There are several benefits of having an energy-efficient home; for the environment and your health and safety, but for your wallet, too. When it comes to energy efficient fixtures, most people don’t think about their plumbing. But old and outdated plumbing fixtures don’t only waste water and energy, they can end up costing you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over time.

The Pains of a Low-efficiency Plumbing System

The pains of a low-efficiency plumbing system can be many. And while they may all seem small, together they can create a giant headache for homeowners.

Higher utility bills, a larger carbon footprint, and health and safety risks are some of the main issues associated with low-efficient plumbing systems. Older appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, are not only less efficient but are made from outdated technology that can put your and your family’s health at risk.

Older toilets use much more water than newer models to do the same job and this not only wastes water, it can increase your water bill by hundreds of dollars over the life of the toilet. Likewise, new shower heads not only offer more pressure than older models, they use much less water.

Here are eight energy efficient plumbing features that will not only save you money, but reduce your carbon footprint and offer added health and safety benefits:

1. Fix and upgrade leaky pipes and fixtures: A leaky faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day. That’s thousands of gallons and possibly hundreds of dollars literally down the drain every year. Leaky pipes and faucets are also a breeding ground for mold spores, which can have serious health implications. Plus, the water damage caused by leaky fixtures can end up costing tens of thousands of dollars to fix when left untreated.
2. Low-flow shower heads: Low-flow shower heads have come a long way since they were first introduced more than two decades ago. Twenty years of technological advancements mean more pressure and less water. The shower heads of yesteryear used five to eight gallons of water per minute (gpm). Current standards for today’s units are 2.5 gallons per minute and low-flow shower heads use as little as 2 gallons per minute.
3. Insulate pipes: When carrying hot water to plumbing fixtures, heat can get lost along the way. Pipe insulation helps to lower the heat loss. By doing so, you can reduce your water heater temperature to 120-degrees or lower. While paying someone to insulate the pipes in your home may not make economic sense, it’s a great option to consider during new construction or a major remodel.
4. Low-flow faucets: Replacing your current sink faucets with low-flow faucets can save water without reducing water pressure. In fact, these new fixtures can drop water usage from 2.5 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute, saving up to 13,000 gallons of water a year for a typical household. This translates to hundreds of dollars a year in savings. Some kitchen faucets also offer built-in filtered water features that can help you cut down on your bottled water consumption.
5. High-efficiency toilets (HET): More than 40% of U.S. households use older toilets that use more than 3.5 gallons per flush. Newer toilets use as little as one gallon per flush and even offer dual flushing capabilities, one of the most energy efficient options for homeowners. Look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s “water sense” label, which shows that the toilet has been tested for maximum flushing power all while saving thousands of gallons of water a tear.
6. Tankless water heaters: Tankless water heaters, also called on-demand water heaters, only heat water when needed. While these units can be expensive, their energy-saving capabilities outweigh the upfront cost. A typical water heater keeps 40 to 50 gallons of water hot at all times. As you can imagine, this is incredibly wasteful and inefficient.
7. Update washer and dryer: Older washing machines have a top-loading feature in which water fills up from the bottom. Newer, front-loading machines use up to 50 percent less water. Modern dryers have more efficient heating units that can dry clothes faster, saving energy. It is also important to note that only washing full loads of laundry can save a lot of money.
8. Regular maintenance: If you’re concerned about wasting money or energy, proper maintenance on your plumbing fixtures is important. Regular maintenance and plumbing check-ups can help you detect any small problems before they become major, and can help save money down the road.

A well-functioning plumbing system is something most homeowners take for granted. Unfortunately, since you don’t truly realize the value until something goes wrong, it can be hard to prioritize fixes. If saving money is top of your list, focus first on the smaller, less expensive fixes that can make a huge difference.

Call Lake Cook Plumbing today & start learning more about your plumbing system!

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By zachadmachinescom

Sump pumps serve the very important purpose of helping to prevent flooded property. They’re typically installed in the basements or lower levels of a home or business and work to collect water in a pit, or a sump basin. Afterward, the water is safely diverted from the home in order to prevent flooding. While sump pumps are perhaps most common in residential homes, they’re also useful in marine vessels and commercial buildings as well. 

