To Tank or Not to Tank....

Perhaps you've been thinking about how you can be a little more "green"?
Well, a great way to start is to replace that old, clunky water heater that leaks, spits, curses and hisses and replace it with a tankless water heater.

What exactly is a tankless water heater, you ask? Well, it's pretty self explanatory, but lets dive into some details, shall we?

Tankless water heaters, also known as" demand-type" or "instantaneous water heaters", provide hot water only as it is needed. They don't produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which can save you money.

It's sort of the same way with your heater. You don't heat your home to 78 while on vacation. Same with your water. Heat it when it's needed.

The initial cost and installation can vary, but the savings and peace of mind are well worth the small investment in a green future!

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How Can I Get My Home Ready For Spring?

When Winter Leaves, It Leaves Damage Behind

Though it's still freezing in many parts of the country, spring is right around the corner. There is no better time it’s time to make sure your plumbing and air conditioning systems are ready for Spring and Summer. Last year’s cold weather may have caused freezing-related breaks and leaks that won’t show up until you turn on the water. Or, this year's winter doesn't leave and this particular blog won't be needed for another couple of months. Let's hope not.

Wait to turn on your outside faucets and lawn sprinklers until after nighttime low temperatures are consistently above freezing (32° F) and once you do, remember to carefully check for leaks inside and outside your home. Or, you can CALL US and we’ll perform a complete Spring Inspection to make sure your home is ready for warm weather. Though there is a storm on it's way and a few more to come, it's never to early to prepare.

Spring Inspection:

- Faucet leak check

- Under-sink leak check

- Toilet leak check

- Water heater check-out

- Water Pressure test

- Main Water Shut-off check

- Comprehensive leak check

If you live in the Naperville-Plainfield-Aurora, Geneva-Batavia-St.Charles or Wheaton-Winfield-Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, contact AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555, 630-377-9555, or 630-462-3555 for a complete spring inspection.

What Should You Do If You Have A Gas Leak In Chicagoland

Our houses are like a living creatures made up of components that keep them running safely and efficiently--much like our bodies. With an intricate system of veins (or in this case pipes and lines) running through, under, around our domiciles. When one of these lines becomes incapacitated, like the human body it can be something trivial like a drippy faucet (runny nose) or something gravely serious like a gas leak (internal bleeding) that can not only compromise the safety of you and your family but could potentially annihilate an entire cul-de-sac.

Don't worry, we're here to help. Carbon monoxide detectors are a must in EVERY home so we will assume you've done the right thing and had them installed. Gas, by nature, is odorless. It is a silent killer. Luckily there is an additive that smells like sulfur to let people know there is gas leaking from somewhere.

What should you do if you have a gas leak?
ACT IMMEDIATELY. TURN OFF THE GAS. CALL US. GET OUT OF THE HOME OR BUSINESS AND WAIT FOR THE CAVALRY TO COME. (That's us!)

A gas leak should be treated with the utmost seriousness. If you live in the Naperville-Plainfield-Aurora, Geneva-Batavia-St.Charles or Wheaton-Winfield-Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, contact AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555, 630-377-9555, or 630-462-3555 if your home or business has a gas leak.

Keep Your Garbage Disposal In Working Order

Your garbage disposal will be asked to perform at maximum capacity every holiday season. A few things to keep in mind when using your disposer will ensure maximum use.

• Don't overload the disposal. If you're cutting up a bunch of veggies like celery and potatoes, be sure to put the waste into the trash. When using the disposal, insert items in small amounts. Overloading such fibrous materials into the disposer can clog and overwhelm it. 
• Keep it clean. To rid your disposer of odors, take a bowl and fill it with ice, then, sprinkle an ample amount of baking soda onto the ice. Next, turn the disposal on and dump the ice with the baking soda into the sink. It will clean the teeth and remove smells. It's like brushing and rinsing your disposal's teeth.
• Purchase a quality disposal. If it's time to replace your old one, don't get the cheapest solution. Go for efficiency. Spending more will save you the hassle of replacing it early on. 
• Teach kids that the disposal is very dangerous. Mark the disposal switch with red to prevent accidents. Make sure they know what not to put in it.

If you live in the Naperville-Plainfield-Aurora, Geneva-Batavia-St.Charles or Wheaton-Winfield-Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, contact AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555, 630-377-9555, or 630-462-3555 for assistance in keeping your garbage disposal and kitchen lines in good working order.

