Time to Test Your Sump Pump: Here’s What to Do

July 6th, 2020

backup-sump-pumpHow often do you think about your sump pump? If your answer is “rarely,” you might be doing a disservice to yourself and your home. Households in this area are susceptible to flooding—there’s no denying that. But the good news is that it can be prevented, with a professionally installed and adequately cared-for sump pump.

But how do you know if your sump pump is in good condition? Do you need to call a plumber every time it’s about to rain to find out? Goodness no! While your sump pump should be professionally maintained at least once a year, you can and should test your sump pump on your own each quarter. Read on to learn more about what to do.

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How Not to Treat Your Bathroom Plumbing

June 22nd, 2020

water-running-down-a-drainDrain clogs are pretty much an inevitable and unfortunate part of homeownership. They’re even worse when they happen in one of the most used spaces in your home—the bathroom. Managing backed-up drains tends to be a fairly basic job for professional plumbers, but that doesn’t mean you should attempt it on your own.

In fact, trying to remove drain clogs on your own with the most “affordable” option there is—store-bought chemical drain cleaner—can lead to more problems than good. Unfortunately, these “solutions” are very caustic, eating away at your pipes and never actually effectively removing the clog. It may just move it around a bit for water to get through before it just clogs up again a few months later. This isn’t how you should treat your bathroom plumbing! So how should you treat it?

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Is DIY Plumbing a Good Idea?

June 8th, 2020

gloved-hands-under-sink-working-on-plumbingCan’t a general handyman, or even a diligent homeowner, where you’d need to pay less money, do just as effective a job as a professional Evanston, IL plumber?  We know this is a tempting solution to your plumbing woes, however, your results simply won’t be the same. Our professional plumbers have been in the industry for many years, and we’ve seen what can happen when homeowners believe they can watch an online video and resolve issues on their own. Plumbing is a tough job! Anything beyond clearing up a superficial clog or replacing a sink faucet aerator can benefit from the expertise of a professional.

Read on as we uncover why it is so important that you hire a licensed and insured plumber to do work in your home. Although hiring an inexperienced handyman or taking this on as a DIY project might save you money upfront, in the long run making this decision could end up costing you more.

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Are You in Need of Tankless Water Heater Maintenance?

May 25th, 2020

tankless-water-heaterStorage tank water heaters are large, always noticeable, and can even be a little noisy. In other words, it’s pretty hard to not pay some attention to a conventional water heater, if that’s what you have in your home. You likely know that it needs occasional maintenance from a professional plumber in Glenview, IL. Scaling can have a major impact on it after all, enabling mineral buildup that causes issues with water pressure, temperature, and even potential corrosion. They need occasional flushing to offset this problem.

But tankless systems don’t need maintenance, right?

Wrong! Much of the maintenance done for conventional tank water heaters is actually quite similar to the maintenance performed on tankless systems. Read on as we uncover why you do, in fact, need routine maintenance for your tankless water heater.

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Your Sewer Line Vs. Tree Roots: What To Do

May 11th, 2020

split-drainage-pipe-with-rootsHave you ever wondered why your plumbing system’s sewer line is buried beneath your yard? You might have just assumed it looks more attractive this way. And that’s true, but the real purpose of this placement is for safety and functionality.

Unfortunately, this means it’s out of sight, making it harder to spot problems right away, and making it susceptible to problems like tree roots searching for a water source. This is actually a relatively common cause of sewer line damage and clogs, both of which require professional sewer line services to resolve.

As you’d expect, tree roots crave water and fertilization. So even the smallest leak from your sewer line can attract them. While tree roots aren’t the only threat to your sewer line, they’re certainly a big one, and worth discussing.

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Signs It Is Time to Give a Plumber a Call

April 27th, 2020

close-up-of-mans-hand-using-cell-phoneA lot of homeowners think any plumbing job can be a DIY-project. It’s true that in some cases this can be okay. For instance, perhaps you have a superficial clog that’s near the drain surface of your sink, and you can just eliminate it with a plunger or maybe even a drain snake.

We don’t discourage all DIY-plumbing fixes, but there are certainly times where you should call in a professional plumber in Des Plaines, IL, to avoid potential hazards or further damage to your pipes. You might even leave yourself more susceptible to problems in the future if you try to attempt plumbing work on your own. There are two plumbing issues in particular that we really advise you to give us a call for.

