Tag Archives: chicago emergency plumbing

Emergency Plumbing Prep for Chicago’s Severe Weather

frozen pipes during a chicago winter

Chicago is famous for its unpredictable weather. In some weeks, you can experience all four seasons of the year within seven days. One moment it feels like fall, and the very next one, you are caught in a snowstorm. Two days later, you may have daytime temperatures reaching 70°F.

There are many geographic reasons why these massive variations in weather happen in the city, but they don’t matter for your home’s plumbing. RENTit Colorado notes that the unpredictable and sometimes extreme nature of Chicago’s weather means that plumbing systems in this city are under a lot of strain.

Inconsistent weather conditions make it hard for homeowners to know which preventive measures to take to protect their plumbing. The result is that plumbing systems in Chicago homes are highly prone to emergencies: frozen pipes, sewer backups, and burst water lines.

In this guide, we explain the critical plumbing preps every Chicago homeowner must understand to fortify their plumbing systems and prevent or minimize emergencies in their home.

Emergency plumbing preps for Chicago homes

  1. Scheduled professional plumbing inspections

Weather events such as deep freezes and heavy precipitation may have unexpected negative consequences on the function and physical condition of your plumbing. These problems can go unnoticed until they cause plumbing emergencies in your home. Scheduled professional plumbing inspections help to prevent this.

You should not wait until problems arise before inspecting the plumbing. Have the system checked at preplanned intervals, whether there are issues or not. This will help you catch problems at their early stages and also let you solve them fairly easily. What should be the focus of these inspections?

Sewer lines ought to be a major focal point due to the impact of sewer line issues on your home and the cost of fixing those problems. Inspect water heaters and water lines for early signs of corrosion, leaks, and other issues. Check the home’s water pressure for potential failure.

Also, remember to replace worn-out or aged components in the plumbing. For the best results, this inspection should be done by a local plumber in Chicago. Inspections should be done at least once a year for older homes and every two years for newer buildings.

  1. Clean and maintain gutters, downspouts, and exterior drains

Exterior drainage systems are another critical point of failure in your plumbing. Clogged and leaky gutters can lead to excessive weight on brackets and fascia. In cold weather, they may cause ice dams or let water penetrate the inner structures of your roof. Damaged or malfunctioning downspouts can cause basement flooding and foundation damage.

Before the onset of winter and spring, clean your gutters and downspouts. If there are damaged or loose sections, fix them. Downspouts should extend at least 4-6 feet from the foundation and connect to properly installed drainage systems with pop-up emitters. Clear debris from the exterior drain grates to ensure efficient water removal after heavy rains or snowmelt.

  1. Protect vulnerable pipes

In the harsh Chicago winters, the plumbing pipes most likely to freeze are those in the unheated spaces of your home (basements, crawl spaces, and garages) as well as pipes that are along or in contact with the building’s exterior walls. These pipes are not only prone to freezing, but they can also transport cold from the outside to the inside of the house allowing for a potential burst pipe emergency.

To shield exposed pipes from the weather, insulate them with foam pipe insulation, pipe sleeves, or fiberglass. For pipes in particularly cold areas of your home, wrapping them with electric heat cables may offer better protection. You also want to seal gaps in your doors and windows or on the exterior walls of your building.

  1. Test and service your sump pump before storm season

Heavy rainfall in spring and summer poses a major flood risk for your basement. Protect your home; ensure that your sump pump is ready for this challenge.  Inspect the sump pump system, from float switches to check valves, discharge lines, and other components. Clean the sump pump and sump basin to keep dirt from blocking the inlet.

Test the sump pump by pouring a 20-liter bucket of water into the basin to see if it will come on. While it is pumping, listen for any strange noises and wait to ensure that the sump pump shuts down after emptying the pit. Check if the discharge pipe is discharging into the right location. Consider adding a battery-powered sump pump as a backup.