Signs Of A Gas Leak

On its own, natural gas does not have a scent. The rotten egg/sulfur smell is added to gas as a safety precaution so that homeowners are able to detect a leak before it turns deadly. However, some people won't be able to smell gas because they have a diminished sense of smell, or certain conditions could result in the odor of the gas fading. Don't just rely on your nose to tell you there is a leak.

If you suspect that you have a gas leak, leave the building and call your local gas company or 911. Never attempt to repair the gas line yourself. These types of emergencies always require a professional and only a licensed plumber is allowed to work on gas line installation and repair.

There are some signs of a gas leak to watch out for:

• Hissing, whistling, or roaring sound near gas appliance or gas line
• Smelling the rotten egg/sulfur smell 
• Dead or dying vegetation over or near a gas pipeline
• Exposed pipeline after fire, flood, or other disaster
• Physical damage to a gas appliance
• Water or dirt being blown into the air
• A fire or explosion near a pipeline

We also offer gas line installation for any gas appliance. This includes barbecues, hot tubs, pool heaters, fireplaces, gas stoves, cook tops, boilers, clothes dryers, and remodeling projects.

If you live in the Naperville-Plainfield-Aurora, Geneva-Batavia-St.Charles or Wheaton-Winfield-Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, contact AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555, 630-377-9555, or 630-462-3555 for assistance with gas line installation or repairs. There are many DIY tasks a homeowner can take on, but installing or repairing a gas line is not one of them.

Keeping Your Plumbing Fixtures In Good Working Order

Today, many homes have extra toilets, tubs, sinks, and showers that may not get any use. Maintaining these items is especially important for many reasons:

• If unnoticed, leaks and cracks in plumbing fixtures around your home could lead to costly repairs, in addition to higher than necessary water bills.
• Flush unused toilets at least once a week to keep all parts in good working order. Leaving the commode dormant for extended periods of time can result in leakage from dried out seals, and sticking from other parts. Flushing periodically also minimizes toilet bowl discoloration.
• Running water through tubs, showers, and sinks on occasion will keep the seals in working order, just like the toilet. Doing this at least once a month will ensure that you have longevity from your plumbing products.
• By flushing water down all of the drains, you're preventing sewer gases from stinking up your home. Sewer gas typically smells like rotten eggs and can lead to nausea, eye irritation, and in some cases death. 

Is it too late for some of your plumbing fixtures? If you live in Naperville-Plainfield-Aurora, Geneva-Batavia-St.Charles or Wheaton-Winfield-Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, contact AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555, 630-377-9555, or 630-462-3555 for any of your plumbing fixture replacement needs.

Prevent A Gas Emergency In Your Home With These 10 Safety Tips:

1. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when operating and caring for natural gas appliances, and use each appliance for its intended purpose.

2. Keep the area around your gas water clear and free of debris.

3. Ensure fuel-burning appliances are installed, used and maintained properly and safely. Hire a qualified technician to inspect heating and venting equipment annually, and use a carbon monoxide alarm that meets current standards.

4. Never use a gas oven to warm a home.

5. Don't use fuel lines for storage. Heavy coats or other items hanging from a fuel line (often located near the ceiling in basements) can stress the joints in the pipe and cause gas leaks. Don't allow children to swing on the pipes or hang clothes from them either.

6. Use a broom to keep gas meters, pipes and other service equipment clear in winter. Gas-appliance chimneys and vents must be cleared after snow and ice storms to ensure proper venting and prevent carbon monoxide accumulation.

7. Set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees or lower. Check the water temperature before placing a child in the bathtub, and never leave a child alone or with other young children in the bathtub.

8. Replace flexible connectors. Cracks can form and cause serious gas leaks in these flexible pipes that attach appliances to fuel lines. Limit the number of times you move natural gas appliances, and replace flexible connectors at least every 10 years with an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved model.

9. Never use a gas generator inside your home, garage, or near a window. Generators emit toxic and deadly carbon monoxide gas.

10. Rely on your eyes, ears, and nose to spot a gas leak. A damaged connection to a gas appliance, a hissing sound, or its distinct smell are all telltale signs of a gas leak.

There Are Two Types Of Sump Pumps: Pedestal And Submersible

You may be asking yourself, "What is a sump pump and do I need one?" A sump pump's job is to keep the area under a building dry and to prevent the building from flooding. Sump pumps are located inside sump pits. Water flows into the sump pit through either drains or the soil. The sump pump's job is to direct water out of the pit and away from the building so the basement and building stays dry.

