You may not know it because you probably don’t use them very often, but you have emergency water shut offs under all of your plumbing fixtures. As a part of our plumbing inspection we exercise all of the emergency shut offs in your home to ensure that they are working properly. We also encourage you to accompany us in the process so that in the event of an emergency you not only know how to operate these shut offs but you also know where they are located. For the home’s main emergency shut offs we actually put highly visible labels on them so that they can be identified quickly when needed.

We also inspect all of the plumbing fixtures. A good example of how we check a fixture is your toilet. During the inspection we will insert a dye in the tank of all of your toilets. We let that dye set for a period of time and then we inspect to make sure that the water is not leaking from the tank into the bowl. Everyone thinks that if the water is leaking from the tank to the bowl that it is automatically a bad tank seal or flapper. This is not always the case. You might have this kind of a leak and it may only require an adjustment of your fill valve or your douglas valve. All of this is done at no charge during our inspection. I will give you just one example of what can happen when something this simple is left undiscovered. On more than one occasion we were called out to a person’s home after the house was flooded and it was because of a bad tank seal. What happened was that the tank seal was allowing water to constantly be introduced into the bowl. At the same time the toilet had become obstructed unbeknownst to the owner. They left their home in the morning and went to work while the toilet overflowed all day until they came home in the evening. You can imagine the mess. That is just one example of a totally preventable disaster. If you see the value in a home plumbing inspection, just call our friendly staff at 773-276-5430 and set one up. The cost is only $142.00 and it could save you much more in the long run.

Is this the only thing to consider with your tankless water heater? No. In chicago most of our gas mains are what is called low pressure. All homes are low pressure as well. What that means is that careful consideration needs to be taken when sizing the gas pipe and gas meter. Most homes in Chicago have a gas meter that is about 250,000 to 275,000 BTU’s in capacity. This is not enough for almost any tankless. First off you have to consider that the tankless alone is 200,000 BTU’s, now you have to figure the furnace, gas dryer, stove top, log lighter and anything else that might use gas in the house. The meter will need to be changed. Any qualified Plumbing company will identify this and assist in getting that accomplished. The actual pipe will also likely need to be changed and this should all be done prior to the new tankless heater being put into operation. The results of a meter or piping that is too small is insidious. The heater will work, often times for years. The problem is that it will not be working efficiently and all the while it is damaging the unit. A tankless water heater can give you well in excess of 20 years of service if installed properly.

Your last consideration for your tankless installation is the combustion air. Combustion air is the air that is delivered into the unit and mixed with the fuel for the fire that heats the water. Many tankless’ can use the air in your home for combustion but often times there is not an adequate quantity of air available for such a large BTU fixture. You are always better off drawing your combustion air from the exterior of the home. At John Baethke & Son Plumbing it is mandatory that when we install a tankless heater, we draw combustion air from outside. You will get better, cleaner, and sufficient air supply this way. The side benefit is that you will not cause your home to be drawn into a negative pressure either. 

These pointers are just the tip of the iceberg when designing a proper tankless water heater installation. If you ever have any questions or are considering having a tankless installed just give us a call any time at 773-276-5430.

The papers simply touched on the fact that our Chicago water main system has over 600 miles of pipe that are over 100 years old. Why is this a problem? Right now our existing mains are leaking 25% of the water they carry.  That is a lot of water!  In just one day our water mains are losing 250 million gallons of water due to leaks. It is not just the water that is wasted, though. Every gallon of water that is running through the pipes also uses a considerable amount of electricity to keep it under pressure, and remember…all of this water has also been treated at great expense. Therefore, we are wasting not only 250 million gallons of water but 25% of our entire operating budget to move and treat this water as well.

Another problem that the news completely skipped was that in order for that leak to open a hole of that size the dirt had to go somewhere. It went right into our sewers. Can you imagine the result of introducing 2,352+ cubic feet of dirt into a drain line? You might expect it to slow the drains a little. That is the last thing we need with the flooding the Northwest side has already experienced in recent weeks. Keep in mind too that this is happening every day all over the city right beneath our feet.

The bottom line is that in the not too distant future we will be in for some very steep increases in the cost of our water. Right now people who are supplied with Lake Michigan water enjoy some of the cheapest rates in the entire United States.  At this very moment, the City of Chicago is setting the stage for these increases. On a volunteer basis people all over the city can have a water meter installed in their home if they do not already have one. You might think it would be wise not to volunteer so the city won’t know how much water you use. It is actually just the opposite. If you are one of the homeowners that volunteer you are guaranteed that your cost of water will NOT be increased for 7 years any more than it would have been under the estimated bill. If however you do not volunteer and the city sends you notice that your block is getting water meters you will not get the same deal, and you will be getting a water meter. The city needs to so from an accounting perspective and they are actually under order from the EPA to do so as well.

It is everyone’s responsibility to save water. The city needs to for obvious reasons including protecting unsuspecting motorists, but it is each individual’s responsibility as well. Just minor changes in your use of water can have dramatic results. If you turned off the water while you are brushing your teeth or shaving, if your take shorter showers and if you install water-saving fixtures you could be helping preserve our greatest natural resource and at the same time be saving money. They say water is the next oil…let’s just hope it doesn’t get quite that expensive.