  1. Know the location of your main water shut-off valve

If a plumbing emergency happens in your home, such as a burst pipe, you want to quickly cut off the water supply to minimize damage. To do this, you must know the location of your main water shut-off valve and how to use it. If you plan to travel during winter, this is where you can shut off the water supply to prevent freeze damage while you are away.

Chicago’s extreme weather is a reality you can’t do anything to change. But with the help of a reputable Chicago plumber, you can stop the weather from damaging your plumbing and home.

What To Do Before a 24 Hour Chicago Plumber Arrives

What To Do Before a 24 Hour Chicago Plumber Arrives

When a plumbing emergency occurs in your home, and you call a 24-hour plumber to fix the problem, there is usually a waiting period between the call and when they arrive.

What you do during this waiting period will influence the impact of the plumbing emergency on your home. Your response within the first few minutes of discovering a plumbing problem in your home can make more difference, says RedStone Management.

This post explains the steps you should take during a plumbing emergency. They will help you minimize the damage to your home and the cost of repairs. They can also make your plumber’s life easier and the insurance process claims quicker.

What to do while waiting for a 24-hour plumber to arrive

Do the first two steps as soon as you discover the plumbing problem. The other steps should be done after you have called the emergency plumbing service.

Shut the water supply

Stop the problem from the source; turn off the water supply to the damaged pipe, plumbing fixture, or your entire home. If the affected pipe or fixture has a dedicated shutoff valve, close the valve to turn off the water supply. If it doesn’t, turn off the water supply at the main water shutoff valve. You should find this in the basement, crawlspace, garage, utility room, or outside on the street-facing side of your house.

Turn off the electricity

If there is any risk that the released water will come into contact with an electrical appliance or power outlet in your home, you want to turn off the electricity supply. If the water is already in contact with electricity, do not step into it. If you are not sure, it is better to err on the side of caution. And wait until the plumber arrives.

Drain faucets and water lines

Even after turning off the water at the main shutoff valve, water is still inside your water lines. This water can flow to the location of the damaged plumbing and cause more damage to your home. To prevent this, flush all toilets (if the plumbing emergency is not an overflowing toilet) and open all the faucets inside the house. That will get rid of any water inside the pipes.

Move furniture to a dry area

Any item that can be damaged by water should be moved to a safe place inside your home if it is near the location of the damaged pipe or fixture. All wet items that are salvageable should be taken outside to air and dry. Delaying to do this will make it harder to salvage those items, and your insurance payout may not cover replacing your damaged belongings.

Mop up any standing water

The next step is to remove any standing water on your flooring. The longer you let it stay, the deeper it will soak into the flooring. But if you remove it quickly, you may be able to avoid the expense of replacing your flooring. You can remove the water with a wet vacuum or a mop and bucket. If parts of the drywall are affected, open your door to improve air circulation. Depending on the amount of damage, you may need to hire a professional to dry your home.

Take photos and videos of the damage

Walk through the house with a smartphone and make a video of the area around the damaged pipe or fixture. Make sure to capture the cause of the problem and the damage to your walls, flooring, and belongings. For clarity, it is a good idea to add some narration to the video. The videos and photos serve as your records and will be handy when making insurance claims.

Take preventive action

After your emergency plumber has come and gone, you may want to take steps to prevent a recurrence of the problem. As you probably learned from this experience, it is far easier and cheaper to prevent a plumbing emergency in your home than to fix the damage caused by a plumbing emergency. How can you avoid similar problems in the future?

  • Inspect your plumbing every month or at the start of every season. You can do this yourself. Also, you will need a professional plumber to thoroughly inspect your plumbing system yearly.

  • Fix all minor problems with the plumbing at once. Minor issues progress to the major problems that lead to plumbing emergencies in your home.

  • Install a leak detection device and water pressure monitor. These will alert you if one of your pipes is leaking.

Finally, you will need a reliable 24-hour plumber. The best time to find an emergency plumber is before a plumbing emergency in your home. Having an emergency plumber (that you have already vetted) on speed dial can save you time and money during a plumbing emergency.