Even if your basement has never flooded, you should still invest in a sump pump.

There are two types of sump pumps: pedestal and submersible. Pedestal pumps use an electric motor attached to a column. It sits above the sump pit. It's easy to get to and if well maintained, can last a long time. Submersible pumps are designed to work beneath the water and are located in the sump pit. These types of pumps are harder to get to, but are quite inconspicuous which is great if you don't want it to be seen. They are typically quieter than pedestal pumps.

Sump pumps don't just prevent your basement from flooding, they also control underground wetness which results in mold and mildew. Mold and mildew can lead to health problems down the road.

If you already have a sump pump and you're not sure if it works properly, now is the perfect time to find out. Areas that experienced excessive snow fall will need to prevent flooding as the snow melts. Also, spring showers can leave your basement filled with water if you don't have a sump pump or if your sump pump is not in working order.

Even though a sump pump can be your best ally against a flood, they do fail under certain circumstances, including neglect and power outages.

In addition to having a sump pump, a battery back-up system is advisable, in case your power does go out. Certain battery back-up systems will automatically “cycle” your back-up pump so that it won’t sit neglected and therefore fail when it is called upon in a power outage. These systems can be expensive but are well worth it, especially if you have a finished basement.

Contact Naperville area AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555 for sump pump installation or repair before you have the task of dealing with a flooded basement.

How To Keep Your Home Free Of Leaks When You Are On Vacation

Here are a few suggestions to keep your home free of floods and leaks while you are away.

10 Plumbing Tips Before You Leave on Vacation:

1. If you don't need a sprinkler system or a pool pump to run, be sure to turn off your main plumbing shut off valve before you leave for an extended period of time. There will still be water in your plumbing system, but additional water won't enter into the system while you're gone. This is a great opportunity to check that the plumbing main shut off valve is working properly.
2. Can't shut off the main valve? You can shut off individual valves under your sinks, behind your toilets, behind the refrigerator, and behind the washing machine. Only turn off the valves that are in good working order.
3. If you turned off your plumbing main shut off valve, this is still a good time to look at all your shut off valves and supply lines under your sinks and toilets to be sure none are wet or leaking before leaving.
4. If you have plumbing behind your refrigerator, pull the refrigerator out and check to be sure nothing is wet or corroded.
5. Look all around your water heater and water softener, make sure there is no water present. These items also have their own shut off valves that can be turned off to lessen the chance of water damage. 
6. If the water heater is in good condition, turn the thermostat down so that it isn't constantly running to heat the water while you are away. On an electric water heater, turn the breaker off at your main electrical breaker box. This will avoid wasting energy while you're away.
7. Add water to all drains before leaving to keep them wet. This will minimize odors in your pipes when you return.
8. Do an inspection of the outside of your home, make sure nothing is leaking before you leave the house. Be sure to check the hoses, sprinklers, etc.
9. If you have a drinking water system, make sure your drinking water system is newer, as older lines on these units can crack and break and are often the culprit causing water damage in many homes. Some of these systems can be turned off individually at the valve under the sink to lessen the possibility of water damage.
10. While you're away, have someone check inside and around your home to ensure that nothing has broken or was forgotten while your family is enjoying their vacation. An unattended plumbing problem can be very costly and frustrating to return home to.

If you live in the Naperville-Plainfield-Aurora, Geneva-Batavia-St.Charles or Wheaton-Winfield-Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, contact AquaTech Plumbing at 630-416-3555, 630-377-9555, or 630-462-3555 for any of your pre-vacation plumbing questions and needs.

How Do You Prevent Your Household Sinks From Clogging?

How do you prevent your household sinks from clogging? The short answer-- Stop dumping stuff down the drain! The main culprits behind a clogged or slow moving drain are usually hair and food. The bathroom sink drain gets full of hair and the kitchen sink drain gets full of food and debris. If you could keep hair and food out of the drain you would prevent 99% of the clogs before they happen.

How to keep your Kitchen drain clear:

Keeping food out of the kitchen sink drain can be easy, if you have a sink strainer. It's cheap and readily available and saves you from potential plumbing catastrophes. Most strainers are the basket type with holes or there is the screen style which just sets over the drain opening catching all the big food particles. You simply lift out the screen and dump it in the trash when it's full or when the water won't drain. Anything that will slip past this screen is small enough so it won't cause a back-up. They can be bought at Home Depot for around $3.00.

