Sewage Pump vs. Sump Pump: What’s the Difference?

February 26th, 2024
birds-eye-view-of-sump-pump-system

You probably have heard about sump pumps and sewage pumps. In fact, your home may have one or the other or both. We’ve discovered that there’s often confusion in people’s minds when it comes to sewage pump vs. sump pump. Are they really the same thing, and if they’re different, what jobs do they do? The most important question: Do you need them? 

We’ll look into these questions in this blog post. However, the best way to get an answer to the last question is to talk to our professional plumbers. We have extensive experience with all types of plumbing installations for both homes and businesses.

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The Effects of Water Hammer on Your Plumbing

February 12th, 2024
hammer-house-wrench

You hear a sudden clang coming from the walls of your home, like a hammer striking metal. It’s not a ghost… it’s the plumbing. The sound you’re hearing is the result of water hammer, which occurs when there are no air cushions in the pipes to absorb the shock wave that occurs when water suddenly stops moving because a tap is shut off.

The name “water hammer” sounds intimidating. Is water hammer dangerous in Glenview? Is it bad for your pipes? We can ease your mind about the “dangerous” part: water hammer isn’t something that poses a physical threat to you or your family’s health. As for whether it’s bad for the pipes—that’s a definite yes. In fact, water hammer has several deleterious effects on plumbing, which is why we encourage you to call for our professional plumbers to look into water hammer in your home as soon as you begin to notice it.

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Why You Should Only Hire Licensed Plumbers

January 15th, 2024
sink-drainpipe-plumber-at-work

We can’t stress enough how important it is that you turn to licensed plumbers, and licensed plumbers only, when you need plumbing work in your home. Too many people like to attempt to tackle plumbing problems as DIY projects, and far too many others will turn to an unlicensed “handyman” when they’ve got plumbing woes. Neither is a good idea—especially when it’s easy to reach out to us and hire our licensed plumbers in Evanston, IL, or elsewhere in the Northshore and Northwest Chicagoland Area.

Why licensed plumbers? There are many reasons, but here are the five main ones…

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Sewer Line Materials: Knowing When You’ve Got an Outdated Line

January 1st, 2024
sewer-tunnel

Sewer systems go back to ancient times: they’re a necessary improvement that allowed cities to thrive in the first place. Today, most of us take the sewer systems that serve our communities for granted, as well as the sewer lines that connect our homes to the sewer system. But if you’ve got an old sewer line made of outdated material, you may find yourself in a bad situation where you need either sewer line repair or replacement right away.

You can depend on us for these services in the Northshore and Northwest Chicagoland area. To help you know when it’s time to schedule an inspection of your sewer line, we’re going to look at the recent history of sewer line materials so you know what “outdated” means in this case.

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What’s the Point of a Sewage Pump? Do I Need One?

December 18th, 2023
white question mark on blue background

One part of your home that you don’t want to think much—and especially don’t want to be forced to think about—is its sewer line. Yes, that pipe that carries away all the waste from drains and toilets around the house and out to some mysterious central sewer system that you also don’t want to think about. 

Sometimes you will need to pay attention to your home’s sewer drainage, however, such as whether you need to have a sewage pump. Wait, what’s that? You’ve heard of a sewage pump, but you aren’t sure what it is? We’ll look into why some homes need sewage pumps and if your home is one of them.

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The Impact That Hard Water Has on Your Plumbing

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

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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The Causes of Sewer Line Blockages

November 6th, 2023
split-drainage-pipe-with-tree-roots

Having clogged and slow drains in your home is an annoyance. Sometimes you can clear out a clogged drain with a simple plunger or drain auger. With more serious stoppages you’ll need the help of professional plumbers. 

A clogged sewer line is a different matter. The sewer line transports all the wastewater from your home out to the municipal sewer system. If this underground pipe develops blockage, it will eventually cause all the drains and toilets in your home to back up and even spill sewage into your living space. Thankfully, professional plumbers like us can handle the sewer cleaning or sewer line repair in Des Plaines necessary to fix the problem. 

Below we’ll look at the most common causes of sewer line blockages. This will help you know what to look for as well as some ways to prevent problems.

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Bad Smells From Your Drains? Here’s What It Might Be

October 23rd, 2023
girl-pinching-her-nose

Nobody wants their home to smell like sewage or anything else rotten. It’s frustrating when you keep your home clean and tidy, but then you begin to notice unpleasant odors wafting from your drains.

What’s going on? Why is this happening, and what can you do about it, both immediately and in the long-term to prevent it from occurring again? We’ll look at some reasons for foul drain odors in this post. We offer high quality plumber services in Skokie, IL and throughout the Northshore and Northwest Chicagoland Area, and we’re ready to help stop any of your bad-smelling drain troubles.

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Winter Seasoning for Your Plumbing: Preparing for Cold Weather

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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