If someone asked you to describe what the plumbing under your bathroom or kitchen sink looks like, you would probably mention that the drainpipe has a “U”-shaped bend to it. It’s something everyone can recognize about household plumbing but which few people think much about.
Well, we’re going to talk about that bend in the pipe, which is known as a p-trap. It’s an important part of your kitchen and bathroom plumbing and the more you know about it, the easier it’ll be to avoid problems with it.
We’ve written posts before about the best ways to unclog drains. This is one of the most common types of plumbing problems that affect homes, and people want quick solutions.
But there’s an even better way to handle clogged drains in a home, and that’s to prevent them from starting in the first place! Prevention is the best tool of all when it comes to your plumbing.
There is no way that you can prevent all clogged drains. Some debris will manage to slip down the drains, and sometimes large objects may accidentally fall down into drain pipes (or intentionally, as is often the case with young children wondering what they can flush down a toilet). But, if you follow our tips below, you can significantly reduce the chance you’ll have to deal with an annoying clogged drain in Des Plaines, IL in the future.
If you’re looking for the best plumbing information from a skilled plumber in Winnetka, IL, you’ve come to the right people. Today, we’re going to look at a common questions people have about the plumbing in their home:
Why does the drainpipe under the sink have a curve in it?
Maybe you haven’t asked this out loud, but the thought has probably crossed your mind if you don’t already know the answer. We’ll explain in this post the important purpose of the drainpipe’s shape, as well as some problems you may run into with it.
It’s December, and we think that’s a great time to make our own “Naughty and Nice” list. We’re not Santa Claus, so we can’t make any judgments about people’s behavior. But we are exceptional plumbing professionals, so we can make judgments about the tools and methods used to clean drains. We’ve got a list with three “nice” ways to clean your drains and one extremely “naughty” one that might as well be a lump of coal jammed down a drain.
Okay, let’s make that list, check it twice, and help you make the best decision when it comes to drain cleaning in Evanston, IL.
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.
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.
Toilets 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.
October 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.
It 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.
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?