Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

The Impact That Hard Water Has on Your Plumbing

Monday, December 4th, 2023
pipes-corroded

You’ve probably heard about hard water and know that it’s not something you want flowing through your home’s plumbing. Hard water refers to water that contains a high volume of dissolved minerals, mostly magnesium, calcium, and gypsum. Hard water is common in cities: the minerals seep into the water through the ground and enter the pipes so water treatment plants can’t counteract it. 

The best way to eliminate hard water in your home is to have a special water softener installed. You can call on our plumbers in Glenview, IL to install one of these devices, which uses sodium ions to replace the hard water ions. 

But why bother at all? Since hard water isn’t harmful to drink, why make the effort to put in a softener? The answer is that hard water is often ruinous for plumbing and appliances. It comes with several other side effects that can make life in your house a bigger hassle. We’ll look at what hard water does to your plumbing so you’ll know why a water softener is a good idea.

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The Common Causes of Plumbing Emergencies

Monday, November 20th, 2023
flooded-home

The words plumbing emergency aren’t ones any homeowner wants to hear. They usually conjure up images of water flooding throughout a house, causing furniture to float on currents like flotsam after a ship has accidentally run aground. Most emergency plumbing issues you’ll run into won’t be so drastic, but they’ll still feel urgent.

You have a great ally for your emergency plumbing needs: Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage. We have 24/7 emergency service available. We know how serious major plumbing mishaps can be and how much our customers need us as soon as possible!

We’re going to take a look at the most common causes that will cause you to call us for fast plumbing repair, any time of the day or night.

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Winter Seasoning for Your Plumbing: Preparing for Cold Weather

Monday, October 9th, 2023
icicles-hanging-off-pipe

It’s not winter yet, but you never want to be caught unprepared for the first serious cold snap. Your plumbing is extremely vulnerable to cold weather, specifically frozen pipes that can lead to severe damage from pipes bursting. Take some time during the fall lull to properly winterize your plumbing as well as take other steps that will make it easier for your home to make it through the coming cold.

Below we’ve listed some key preparations to make. You can contact a great plumber in Glenview, IL at Reliance to provide assistance with several of these jobs. We can conduct an inspection of your plumbing if you want to locate any weaknesses where pipe freeze can take hold. 

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Ways You Can Avoid Big Plumbing Emergencies

Monday, September 25th, 2023
plumber-under-sink

Plumbing emergencies are among the worst types of household emergencies you can run into. Nobody wants to be caught with a burst appliance that’s sending water all over the place or unusable toilets. But we have some good news for you. Two pieces of good news, actually.

First, you have a reliable 24-hour plumber ready to help you—Reliance Plumbing! No matter the date or the time, you can reach us for emergency plumbing service.

Second, you can take preventive steps to lower the chance of running into big plumbing emergencies. Below are some ways you can keep emergency calls to a minimum.

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How to Know It’s Time to Call for Sewer Line Repair

Monday, August 14th, 2023
cracked concrete foundation

Let’s face it: nobody wants to think much about their sewer line. Most of the time, it’s not necessary. But when a sewer sustains damage, such as from tree root infiltration or corrosion, getting fast sewer line repair in Skokie, IL is the highest priority—or else you’ll soon have an unlivable house because of backed-up sewage.

We’re ready to help with professional sewer line repair using the best in trenchless technology. First, however, you’ll have to know how to identify the early warning signs of a sewer line in trouble. Look for these indicators so you can get us on the job early and help avoid even worse problems.

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Why You’re Hearing Weird Noises From Your Plumbing

Monday, July 17th, 2023
showerhead-hand-reaching-out

You shut off a faucet in your house one day, and instead of hearing quiet right afterwards, there’s instead a strange clang or bang noise. It might even be loud enough to cause you to jump.

This isn’t a one-time occurrence, either. You start to hear this banging sound from the plumbing more and more often. Everything else about your plumbing seems to be working fine—so what’s happening, and is it something you need to worry about?

What you’re experiencing with your plumbing is common enough that it has its own name: water hammer. As plumbers, we’ve often dealt with water hammer in Glenview, IL and our other service areas, so we can tell you what’s going on.

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Can I Handle Many Plumbing Jobs on My Own?

Monday, July 3rd, 2023
tools-sitting-on-kitchen-sink

It’s great to be handy around the house, isn’t it? If you’ve got the right tools, a little know-how, and dedication, you can take care of small troubles in your house without the need to call for a professional service.

Does this apply to plumbing? We won’t lie to you and say there aren’t plumbing tasks you can do as DIY projects. It’s easy to replace the aerators on faucets for example, some of which you don’t even need a wrench to remove. But when it comes to most plumbing jobs, a belt of tools and an online tutorial won’t cut it. You need licensed plumbers in Wilmette, IL to take care of the job. We’ll explain why.

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Maintenance Tips for Your Kitchen Sink

Monday, June 19th, 2023
kitchen-sink-woman-washing-fruit

The kitchen sink does more work than any other sink in your house, since it takes care of food preparation as well as food disposal. Many different materials can go down a sink drain, and the faucet for it is far more powerful with more water flow capacity than any bathroom sink. Taking good care of it is important to avoid the need for plumbing repair.

We’re local experts when it comes to sink plumbing in Evanston, IL, and we’d like to share our best tips for maintaining your kitchen sink so it works best for you for many years. When you do run into troubles, we’re always here to help, and we offer 24/7 service. 

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Choosing a New Shower for Your Bathroom

Monday, June 5th, 2023
showerhead-ceiling-running

Any plumber will work extensively with bathroom plumbing, since this is the room of a house that has the highest concentration of pipes, drains, and fixtures. Along with the many bathroom plumbing repairs and drain cleaning that our professional plumbers perform, we also handle new shower installation in Glenview, IL.

You may be in a situation where you’ve got an older shower that’s an eyesore or isn’t working effectively anymore and you want to upgrade it. You might have someone in your home with mobility issues who would benefit from a different type of shower. Whatever the reason, you’re looking to have a new shower installed. There are several choices of shower types to consider. We’ll go over the most common shower types and look at their benefits.

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How Tree Roots Can Damage Your Plumbing

Monday, March 13th, 2023
tree-root-cutaway

If you look out the window of your house, do you have a pleasant view of trees and bushes around a well-kept yard? It’s a relaxing sight to look at—but you might not be aware that those trees and other plants can present a danger to a part of your house. The growth of plant roots can wreak havoc on the plumbing for your house, potentially creating sewage back-ups. 

Tree-roof infestation is a major problem for residential plumbing in Evanston, IL and elsewhere in the Chicago suburbs. Our climate is conducive to the growth of trees with aggressive root systems: silver maples, poplars, and willows. As these trees grow, their roots can spread far and wide, seeking sources of water and nutrients, including your plumbing system. 

So although you may love having a tree-filled yard in the suburbs, you need to be aware of the ways tree roots can damage plumbing and what you can do to prevent it. 

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