Did you know that a small leak in your home can waste as much as 90 gallons of water each day, according to The Energy Collective, and leaks can come from anywhere, including leaking faucets and toilets and slab leaks. In fact, one of the worst leaks to have is a slab leak. They are difficult to find and can be difficult and expensive to repair.
When it comes to determining how to fix your aging plastic or metal plumbing pipes, you may be torn between choosing to traditionally re-pipe your plumbing system or rehabilitating your pipes with an epoxy pipe liner.
Do you know the status of your building’s plumbing pipes? As the temperatures start to dip below freezing, you could be more susceptible to freezing and bursting pipes, especially if your pipes are already damaged or cracked. Lining your pipes with an epoxy liner can restore the structural integrity of your plumbing pipes and provide you with valuable peace of mind this winter.
Many residential homes are built on concrete slab foundations, and the plumbing for those homes often resides under the concrete slab. As long as the pipes function well and do not have any leaks, this plumbing installation method works great. Unfortunately, once those pipes start leaking, it often involves digging through the floor of the home and the concrete slab in order to remove the damaged pipe section and replace it. This can be extremely costly for the homeowner. If you know the causes and signs of a pipe leak, you can contact a pipe lining professional to make the repairs before major damage occurs.
When it comes to your potable water plumbing system, it is essential to understand the components and how they might fail so that you can keep the water flowing in your Chicago building. In general, potable water lines consist of straight runs of pipe and various fittings that are used to change the direction of the pipe, connect two or more pipes or add a shutoff valve.
Did you know that entire plumbing pipe runs do not need to be replaced if there is a crack, root infiltration or severe clog? Instead of replacing the entire pipe, a sectional point repair can be performed to remedy the problem. During a sectional point repair, the section of damaged pipe is identified and either removed or cleaned and lined with an epoxy liner. Here at Nu Flow in Chicago, we line damaged plumbing pipes to prevent future corrosion and to extend the pipe’s useful life.
When it comes to your plumbing pipes, it is imperative that you know the details of your system before it starts failing. Water damage from leaking pipes can lead to mold, mildew and even fungus growth, which could negatively impact your residents’ health. It also wastes water and increases water bills. The EPA estimates that 1 trillion gallons of water are wasted each year as a direct result of leaking water fixtures and pipes. Thankfully, you can prevent these catastrophes.
Epoxy pipe lining can be used to stop leaks in all types of drains, including potable water lines, sewer lines and drain lines. Recently, we had a homeowner call us about a leaky roof drain in a residential home in Highland Park. She told our technician that every time it rained, she noticed water spots along the wall that encased the drain. She wondered if we could apply our residential pipe lining technology to her water leak problem. Needing more information on the condition of her pipe, we agreed to send a a licensed plumber from partner company, Althoff Industries, out to perform a camera inspection.
When the plumbing pipes of your residential highrise building in Chicago reach the end of their useful lives, you may be torn between traditional method of pipe replacement and trenchless pipe restoration. The type of plan you choose for your pipes will largely depend on your budget and the benefits and drawbacks for your building, residents and board members.
If you are a property manager or owner of one of the 600 apartment buildings, condos or co-ops that has a membership with ABOMA or a Chicago property manager that will soon be in control of one of the 40 new Chicago highrises that are currently being built, you are probably wondering how to avoid large-scale plumbing repairs and plumbing mistakes. The first step to preventing plumbing mistakes is understanding the most common plumbing errors performed in multi-unit, high rise residential buildings.