If you are considering installation, doing so before the spring season would be ideal. If you live in temperate areas with seasonal snowfall, rising temperatures melt much of the snow. In tandem, the spring also brings increased rainfall. Because of increased water, basements and other low levels of foundations become oversaturated with water and can potentially lead to leaks. 

Types 

There are various different types of sump pumps, but the two most common in residential homes are submersible pumps and pedestal pumps. 

The former sits in sump wells and, fitting to the name, is able to effectively operate while under water. They turn on when a float is activated, which suggests that the water has built up to a point in the basin where it needs to be forced out. Pedestal pumps utilize a float as well, but they operate above the sump well. They’re also typically much louder than submersible pumps. While not as common as submersible pumps, pedestal pumps are still found in homes today. 

Two other types of sump pumps are floor sucker pumps, which basically extract water from a floor’s surface, and water-powered pumps, which integrate with a facility’s plumbing to disperse water.

Features 

Good sump pumps come with a variety of features to help keep basements dry. Arguably the most important feature, however, is the battery backup. Sump pumps run on electricity, but during a storm, it’s not unusual for a home to lose power. Battery backups keep the system working during an outage. Other notable features include a water level alarm, which will sound if the water level in the basin exceeds the top of the pump, sump liners that help prevent a sump pit from clogging and a check valve to prevent any water from returning to the pit.

Advantages & Benefits

 A sump pump is a crucial part of any home’s basement waterproofing strategy. A good working sump pump, complete with a battery backup system, can help give homeowners peace of mind, especially during periods of heavy rainfall when flash flood warnings may be issued. Sump pumps work to safely and effectively distribute built up water away from the home’s foundation to prevent the basement from flooding. Having a sump pump can mean the difference between flooded basements, water damage, and contents damage.

Requirements

It’s recommended that a plumber or similar professional conduct any sump pump installation and/or repair. Sump pump installation can be messy, as drilling into the foundation is often required. What’s more is that the installation must be carried out according to local building codes, something that the average DIY’er may not be familiar with.

Common Parts & Construction Materials 

Sump pumps tend to vary based on the type of pump and manufacturer, but most also have some similar parts and materials. For instance, there’s always a drain line to the exterior of the home, which takes the water that’s being forced out of the pit and pushes it away from the property. There’s also often a liner that houses the pump itself, the float, which helps activate the pump when water levels in the pit reach a certain level, and the electrical line that plugs into the outlet to keep the pump operating. While the actual pump can be made of various materials, cast iron is quickly becoming the industry leading material when it comes to quality.

Upgrades

The most common type of upgrade as it pertains to a sump pump installation is size. Specifically, moving up to a larger sump pump. This may be necessary if it’s seemingly always on during periods of heavy rainfall. Thus, a pump with more horsepower may be necessary. Property owners may also elect to have a secondary sump pump installed for similar reasons as well as to complement the work of the primary sump pump.

Life Expectancy & Timing of the Appliance to Expect Degradation

All appliances have a shelf life, and sump pumps are certainly no exception to this norm. What’s more is that because sump pumps work based on a motor, their shelf life is typically less than what you may imagine. In fact, it’s estimated that the standard lifespan of a sump pump is about 10 years. In order to best gauge how well the sump pump is performing and whether a replacement should be considered, it’s recommended to have the sump pump inspected on an annual basis, particularly before the spring storm season.

Call Lake Cook Plumbing today & start learning more about your plumbing system!

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By zachadmachinescom

Maintaining your plumbing in Lake Zurich can be hard work, especially when it comes to stubborn clogs. While some clogs are an easy fix thanks to a plunger or drain cleaner, other clogs are hidden deep in your home’s plumbing or main sewer line. Unfortunately, not every clog can be fixed on your own. For the more intense clogs, you’ll need professional help. While a plumber may suggest a few different tricks, water jetting by Lake Cook is your best bet for a quick and painless solution to your drainage clog. 

Why Water Jetting Benefits Your Plumbing

Clogs are a common plumbing problem and, if left untreated, they can cause severe damage to your system. Debris can still accumulate inside your pipes, no matter how well-maintained and accidents will happen from time to time. That’s why you want to use the best method when it comes to cleaning and clearing your drains and plumbing. While it may be tempting to use other methods such as a snake or drain cleaner, they’re not as safe or effective as water jetting. Clean plumbing that’s clear of clogs is a priority all homeowners should strive for. Here’s how water jetting can help:

• It’s effective at cleaning and clearing pipes. Water jetting uses a high-pressure hose to blast water through your plumbing lines. The combination of high-pressure and water makes for a very effective method at cleaning and clearing any obstructions inside your pipes without causing damages. While other methods such as snaking, may remove the obstruction, water jetting fully removes everything out of the line.