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How to Best Prepare for Stormy Weather

April 13th, 2020

neighborhood-under-dark-sky-with-lightningIt’s that time of year again! The snow is melting away only to be replaced by weeks of torrential downpours. Stormy weather is not pleasant to contend with, but the good news is there’s something you can do about it, and we can help!

No, no, we don’t mean we can control the weather. We wish we had Mother Nature on speed-dial, but alas our powers lie more in plumbing in Des Plaines, IL. And the good news is, there are plenty of plumbing devices and systems that can help you prevent home damage due to stormy weather.

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Is a Slab Leak Really as Bad as It Seems?

March 30th, 2020

cracked-concrete-foundationThe short answer to this is, “yes.”

Sure, you don’t want to deal with any type of leak in your home, but this is a particularly ominous one.

A slab leak is any leak that occurs in the hot or cold water lines that run beneath the concrete foundation of your home. Not only do slab leaks cause significant water waste, but they also can cause damage to your property, leading to mildew and mold growth and adding extra strain on your water heater if the leak is happening in the hot water pipes (which the majority of the time, it is).

Fortunately, you have our professional and highly trained plumbers on your side, equipped with the right tools to locate this type of problem and fix it as unobtrusively as possible—though it does bear mentioning that these slab leaks are pretty obtrusive in their own right, which is why we never downplay their severity. Wondering what causes a slab leak? Read on!

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Could Your Hygiene Practices Lead to a Plumbing Emergency?

March 16th, 2020

hand-on-bathroom-sink-faucetLet’s put it this way—those hygiene practices can certainly lead to problems with your bathroom plumbing! Due to this, a common service we recommend is routine drain cleaning as part of your overall plumbing maintenance plan.

Of course, regardless of maintenance, if you do have an urgent plumbing problem you needn’t look too far for an emergency plumber in Des Plaines IL!

But with maintenance, our plumbers can successfully keep your drainpipes clear and free with advanced tools like drain snakes and hydro-jets. This helps remove buildup that can lead to frequently clogged drains, and prevents your plumbing system from suffering damage. When you’re ready to schedule drain cleaning, give our team a call. In the meantime, read on as we uncover a couple hygiene practices that could lead to plumbing issues.

Brushing and Washing Your Hair

No, we don’t want you to stop doing this, nor do we want you to start attempting to do it over your kitchen sink. But, your bathroom sink and shower drains are pretty susceptible to clogs from hair. Hair catches easily in the curved piped section below the bathroom sink—a component called the p-trap. When this happens, it starts to catch other hair follicles until a clog builds up.

Drain covers are your remedy to this! You’ll be able to find mesh, metal, or even rubber drain covers at any hardware or bathroom supply store, and even online.

Using Oil-Based Cleansers and Beauty Products

More and more individuals are using things like coconut oil for teeth whitening and facial masks, and bath bombs for softer and healthier skin. These are all great products, but they can do a number on your sink and bathtub drains!

This is especially true if you experience hard water in your home. This is water with a high level of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals make it hard for even basic soap to break down as it goes down your drains, let alone oil-based products.

Soap scum, by the way, is another common threat to your bathroom sink and bathtub drains, by the way! Ask us about the installation of a whole-house water softener to combat this!

But what happens is that unless you’re able to get the water very hot, soap scum and oil residue doesn’t get fully flushed down your drainpipes. Rather, they go partially down, stick to the walls of the drainpipes, and then harden and start building up a clog the more that goes down the drain.

Just like with hair, the best way to combat this is with a drain cover. Simply wait until that drain cover dries off and wipe it off to dispose of the residue left behind by your product in the trashcan.

“What About Store-Bought Drain Cleaner?”

We understand how tempting it is to reach for a bottle of store-bought, chemical based drain cleaner. It’s affordable and convenient after all, right? Unfortunately, the ingredients used in these products are caustic, and actually eat away at the lining of your pipes. So the more you use them, the more likely it is that you’ll be paying for repiping sooner rather than later!

For expert plumbing service, installations, or maintenance contact Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage, Inc. Our knowledgeable plumbers serve the North Shore and Northwest Chicago suburbs. Rely on Reliance!

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Don’t Fall Victim to These 4 Plumbing Emergencies!

March 2nd, 2020

plumber-fixing-plumbing-emergencyHere’s the thing about plumbing emergencies, or even just a minor plumbing problem—they never happen at convenient times! And sometimes, you simply can’t wait for a contractor’s regular office hours to begin before you manage the problem. Fortunately, our team offers 24-hour plumbing in Palatine, IL and beyond.

But what actually constitutes an emergency?

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