Nu Flow Blog

If you are a building or facilities manager in Chicago, odds are you have a pretty good understanding of how your building operates. You may not be an expert in all of your building's plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, but it is helpful to have basic knowledge of these systems. The same may not be true of all of your building's board members or members of your HOA.

A plumbing system for multi-unit residential building is a complex network of pipes, drains, sewers vents, tanks and pumps. Some board members may not fully appreciate the intricacies of plumbing in multi-story building. They may not understand that patchwork repairs will only provide relief, especially in an older facility, for so long. They may not recognize that plumbing has a lifespan.

Let's take a quick look behind the walls at a plumbing system for multi-unit residential buildings.

An article written three years ago on InsuranceThoughtLeadership.com has been brought to the attention of us at Nu Flow Midwest on several occasions, enough that we thought it would be appropriate to address the epoxy pipe re-lining thoughts from the article on our blog.

Illinois infrastructure isn't sexy. Sure, most people welcome the new highway or spectacular bridge that shaves a few minutes off their commute, but maintaining it is a hard sell. It's even worse when it's out of sight, like the pipes that deliver clean water to our homes, schools and offices. Few outside the civil engineering profession give a moment's thought to our aging water infrastructure, yet it's of vital importance.

Safeguarding our water supply is going to be very expensive, yet doing nothing isn't an option. That means we urgently need some new and better ways of maintaining the pipes that carry our water. Here's a look at the problem.

As events in Flint, Michigan, have shown, lead contaminated drinking water is a serious health problem. That’s why cities like Chicago are replacing their lead service lines. Unfortunately, a growing body of evidence suggests that actually makes the problem worse, at least in the short term.

Pinhole leaks in copper piping have become notoriously problematic. While all piping, no matter the material, are susceptible to leaks, pinhole leaks seem to be a particular trait in copper piping. While pinhole leaks may sound small, the reality is they can be a disaster for your building and your tenants.

Winter can be tough on Chicago area buildings. Even insulated pipes can have exposed areas that could have possibly frozen and perhaps caused small leaks in isolated areas. But spring is finally here and here are some tips to check your building plumbing system for leaks.

If you are a manager of a Chicago building, especially if it is an older facility, you may be faced with a significant decision regarding your building's plumbing. Piping after all, has a lifespan. Once it begins to reach the end of that lifespan, you may experience increasing failures, leading to higher and higher plumbing related maintenance costs. At some point, you will be forced to decide on a more permanent solution. Should you have your building's piping replaced, or should you choose an epoxy lining solution? There are many reasons pipe relining is a better option, including the fact it is less invasive, it inconveniences tenants less, and it is a more “green” solution. But what building owners, managers and HOA's really appreciate is that it is less expensive. Here's how internal pipe coating saves money vs pipe replacement.

In our previous post, we discussed common causes of clogged drains, how they can be detected and who is responsible for their repair. In this post, we want to address ways in which building plumbing drain system clogs can be prevented.

Plumbing problems can get increasingly expensive, especially as a building ages. If you manage a building in the Chicago area, plumbing and drain issues can mean late night phone calls and the potential for extensive property damage. Because plumbing is a network, problems seem to be seldom isolated. Many times one issue can lead to another.

April showers may bring May flowers but the heavy showers in the spring can cause problems for Chicago area building managers. Our winters can cause all types of corrosive road chemicals and salt to find its way through building garage drains. In addition, mud and cinders can get packed up under wheel wells. This too will eventually make its way into garage and building drain pipes. Adding heavy April showers to these clogged and corroded drains is a recipe for water problems.