• It saves you money. While it may cost more money to water jet your plumbing versus other methods, it saves you costs further down the road. Clean and clear plumbing can help prevent other plumbing issues as well such as a cracked pipe or leak, which can be costly to repair.

• It’s a clean plumbing method. Your plumbing and sewer line are full of toxic contaminants and the more time your plumber spends on your plumbing, the more there’s a chance of coming into contact with them. Water jetting is fast and effective, which means less time the plumber has contact with the sewage inside your plumbing. Water jetting also spares you and your plumber the trouble of digging underground or cutting your walls to access your home’s plumbing.

• It’s good for the environment. Unlike chemical drain cleaners, which can be an easy fix but are very toxic, water jetting is just highly pressurized water. When using a water jet to remove any clogs, the only things that gets flushed down the pipes are water and whatever is clogging the pipe.

• It can prevent future problems. Since water jetting thoroughly cleans and clears your plumbing, it can prevent future clogs and other plumbing problems for a longer period of time than other methods. Since plumbers usually do a camera inspection before they water jet your plumbing, they can detect and treat other potential problems before they get worse.

Call Lake Cook Plumbing today & start learning more about your plumbing system!

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By zachadmachinescom

When buying any product, you want to stop and consider brands. While products are generally all the same in their major functions, different brands prioritize different design philosophies and usually end up offering different benefits based on the brand you choose. Water heater brands are no different. Different products have different pros and cons that you, the consumer, need to weigh before deciding which heater you want to have in your home. 

Navien

A long time player in the water heater space, Navien offers some of the most popular tankless water heaters on the market today. Navien prioritizes efficiency in their tankless products, and because tankless models are generally more efficient than their tanked counterparts, they put all of their energy into making sure their offerings are the absolute cream of the crop. Navien offers both condensing and non-condensing tankless models. Condensing heaters use exhaust gasses to contribute to heating. These are more efficient than non-condensing models for this reason. Non-condensing water heaters vent the exhaust gasses outside, which reduces corrosion. Many homeowners are concerned about the switch over to tankless, but a Navien heater will be sure to put their fears to ease. 

Bradford White 

Founded all the way back in 1881, Bradford White is the oldest water heater provider in America. And when you look at their offerings, it’s not hard to see why. They offer a wide variety of tankless and tank units all outfitted with excellent warranties including five and 15 year offers for various parts and components. BEcause of their experience in the industry, they’ve also perfected their tank units to be just as efficient as a tankless product.

Rinnai 

Starting in Japan back in the 20’s Rinnai provided excellent service internationally for 50 years before finally opening an office right here in california back in the 70’s. Like other companies, Rinnai values efficiency in their products, but unlike the competition, they have a specialization in hybrid model heaters. Hybrid models offer a traditional storage tank but use a heat pump to warm the water as it flows through the system. They also have a focus on affordability, so they are especially enticing for homeowners looking for high quality products on a budget. 

Rheem

Rheem is a local company. Started in 1925 by two brothers, Rheem is based out of Emeryville, California. Diversity is the name of the game with this provider: heating, cooling, water heating, pool and spa heating, and commercial refrigeration, Rheem just about does it all. If you have some sort of temperature control needed in your home, Rheem probably has you covered. They also offer the most extensive warranties, making them the go-to choice for homeowners looking to ensure their water heater works in tip-top shape for years to come. 

Kenmore

“But they just make appliances!” No! They do more than just blenders and fridges. In recent years, they broke into the water heater game offering affordable, varied products in addition to their more traditional, home appliance products. 

There are a lot of options out there for water heater brands, and picking the best one is important to ensure the optimal outcomes for your water heating endeavors. If you’re not sure which to pick, it’s always best to call your trusted local plumber and ask some questions. We’re always here and happy to help!

Call Lake Cook Plumbing today & start learning more about your plumbing system!

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By zachadmachinescom

A dreaded question that few consider the answer to until they find themselves high and dry; literally. There are a few common reasons why people find themselves without hot water, and if you are sure you’re up to date on your bills, most of them have to do with your water heater. Here are some common reasons your water heater isn’t working and some quick ways to help resolve your issue. 

