How to Tell Your Water Heater Is Ready for a Replacement

September 26th, 2022

water-heater-tankIt would be wonderful if water heaters lasted forever. “The last water heater you’ll ever need to buy!” But such water heaters don’t exist, nor will they. 

We’re experts when it comes to water heaters, and if you need repairs for one, you can call us for 24-hour plumbing in Libertyville, IL. Repairs might not be the best plan, however, and we’re going to look over signs that your current water heater is ready to go to the recycling yard. A new water heater is often a far better choice than trying to continue with a slowly failing one that racks up big bills for poor performance.

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How the Water Heater Can Raise Your Energy Bills

September 12th, 2022

Few appliances in a home use up as much power as the water heater. Heating and air conditioning systems account for significant power consumption, but these are seasonal appliances. A water heater will run almost every day, and whether it’s an electric or gas-powered unit, it’s probably the biggest source of energy consumption in your house.

So when you start to see a sharp rise in your utility bills, one of the first culprits to consider is the water heater. Is your home’s water heater responsible for these high energy costs?

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The Terrible Tale of Tree Roots and Your Sewer Line

August 15th, 2022

split-drainage-pipe-with-roots-in-itLast week we looked at some of the reasons other than clogs that you’ll discover slow or stopped drains in your home. In that post, we mentioned that tree roots can create blockages in your sewer line. This is a big enough topic that we want to look into it closer. Tree roots, and roots in general, can turn into major catastrophes for the sewer line from your house—and that can mean major catastrophes for your house!

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When Stopped or Slow Drains AREN’T From Clogs

August 1st, 2022

Hydro-jetting-sewer-cleaningIn a recent blog post, we addressed the common question “What’s clogging up my drain?” Whenever you run into a clogged drain, you’ll probably imagine it’s something trapped in the drainpipe. This is often the case, as we went over in that post.

But clogs are not the only reason for stopped or slow drains. Other issues in the plumbing can create these drain troubles, and they often cause even worse problems for a home’s plumbing system. Extensive drain cleaning in Glenview, IL can sometimes help out. In other situations, the sewer line may need cleaning, relining, or even replacement.

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What You Need to Know About Finding Hidden Plumbing Leaks

July 18th, 2022

magnifying-glassHere’s the tricky part about hidden leaks: they’re hidden. A leak gushing from under your kitchen sink because the supply line broke is easy to detect. Leaks occurring in pipes behind walls and under the floor are much more difficult to detect until they start causing major damage. You don’t want leaks to get to that point, so it’s helpful to know how you can spot the signs of hidden leaks so you can have professional plumbers act on them.

Our plumbers use the best leak detection equipment available to find hidden leaks in a house so we can repair them. You don’t have the same equipment, but you can pick up on several indicators of pipe leaks so you can call us for plumbing repair in Winnetka, IL. Below are the most common ways to detect hidden leaks.

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Common Bathroom Plumbing Troubles You’ll Need Help With

July 4th, 2022

Modern bathroomBathrooms contain the highest concentration of plumbing pipes and fixtures in a house. Consider how much is compressed into this space: a sink, a faucet, a toilet, a bathtub or shower (sometimes both), supply lines for the fixtures and multiple drainpipes to remove wastewater. Bathroom plumbing can run into a range of issues, and you won’t be able to DIY most of them. They’ll require the knowledge and tools of professionals.

Below are a few of the most common troubles you may run into with the plumbing in your bathroom that will probably require a plumber in Winnetka, IL to correctly repair.

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What Is Clogging Up My Drain?

June 20th, 2022

sewer-line-with-tree-rootsOne of the key services we offer our clients is professional drain cleaning in Evanston, IL, and throughout our wide service area. We recommend drain cleaning as part of regular annual maintenance for your plumbing.

But drain cleaning is most often deployed as a way to thoroughly remove drain clogs and get rid of slow drains. If you’ve got a stopped drain that you can’t open with a plunger or a simple drain snake, don’t reach for chemical drain cleaners! Instead, reach for your phone and give us a call for drain cleaning, any time of the day or night.

Let’s look a bit closer into what’s clogged your drain in the first place. You may already know the problem, like an object that accidentally rolled down the drain like a children’s toy or the cap of a bottle near the bathroom sink. But other types of clogging can sneak up on you, like…

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How Do I Know If I Need Emergency Plumbing Help?

June 6th, 2022

water-spill-on-floorPlumbing problems cause worry, even smaller ones like clogged drains. When the problems are larger, they might make you feel panicked and think you need a professional plumber on site ASAP. 

We offer 24-hour plumbing in Des Plaines, IL because we understand how urgent plumbing troubles can be for homeowners. Bad plumbing can lead to a complete loss of water, backed-up sewer lines, and flooding. Our plumbers are here ‘round the clock to ease your worries and protect your home.

But how can you know if the plumbing problem is an actual emergency or only seems like one? We’ll look into this question to help you know how to manage the next plumbing crisis to come along.

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Grinding Down Some Myths About Garbage Disposals

May 23rd, 2022

sink-drain-with-water-flowing-downIf you have a garbage disposal in Long Grove, IL, you probably don’t give much thought to it except when it fails to work. The kitchen sink disposal is a modern convenience people have gotten used to. And when anything becomes too familiar to people, it’s easy for misunderstandings to start to develop about it until they turn into full-blown myths.

The garbage disposal has several persistent myths swirling around it, and the internet has only increased their presence. We’re going to examine several of these myths today so you know more about your garbage disposal and how to better take care of it. 

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Rust on the Water Heater—What It Means

May 9th, 2022

Run-down HouseIf you have a standard storage tank water heater, you probably know that rust isn’t something you want to see developing on it. Rust is the major enemy of metal that comes into contact with water, and it quickly weakens the metal until it turns useless.

The good news about rust on a water heater is that all water heaters are specially designed to resist rust and other types of corrosion. Proper maintenance for a water heater will make it unlikely for corrosion to appear until late in the unit’s service life. Below we’ll explain more about rust (and corrosion) vs. your water heater and what you may need to do in case it happens.

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