Now to distinguish between the two different kinds of pump designs – the submersible and the pedestal…

The first – the submersible pump – is the more common of the two.  That means that the pump and the motor as well as the switch all sit submersed under the water. Both sump and ejector pumps are made in the submersible design. Submersible pumps have been around for nearly a century but they have only been used in the home since the mid 1960’s and happened to gain popularity in the 1970’s as an inexpensive alternative to the vertical or pedestal pump.

The vertical, or pedestal pump as they are called by plumbing professionals, was the original style of pump that was installed in the home for both sump and ejector use. It is very uncommon to see a pedestal pump nowadays, though, since they are typically more expensive than the alternatives. The benefit of the pedestal pump, however, is that the motor and switch are both located out of the water. This design gives the pedestal pump a much longer life than that of a submersible pump. The average pedestal pump will last from 30 to over 40 years whereas a submersible pump averages between 5 and 7 years. You may wonder how the performance compares. The average submersible pump can pump between 25 and 40 Gallons per minute. The average pedestal pump will pump 120 gallons per minute.

So, back to our original question: “Why do so many people flood even though they have a pump?”  The reason is that you most likely have a submersible pump, which can’t keep up with the torrential downpours we experience here in Chicago (especially this summer!). As a family business in the plumbing and sewer industry since the Great Depression (the first Great Depression I might add), we have seen many a house flood because of a submersible pump that could not keep up with the speed of water.

If you plan on being in your home for any significant amount of time, it makes the most sense to install a pedestal pump that has a long lifespan and you won’t have to worry about replacing it for few decades. If you are interested in learning more about pumps or would like to have one installed, please call our professional staff and we would be more than happy to design a system that will keep you safe, dry, and will last a very long time.

What can you do? If you do not want to filter the water you drink, one thing you can do to minimize lead exposure is to run your water for several minutes prior to drinking it. It is proven that the longer the water sets in lead contaminated pipes the more lead that will leach into it, so running the water will drain out all of the water that was sitting in the pipes absorbing the lead. Also, never use the water off the hot water tap for drinking or cooking. It is also proven that heated water accelerates the lead leaching into our water.

You are probably wondering what else you can do. There are water filters available that remove the lead from your water.  Unfortunately, because of their design, whole house versions are not yet available. Two methods of removing lead from your drinking water are both point of use. The first is reverse osmosis. It is effective but it unfortunately wastes a great deal of water in the process of filtering. It also makes the water very acidic so you cannot have any copper piping on the outgoing side of the filter or it will rapidly corrode the piping. The other method of filtration that is very effective is block carbon filtration. The only drawback is that you cannot put the filter on an existing faucet. It needs to be installed on its own faucet that will allow for less restriction in flow. This is needed because the block carbon slows down the water flow in its filtering process. Another great benefit to the carbon filter is that it removes chlorine and Chloramines and the bad taste and odor associated with them.

Every home is different. If you are concerned about YOUR water quality, call the professional water quality experts at John Baethke & Son Plumbing. We will customize a solution that best address’ your health and safety concerns.  www.BaethkePlumbing.com

How can we reuse water and what can it be reused for? The water after it has been used will go through a basic filter process and then be stored. Because of stagnation issues only enough water can be stored that will be used in a fairly short time. The water must also be died a color so that it is easily distinguishable from potable water (drinking water). The pipes that carry the reused water are also supposed to be colored purple to prevent any cross connection from happening in the future. The most common use for reused water is for the flushing of toilets or urinals. When a reuse system is used the toilets will have a water supply from both the reused water and the potable water so that in the event the reused water is used up the toilet will still fill with water.

Water reuse is still in its infancy and almost no municipalities have gone so far as to allow it in residential settings, but it is coming and it will be a small but positive step forward in water conservation.

In a letter dated May 11th from the EPA, a demand was made that the city of Chicago clean up the water that is being deposited into the Chicago River. This letter was simply enforcing the 1972 Clean Water Act. For decades the City of Chicago has been avoiding compliance stating that it would be too costly to clean up the river. One of their latest claims is that if they clean it up “drowning deaths would rise”. That is kind of crazy.  It’s similar to saying: “Why don’t we let our roads get to a point where they are totally impassible and we can eliminate traffic fatalities?”

The Water Reclamation District stated that the cost would exceed 1 billion dollars. Even at that exaggerated sum it would add up to little more than $7.00 per homeowner. That being said, more realistic estimates produced by federal studies show that it would be less than 1/4 of that cost and the majority of the money would be from federal sources. The Chicago River has been little more than a place to put Chicago’s sewage for far too long. On May 22nd both of our state senators took a tour of the Chicago River along with our state’s attorney and many others and it is clear something must be done. We were very close to approval to move forward until an objection from Commissioner Barbara McGowan delaying the vote until June 16th.

Just recently, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District voted to end the practice of dumping partially treated sewage into the Chicago River.  The Pollution Control Board will not issue a final decision until the scheduled June 16th date, though.  The Board will be taking public comments this week.  It’s time to clean things up.  Please let your voice be heard.