarbonisation targets.
Deckpro tip: Check out our recent articles on how simply, cheap changes can help you meet sustainability targets.
Ready to Plan Summer Works?
We’re already working with schools and universities to prepare for the summer maintenance window. If you’re considering pump system works this break, now’s the time to book in.
Client Feedback:
“Very helpful and knowledgeable in the industry. Quality product and services offered and quality installations from what I have seen.” — Jonathan Ashley, ISS
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