How to keep your bathroom drain clear:

When it comes to the bathroom sink (or tub), your drain's biggest enemy is hair. Unfortunately there isn't a screen that fits a bathroom sink. Bathroom sinks, unlike kitchen sinks, usually have a pop-up drain assembly with a lever right behind the faucet to lift and lower the stopper. The best prevention here is to wipe up any loose hair before it enters the sink drain. You will occasionally need to remove the pop-up in order to clean out the hair. It's a messy job but one that needs to be done. Some tubs have a fixed metal screen and some have a loose rubber plug. If you have a fixed drain cover you'll need to remove this cover so a hair stopper will fit.

Over the years the inside diameter of your drain pipes get smaller and smaller. You'd be shocked if you could see inside your pipes but this is an indicator of the health of your plumbing. There are a number of drain cleaners on the market both organic and caustic but those are not recommended. Always contact a professional plumber before putting ANYTHING, organic or not, down your drain. If you are experiencing slow draining or clogged pipes, contact Naperville area AquaTech Plumbing for all of your drain cleaning needs!

Prolong The Life Of Enameled Cast Iron Sinks

Today, kitchen sink bowls come in a variety of different materials. Although enameled cast iron remains an attractive and durable product, many people today are choosing bowls made of stainless steel and other solid surface materials for their added durability, stain resistance, and as aesthetic appeal.

Bowls are available in: Swanstone, Surrell, Corian, Moenstone, and much more. The most important thing to remember is to follow the manufacturer's instructions pertaining to the material of which your bowl is constructed. With some of the solid surface materials, scratches can be removed when lightly sanded because the color goes throughout the thickness of the material.

Do not allow fruit or vegetable juices or cleaning acids to sit on any surface. An acid-resisting sink will safely resist lemon, orange, and other citrus fruit juices, tomato juice, mayonnaise, and other vinegar preparations if these are not permitted to remain more than a few hours. A regular enamel finish is not impervious to acids.

Teas and coffee grounds will also stain enameled surfaces, if allowed to remain very long. Photographic solutions are even more harmful to enamel, and the amateur photographer should not be allowed to use the sink, because a fixture once damaged in this way can never be corrected.

In order to prolong the life of enameled cast iron sinks, clean the bowl immediately after each use. Use a nonabrasive cleaner. Constant use of abrasive cleaners can eventually wear the finish down, making it much more porous and susceptible to stains. This can also happen with enameled, cast iron tubs over a long period, leaving behind unsightly discoloration and haze. When cleaning the sink, use hot water and soap. Water and soap are not as hard on the enameled finish as strong cleaning solutions like washing soda or a gritty abrasive. If a cleaner is used, it should be one that specifically states that it is nonabrasive.

Contact Naperville area AquaTech Plumbing at www.aquatechplumbing.com/contact for all of your plumbing needs.

Prevent A Clog During The Holidays

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and quite a few plumbing emergencies. A majority of Americans take part in holiday parties with 11 or more guests around Thanksgiving and Christmas. These extra guests put a serious strain on a home's plumbing system, which results in more emergency calls to plumbers.

Big holiday meals require a busy kitchen. Too much grease and food finds its way into the kitchen drain or disposal. Holiday guests also equate to extra showers and baths as well as lots of extra toilet flushes. It all adds up to potential plumbing disasters.

Pipes clog because of a gradual buildup over time from grease, hair, soap, or food particles. All it takes it one major overload, like a house full of guests, to exasperate the situation and create a clogged drain. Follow these following tips to avoid a plumbing disaster after this holiday season.

In the kitchen:

• Never put hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrous waste into the garbage disposal (i.e. poultry skins, carrots, celery, pumpkin pulp, or banana peels). The disposal can't sufficiently grind these items and they will clog your sink drain.
• Run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposal to flush waste down the main line.
• Turn on the disposer before adding food debris.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine at night or at off times to conserve hot water and maintain adequate water pressure for your guests.
• Avoid pouring fats or cooking oils down the drain because liquid fats solidify in the pipes and create clogs. Wipe congealed grease from pots.

In the bathroom:

• Plan ahead, spread out showers throughout the day; wait 10 minutes between showers rather than taking one right after another.
• If shower pressure is weak, pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the shower head, and soak. Use a twist tie to hold it in place overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the mineral deposits to help restore water flow.
• Turn up the water heater slightly to retain hot water. To avoid scalding, do not exceed 120°F. 

Now that your home is quiet and your drains are draining slowly, contact the Naperville area plumbers of AquaTech Plumbing. We can help!

Have a safe and happy New Year, everyone!