With fall here in Glenview, IL, winter can’t be too far behind. And one of the most pressing winter problems for your commercial plumbing system is frozen pipes. Water expands when it freezes, which means big trouble when it’s in your plumbing at the time. Burst pipes can wreak havoc one your business, causing substantial property damage and forcing your employees and customers away while you get the problem dealt with. The best defense is a good offense when it comes to frozen pipes, and while you can call in a plumber to fix the problem when it occurs, you’re usually best off preventing the problem in the first place. Here are a few tips and tricks to prevent frozen pipes with your business.
Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Your Business
October 5th, 2015What Is A Hybrid Water Heater?
September 28th, 2015If you’re a homeowner in the Glenview, IL area, chances are you know what a traditional tank water heater is. You may also have heard of a tankless water heater, which serves as a viable alternative to tank models by heating the water up instantly as it passes through the pipes. But between these two models lies a pair of other options: hybrid water heaters which combine the features of both. If you’re in the market for a new water heating system, you may want to consider a hybrid water heater, since they offer a number of advantages. But what is a hybrid water heater? We’ve broken down the two basic types below.
How Can I Tell If It’s a Plumbing Emergency?
September 21st, 2015Plumbing problems don’t always follow 9 to 5 hours and if you run into a problem that just can’t wait, you may need to call in an emergency plumber. Glenview, IL has services that can perform emergency plumbing operations, but some people may be reluctant to use them because of the added expense. How can you tell if it’s a real plumbing emergency or if it’s something that can wait until normal business hours? The specifics vary widely depending on circumstances, but here’s a few tips to help you make that call.
Is a Sump Pump Right for My Home?
September 14th, 2015Rain and snow are regular occurrences here in Chicago, and when floods come, your property can suffer a great deal. Basements and even higher floors can get filled with water, damaging the contents and requiring a huge repair effort – not to mention considerable expense – to make right again. The solution may be a sump pump installed in your basement and working to remove the water before it causes any real damage. In point of fact, a sump pump is right for any home that suffers from flood damage. Knowing more about the specifics can show you why.
How to Detect a Slab Leak
September 8th, 2015Slab leaks constitute one of the biggest problems a homeowner might face: an otherwise normal leak in a length of pipe placed under the foundation or the house, or in some cases even embedded inside the cement of the foundation. These leaks often occur beneath the home’s foundation, making them hard to detect. The leak itself is less of an issue than the difficulty in reaching it, especially when a damaged pipe is located under the slab, as well as the immense difficulty in realizing it’s there in the first place. By the time the homeowner realizes that something’s amiss, the damage has been done. Here in Chicago, IL, professional plumbing services have the equipment to detect a slab leak and begin repair proceedings. The first step in slab leak detection is a visual inspection for signs of water damage, such as damp spots or cracks. These professionals follow a systematic process, including visual inspection, pressure testing, and non-invasive methods to efficiently locate and confirm leaks. But you have to spot the signs of trouble before you can call them in. Here’s a few brief ways to detect a slab leak in your home.
Possible Causes of Sewer Line Problems
September 7th, 2015Your sewer line is charged with transporting waste from your home to the Chicago, IL public sewer system, and as such is an extremely important part of your household. The trouble is that it’s usually buried underground, which means spotting causes of problems and pinpointing the spot to make repairs can be a tricky business. The good news is that modern plumbers have a number of tricks up their sleeve to help with the problem, such as miniature video cameras that can travel the length of the pipe and get a definitive inspection. Possible causes of sewer line problems are varied, but can include the following. Once they’re identified, a trained technician can discuss the possible solution with you.
Why Should I Install an Automatic Shut-Off Valve?
August 31st, 2015If you own a home, you may have heard about the concerns of backwater in your plumbing system. In-home flooding can come from a variety of sources and while some – clogged or burst pipes, for example – are limited to your home, others lie completely beyond your control to fix. Heavy rains here in the Chicago area, coupled with other periodic issues with our sewer system, can make backwater a serious concern. The good news is that an automatic shut-off valve is easy for a professional to install and can eliminate such concerns for good. “Why should I install an automatic shut-off valve?” you ask. Read on for the answers.
What is Trenchless Sewer Repair and How Does It Benefit Me?
August 27th, 2015You might have heard about trenchless plumbing before, but not what it means or why it’s such a benefit to homeowners. It addresses some of the most difficult plumbing problems out there: leaks in sewer lines buried under your property. Time was, you had to uncover the entire pipeline to treat a leak or a breach, which could be a major headache in Chicago, IL with our cold winters and unpredictable weather. Trenchless plumbing gets around a huge number of problems, turning what used to be a major hassle into an infinitely simple operation. Here’s how trenchless sewer repair works, and how it benefits you.
What is trenchless sewer repair and how does it benefit me?
Trenchless sewer repair is a modern method of fixing or replacing underground sewer lines without digging large trenches across your yard. Using small access points and advanced equipment, plumbers repair the pipe from the inside. This process reduces property damage, shortens repair time, lowers restoration costs, and provides long-lasting results.
Watch for Signs of Water Heater Damage
August 24th, 2015Water heater damage can be a tricky thing not because it’s necessarily hard for a trained technician to repair but because most people rarely pay attention to their water heaters until the damage becomes impossible to ignore. Here in Chicago, IL, time and weather can take their toll on most water heaters, and while you can help it avoid big problems by scheduling regular maintenance, sooner or later your water heater is going to need repairs.
What Kinds of Repair Problems Do Tankless Water Heaters Face?
August 17th, 2015Tankless water heaters are a big boon to any house which installs them, jettisoning the bulky tanked model in favor of a system that instantly heats the water as it passes through the pipes to your faucet. It costs less to run than tanked models and because it heats the water “on demand,” you never need to worry about the temperature dropping in the middle of your shower. But while regular maintenance can help prevent repair sessions, no system is perfect and sooner or later your tankless system will suffer a breakdown. Here in Chicago, IL, you can summon a plumber with specific training in tankless water heater repair problems, but it helps if you can recognize those problems quickly. We’ve listed a few of the more common ones below.