What Are The Steps To Take If My Pipes Freeze?

The following are a few helpful tips from AquaTech Plumbing to keep your home in good working order this winter:

• As temperatures reach freezing and dip far below it, be sure to close all air vents and other openings in the crawl space under your house. This will prevent heat from escaping as much as possible. 

• In freezing weather, never set your home's thermostat below 55 degrees. Below that temperature your pipes are at risk of freezing. 

• Insulate pipes that are prone to freezing, such as those near an outside wall, in unheated areas of your home, or if they are exposed, such as outside spigots. In an emergency, several layers of newspapers or rags can be used for temporary insulation.

• Keep the cover to your water meter box securely in place to prevent the meter from freezing during cold periods.

• In extremely cold weather, leave cabinet doors under sinks open to keep warm air circulating.

If Your Pipes Freeze:

• We warn against using a hair dryer, heat lamp or light bulb to thaw the frozen pipe yourself. Too much heat in one spot can burst the pipe, and it is difficult to evenly distribute the heat over a large area of the pipe. Also, using any electrical appliance to thaw a pipe can be dangerous because the appliance could become wet, increasing your danger of electrocution.

• DO NOT use a blow torch or any type of flame to thaw a frozen line. In addition to the danger of fire, extreme heat could thaw the pipe too rapidly, causing it to burst and resulting in potential injury and damage to your property. 

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 home in tip-top shape this winter season.

Is My Water Heater Ready For The Winter Months?

There is nothing like a hot shower or bath on a cold winter morning. We get in and never want to get out. Unless of course we are forced out by the absence of hot water.

How ready is your water heater for the winter months? In order to avoid those unbearable moments where the hot water runs out, follow these simple steps to ensure that your home's water heater won't leave you out in the cold.

First, improve water heater pipe insulation to combat cold water problems in the winter months. This is especially important for tanks that are near an outside wall, in the garage, or other non-insulated spaces that are more susceptible to the elements. Invest in pipe insulation or heat tape and wrap the pipes well. Consult our experts for professional advise.

Investigate the area surrounding the water heater for drafts, cold spots, or cold walls. Any compromises in the insulation can lead to costly waste. Consider resealing any nearby windows, adding caulk to sills, and adding insulation to the walls surrounding the water heater.

Call us if you cannot get enough hot water for your family's comfort. The sooner you get water heater repair, the better, as units in bad repair are less efficient, more costly to operate, and can cause water damage if it begins to leak.

Do a thorough examination of your home's water heater today. 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 water heater in good working order.

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.

All About AquaTech Plumbing...

Family owned and operated AquaTech Plumbing offers “Better Plumbing for Better Pricing” 24/7,with priority response given to customers in Chicago’s western suburbs.

We employ only licensed plumbers to ensure you receive expert plumbing and the quality service you deserve.

With more than 30 years of experience, AquaTech Plumbing of Illinois provides precision plumbing repair services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

Our licensed plumbers offer 24-hour emergency plumbing repair because we understand there is never a convenient time for water heater repairs or plumbing problems; therefore, we ensure your peace of mind with immediate responsiveness from our professional plumbers, accurate diagnosis and residential plumbing repairs, and up-front guaranteed pricing. We are available to assist day or night with all types of plumbing repairs, faucet leaks or toilet repairs, clogged drains, sewer backup problems and much more. It’s what you’d expect from experienced, professional, Chicagoland licensed plumbers… and it’s what you’ll get from AquaTech Plumbing.

“Better Plumbing For Better Pricing” is more than just our motto; it defines the business tradition of our professional plumbers in Chicago. Because we serve a broad range of commercial, industrial and residential customers, all of our licensed plumbers are skilled in a variety of plumbing applications, from basic home service for leaky faucet repair, shower drain repair, drain cleaning and garbage disposal installation to the latest industry advances including tankless water heaters for your home or business, and our revolutionary new back-up system for sump pumps. Not only do these items add value to your residential or commercial property , you’ll be protecting one of your largest personal investments – your home or business. Using AquaTech Plumbing puts your residential plumbing or commercial plumbing system in very capable hands.

We offer these innovative residential plumbing services and products to provide peace of mind while saving you money; products like tankless water heaters, which increase hot water availability while decreasing energy bills and maximizing space. In addition, our back-up systems for sump pumps work tirelessly to prevent basement flooding and clogged drains.

