How To Avoid Plumbing Disasters

Plumbing disasters can be unexpected and costly. The good thing is there are ways to prevent plumbing disasters from happening in the first place with a little bit of preventive maintenance. This could save you hundreds -- if not thousands of dollars.

The following are a few tips that will hopefully help you avoid plumbing mishaps in the future:

Familiarize yourself with your main house shut off valve, where it is located and how to turn it off in case of an emergency. It may be a ball-valve or a gate-valve. These can be tricky to locate sometimes. It could be in the basement, a crawl space, or buried somewhere in your front yard so it's great to know where it is before you're in a dire situation.

If you have older plumbing look for rust and corroded areas on the pipe. If you think you have a problem, our plumbers are only a call away. They can come out, inspect your plumbing, and give you an estimate on repairing or replacing lines.

Be sure to inspect your water heater periodically. This is one of the most common causes of interior water damage. Again, you'll want to look for rusty pipes going into the water heater and check for leaking or rust spots on the tank itself. Also, if your water heater is located inside your house you should have a drain pan installed under it. This way, if it does leak the water will drain all over your floor. Call us if you think you have a problem. Remember, preventive maintenance can save you in the long run.

If you're going away for just the weekend or on a long vacation, let a neighbor know where your main shut off is in case of an emergency. If you're not comfortable involving a neighbor, you can shut off your water at the main valve before you go out of town. This way you won't come home to a flooded house!

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 assistance with preventing or fixing plumbing disasters.

When Was The Last Time You Cleaned Your Sewer And Drains?

When was the last time you cleaned your sewer and drains? Recently? Most people may answer ‘no' to that question. Did you know that hundreds of variations of bacteria and mold can be easily carried throughout the entire house by way of your pipes? It doesn't take much. Often, we assume since water is always flowing through the pipes and not sitting idle that we are always keeping the pipes clean. Not the case, in fact, water is a great source for bacteria and mold to thrive and water-flow is its carrier.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider cleaning your drains and pipes annually...

The Hazards of Sewage Backup

A sewage backup will commonly present a serious health hazard mainly caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Sewage backup is dangerous due to the many ways it transmits diseases and because it is sometimes hard to predict.

What is Sewage?

Sewage backup hazards are better understood once you learn what sewage is. It's also known as raw sewage, sewage sludge, or septic tank waste. Raw sewage is mainly gray or black water. It usually contains the organic waste and waste water produced by household and industrial sources. Sewage typically contains everything from soap to solid waste, human excrement, industrial effluent, and debris. It is discharged by drains and sewer lines. Excrement is the major source of harmful microorganisms such as coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coliform (E. coli), and Enterococcus.

Exposure to sewage or its products may result in a number of diseases:

• Gastroenteritis
 - An inflammation of the stomach and the intestine. Gastroenteritis may result in diarrhea with vomiting and cramps when irritation is excessive. When caused by an infectious agent, it is often associated with fever.
• Hepatitis
 Hepatitis - Inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis caused by a virus is known as viral hepatitis. When Hepatitis is a result of sewage backup it is often characterized by inflammation of the liver and jaundice.
• Occupational Asthma
 - A respiratory disorder characterized by attacks of breathlessness, chest tightness and wheezing.
• Weil's Disease - An acute feverish disease marked by gastroenteritis, mild jaundice, persistent and severe headache.

Those are just a few reasons to have your sewer cleaned. 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 a thorough inspection and cleaning of your sewer.

D-I-WHY Don't You Call A Professional???

So, you've just returned home from the home improvement store with a cart full of new fixtures and other accessories for your kitchen or bathroom. You're so excited to see the new look that you decide to install them yourself. The guy at the home improvement store said it's a cinch and that a third grader could do it. Hopefully for your sake that third grader is a licensed plumber.

A seemingly simple task taken on by a non-licensed contractor or plumber can result in catastrophic results. I'm not saying your house will implode if you install a new faucet, but it could leak steadily for a year, soften the floor, and come crashing down in your kitchen on top of the other faucet you installed (that also leaks). Try this, an improperly installed faucet can mean the difference between losing thousands of dollars or keeping money in the bank.

You see, no two homes are identical. Even if they have the same blue print. There is always an alteration to suit a particular home when it comes to plumbing and electricity. There are basic guidelines but there is no one particular way to install these fixtures.

Do you have plumber's putty? Vise grips? A snake? Probably not. If you do, then you're probably a plumber! If you don't have any of those basic plumbing tools then call someone who does. Those fixtures deserve to be calibrated to an exact point for maximum efficiency. That's where we come in. If you knocked a tooth out would you go buy a new one and put it in yourself? I don't think so! Same goes for your home's 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.

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.

What Is Video Snaking?

What Is Video Snaking ?

Video snaking or "See-Snake" is a process where a plumbing company runs a video line or camera down your branch lines (the pipes that lead from bathtubs and faucets to the house's sewer line) or down the house's sewer line (the larger pipe that leads from the house to the municipal sewer line on the street). At the end of the line is a camera that lets you see the line close-up. If you are doing an entire sewer line video inspection you will see a walk-through, leading from the trap, down through the sewer line, and up to any obstructions. If the camera can push through the blockage, it may continue through to the municipal line.

How Often Will You Need This Done?

This would not be a frequent occurrence. If you are purchasing a home, adding a bathroom, or remodeling your kitchen or bathroom then video snaking is in order. Typically, most homeowners call in a sewer line video inspection only if there is a problem, such as a blockage that cannot be fixed by plunging, or sewer rodding or drain cleaning. Locating the problem via video is a lot more cost effective than aimlessly digging holes, looking for the culprit.

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 video snaking 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.