Avoid Frozen and Burst Pipes in Winter With These Basic Tricks

November 21st, 2022
Ice cubes

Nobody wants to call for an emergency plumber in Wilmette, IL in the middle of winter because frozen or burst pipes have brought their home to a standstill. Unfortunately, burst pipes are one of the most common plumbing issues to strike homes during our winters, and it often feels to homeowners as if pipe freeze is inevitable—at some point, it’s going to strike your home.

But this isn’t true: pipe freeze leading to burst pipes is something you can avoid if you know the precautions to take. Right now in November is the right time to take them! We’ll go through the basic tricks of stopping pipe freeze and the plumbing emergency it causes.

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Meet the Two Types of Hybrid Water Heaters

November 7th, 2022
tankless-water-heater

Today people often associate the word hybrid with hybrid electric cars that combine a combustion engine with electrical power. Hybrid is also a description for a type of water heater. Two types, actually, both of which offer specific benefits for homes. Not every home is suited for one of these hybrid water heaters, but we strongly recommend customers who are looking into water heaters in Winnetka, IL for a new installation consider the possibility of installing one.

Ah, but which one? Let’s look closer at the two water heaters that fall under the “hybrid” name.

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The Signs That You Need to Replace Your Toilet

October 24th, 2022

woman with plunger at her toilet, while on the phoneToilets are functional items, and the most attention people pay to them is to ensure they are clean. Homeowners rarely think about having to replace a toilet, because it’s easy to consider these large porcelain appliances secured to the bathroom floor as invincible. Except for a situation with catastrophic damage, why would a toilet need a replacement?

But toilets age just like any other appliance, and toilets work every day in a house. Wear and age will eventually make it necessary to replace any toilet—and sometimes it’s a good idea to replace one early because of the amount of water older models waste. 

How can you know it’s time to replace one of your toilet? We’ll look at several of the more prominent signs.

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The Holiday Season Is a Time to Be Careful With Your Garbage Disposal

October 10th, 2022

sink-drain-with-water-flowing-downOctober marks the start of the “Big Three Holiday” months: three months in a row with significant holidays that combine food and feasting and merriment. It’s a terrific time of the year, although people do get exhausted from all of it. 

If you want to make the season less tiring and more fun, then take some steps to keep your garbage disposal in good shape. Trust us, garbage disposals are at a high risk of breaking down during the season of big meals and plenty of cooking. 

What can you do to keep your garbage disposal in top shape through the holiday barrage? We have some advice.

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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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