Whether you need faucets, bathroom fixtures, sinks, garbage disposals, toilets, bathtubs, shower heads, body sprays, bidets, whirlpools, laundry tubs, ejector pumps, hose bibs, general repairs, water pressure restored, garbage disposal installation, gas piping, fixing broken pipes, thawing frozen pipes, root removal services, sewer rodding, sewer repair, drain cleaning, tankless water heaters, back-up systems for sump pumps, trenchless sewer solutions, or you need us to diagnose your sewer problem with a camera or TV equipment, our licensed plumbers are equipped and ready at a moment’s notice to provide you with the peace of mind you deserve. AquaTech Plumbing – “Better Plumbing For Better Pricing” – for residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout Chicago and suburbs.

And if you should need maintenance, count on AquaTech to service everything from toilets and water heaters to sewer rodding and drain clog removal, sump discharge lines and much more.

AquaTech Plumbing also installs RPZ valves and provides RPZ certification, backflow certification to cities in our service area for businesses and homes that have this backflow prevention device to prevent water contamination.

Residential, industrial and commercial – our licensed plumbers cater to every client no matter what the need. Who better to serve you than the company which was trusted to serve subsidiaries of homeland security?With our level of experience and knowledge, there is no commercial or residential installation or repair that is beyond our capabilities. And our mission is to serve you in a way that makes you a customer for life.

We recognize you have choices. Our mission is service that makes you a customer for life, so you’ll never regret choosing AquaTech Plumbing. Call us today!

Does Your Home Or Business Piping Need To Be Repaired?

A gas leak can be the deadliest leak there is. Before an odor was added to it, people didn't know they had a leak until it was too late. Today, the odor is there to detect it. However, that doesn't make it any less deadly.

Every year paramedics and firefighters respond to calls of a gas leak after it's too late. The effects of a gas leak can be as small as a patch of grass dying to as large as a whole neighborhood engulfed in flames. Consider a gas leak to be like a leak on a boat. There are no good leaks. If left untreated, the results will be catastrophic.

Whether your home or business' piping needs to be repaired or new piping installed, call us. We take the time to ensure quality installation. Fall is here and Winter is fast approaching. Check your pipes today to see if they are up to the task of keeping your family warm and safe.

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 gas lines in good working order.

How Can I Tell If I Have A Slab Leak?

What is a repipe?

A repipe is the complete replacement of the incoming water system in a home or business from the water meter or well to all plumbing fixtures. As severe as it sounds it is actually a very common procedure. It is called for in situations where pipes have begun to leak due to deterioration, or when low pressure due to calcification is present.

How can I tell if I have a slab leak?

A slab leak is a term for a leak in one of the water lines running below the concrete floor of your home. To see if you have a slab leak, check your water meter. Without running any water in the house (laundry, toilet, dishwasher, etc.), check the dial face for any movement. Many meters have a "leak detector" which appears as a small black triangle or a small white wheel. If this is spinning or there is any movement on the dial, this indicates a leak in your water pipe system.

I am getting a foul odor from a bathroom in my home that we rarely even use. Why?

Your infrequent use of the bathroom is probably the cause of the problem. Certain plumbing fixtures have a built-in trap in their drains to keep sewer gas from seeping back into the home. Over time they can dry up. Dump a bucket of water into each of the plumbing fixtures in the bathroom. Flush regularly and this should solve the problem.

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 in keeping your plumbing in good working order.

Wipes Clog Pipes!

We teach our children while they are potty training to NOT put anything in the toilet other than waste and toilet paper. We teach them this and then we turn around and practice opposite of what we've preached. We do so by flushing wet wipes and baby wipes down the toilet. These items cause damage to entire sewer systems, affecting thousands of homes and businesses.

Most of us know not to flush paper towels down the toilet. They are thick and made for absorbing water, not to dissolve in water. Think about wet wipes and baby wipes. They are often times thicker and more durable than paper towels. They've absorbed water and retained it without disintegrating. That is a pretty good glimpse into how they're sewer life will play out. Wet wipes are wet and strong, even capable of causing iceberg sized masses to form in sewer systems throughout the nation.

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 in keeping your plumbing in good working order. Wipes have grown in popularity over the last few years and they are wrecking havoc on our plumbing systems. Remember, wipes clog pipes!