How To Prevent Frozen Pipes
Winter is upon us, and so, too, is the problem of having your pipes freeze over when you least expect it. The three most common reasons why pipes freeze is due to poor insulation, quick drops in temperature, and thermostats that aren’t set high enough. However, you don’t have to immediately resign yourself to shelling out tons of money to repair your broken plumbing. With some time and effort, you can do a few things to prevent your pipes from freezing over. Here’s how.
3 Important Reasons To Buy A Tankless Water Heater
Have you ever run out of hot water while taking a shower? It’s very frustrating and can be terribly inconvenient at times. To solve this problem, many people in Chicago are getting rid of their old water tanks and installing tankless water heater systems. Let’s check out three good reasons to buy one today.
On Demand Heated Water
When you decide to go tank-less you’ll have all the hot water you want, as soon as you turn on the tap. There is no need to wait 30 minutes or longer after someone else takes a shower or uses the washing machine.
Save Money on Utilities
There is little chance gas or electric rates in the Chicago area are going down any time soon. A tankless water heater can save you a lot of money on your utility bills and here is why:
A standard water tank holds from 30 to 50 gallons of water. This water must be kept constantly hot, so you pay a lot of money to heat water you are not using. Your hot water is waiting in storage most of the time. Tankless heaters only draw energy while you actually use the hot water. In fact, most of the time they are not working and running up your utility bill. This savings can be substantial over time.
No Tank Leaks
As hot water tanks age, glass linings become brittle and may start to crack. If this happens, you could be dealing with a major leak in your home and since many heaters are behind walls or special cabinets, you might not be aware of the leak until it has saturated your floors or walls. Tankless heaters have no tanks to crack or leak.
To discover what a tankless water heater can do for you, contact your plumbing professionals at Apex Plumbing & Sewer Inc., today.
Ways To Keep Your Drains Running Clean And Clear
Drains are one component that many homeowners don’t think about until they start backing up, smelling or causing other problems. The way to maintain your drains and the rest of your plumbing system is to take the proactive approach. While a plumbing contractor can most certainly help restore your drains, these tips are great for reducing the need to call a contractor in the first place.
Understanding Sewer Backup Signs And Reasons
Most people understand that their sewer system transports the waste from their house to the city’s sewer lines, but if there is a sewer backup that occurs in the Chicago area, they need to call Apex Plumbing for help. We have been in business since 1983 and are determined to do our best to assist our customers with all of their plumbing needs. (more…)
Follow These Steps And Don’t Panic In A Plumbing Emergency
When things go wrong unexpectedly, it’s often natural to panic. Depending on the severity of the situation, this may range from acting in a mildly frantic manner to being unable to function at all. It’s OK if you aren’t sure how to handle things. In most cases, there is somebody who can help. If you are faced with an emergency related to your plumbing, you may be in over your head, but a professional plumber can come to the rescue and perform the necessary fix. What do you do in the meantime? While you’re waiting for a plumber to come, follow these emergency plumbing tips to handle the problem as best as you can. (more…)
5 Plumbing Tips For First-Time Diyers
With a wealth of DIY videos and instructions out there, anyone can be their own plumber. However, while learning DIY sewer and plumbing repair skills and tips are often enough to get the job done, there’s a bit of a risk that you might get in way over head. Here are some tips from Popular Mechanics on how to be a better DIYer when it comes to plumbing and sewer repair.
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4 Plumbing Emergencies You Shouldn’t Fix On Your Own
Dealing with plumbing emergencies can be stressful. That can be especially true if you don’t have as much experience solving plumbing problems. So instead of taking them on, Dummies shares here some emergencies where calling over an emergency plumber instead is your best bet:
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4 Times You Need To Hire A Plumber
Whether it’s about unclogging drains or fixing leaks, some people think fixing these problems are easy. That’s why in most cases, people tend to Do It Themselves—at least until it turns out that the problem is more than they could handle. Don’t let that happen to you. Dummies shares here some of the best times you should ring a plumber and rely on his services instead of trying fix the problem all on your own.
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Will I Save Money With a Water Meter?
“To Meter or Not to Meter” that is the question homeowners and property owners throughout Chicago are asking themselves. This blog is trying to shed some light on Chicago Meter Save Program through the eyes and experience of a Chicago Bungalow Owner.
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- Main Water Pipe Before Water Meter
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- Main Water Pipe With Water Meter
Case Study for Meter Save Chicago.
Background:
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Single Family Home (Bungalow) on the northwest side of Chicago.
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# Occupants: Man, Woman, 2 Young Children, 1 Dog
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Water Usage Description:
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Daily Bathing – 2 Bathrooms
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Light-Medium water usage for Gardening
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Dishwasher
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Water Meter was installed on March 26th of 2015
Analysis:
Below you will find screenshots for the following water bills. Once a water customer switches to the meter save program they will receive their bill every 2 months vs. every 6 months with a non-metered account.
WATER BILL BEFORE METER
1ST WATER BILL AFTER METER
2ND WATER BILL AFTER MEETER
3RD WATER BILL AFTER MEETER
4TH WATER BILL AFTER MEETER
Will you save money with a water meter?
Simple answer… Yes you will.
By taking the cost of the 3rd & 4th Water Bill multiplying it by 3 to represent the semi-annual or 6 month bill you would receive from non-metered account.
Below are a couple mathematical examples on how you save.
EXAMPLE #1:
3rd Bill Example (2 months of water) vs. Last 6 Month Bill
$76.26 x 3 =$228.78
Previous Water Bill: $445.63 – $228.78 =$216.85
Annualized Savings: $433.70
EXAMPLE #2:
4th Bill Example (2 months of water) vs. Last 6 Month Bill
$91.50 x 3 =$274.50
Previous Water Bill: $445.63 – $274.50 = $171.13
Annualized Savings: $342.26
Additional Comments:
If you are a senior I believe that would make you tax exempt from the sewer portion of the water/sewer bill, therefore increasing your savings significantly.
Looking for other ways to save on your water bill?
- Toilet Running, Stop it, Save Money on your water bill
- Leaky Pipes, Repair it, Save Money on your water bill
Contact Apex fora Free On-Site Estimate: 773-477-7714
For More information on Chicago Meter Save program click here
3 Common Plumbing Problems and How to Fix Them
There’s nothing like having someone around who has a handy skill with clogged traps and blocked drains to help get you through common plumbing perils around the house. However, if you’re home alone, with no friends, family, or partner in sight to come to your rescue, learning a thing or two about unclogging drains and fixing weak showers can help in a major way.
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