No Hot Water 

If you have no hot water whatsoever, that’s cause for some alarm. After all, your water heater’s one and only function is to provide you with hot water. Before you call up a professional, the first thing you’ll want to do is check the pilot light. You can typically locate the light at the base of the water heater. If the light is out, your next move should be to call up a professional plumber to get you back on track. 

You Don’t Have Enough Hot Water

Maybe you have some hot water but not enough to suit your needs. We’ve all taken those nice warm showers that turn into frigid nightmares because the hot water fails on you. In cases like these, there are one of two culprits, the first of which is a broken thermometer. This is a very easy fix for any water heater professional can patch up. The other possibility is that your current heater is unable to match your hot water needs. This can be because your household has grown in size, your hot water usage has increased, or the equipment’s effectiveness has been curbed in old age. In this instance, increasing your tank size may be the optimal solution to getting hotter water.

Your Heater is Leaking 

Of all the issues you could have with your heater, this is probably the worst. A leak is a sure fire sign that your water heater is on its way out and you’re due for a replacement, and heaters can be some expensive pieces of equipment. Sadly there’s not much to be done about a heater that’s so far gone that it sprung a serious leak, and you need to act quickly before the leak turns into a burst that floods your home with gallons of water. The team at Lake Cook can walk you through the process of finding a new heater to last you for years to come. 

Call Lake Cook Plumbing today & start learning more about your plumbing system!

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By zachadmachinescom

Your plumbing is something you tend to take for granted – until something goes wrong. When that happens, you realize just how dependent you are upon properly performing plumbing. It is more than a little inconvenient when your toilet won’t flush or you turn on your faucet and only a trickle comes out, but your basement is flooded because a pipe rusted through. Emergencies such as these can be avoided for the most part if you spend time conducting regular plumbing inspections. Just as a car only performs well with regular maintenance, so it is with your plumbing. Neglecting your plumbing can lead to some serious complications over time, complications that can cost you a great deal of money.

The Effects of Neglect

Other than a non-working toilet and flooded basement, neglecting to have regular plumbing check-ups can see you:

• Frequent drain clogs
• Reduced lifespan of plumbing fixtures
• No hot water
• Frequent pipe leaks
• Higher costs on utility bills
• Higher risk of frozen or burst pipes
• Greater in-home discomfort

Benefits of Regular Maintenance

On the other hand, if you take a few minutes on a regular basis to go through and check on the health of your plumbing, you will realize a great many benefits, including:

• Improved plumbing fixture lifespan
• Lower costs on utility bills
• Reduced risk of water damage
• Greater convenience around the house
• Hot water 24/7 for showering, laundry, dishwashing, etc.
• Improved water quality
• Better peace of mind

What to Look For

Now that you know the importance of regular plumbing inspections, you probably want to know exactly what you need to check, and if you will know when something needs to be fixed. A general inspection is easy to do and we will tell you what needs checking and what you are looking for. As for repairs, it is best to leave most plumbing repairs to professionals as one wrong move can end up creating a lot of damage. Taking the time to perform an inspection, however, is something that you will become proficient at over a short period of time.  Include the following in your inspection:

1. Check water heaters for any leaks – Look for signs of damp concrete or puddles beneath the tank.
2. Testing shut-off and pressure relief valve on water heaters – Turn this off and then on and make sure it is operating as it should. Operation should be smooth and without sound and reaction should be immediate.
3. Check electrical or gas valve connections on water heaters – A short in the electrical unit or a leak in the gas valve connections can not only cost money but also create a fire risk.
4. Inspect plumbing fixtures leaks or damages – check for drips on the floor, signs of leaking in walls and any moisture on pipes. All of these can indicate there is a leak somewhere. Small drips become major leaks if not repaired.
5. Be alert of any slow drainage from fixtures – This indicates there is a clog somewhere in the system. Water should flow freely and quickly.
6. Check faucets for leaks. – Washers wear out and seals get broken. The little drip that may appear barely noticeable can add up to hundreds of dollars in wasted water over time. 
7. Test flushing on toilets for leaks. – Your toilet should only run long enough for the tank to refill when you flush the toilet. If your toilet runs continuously or seems to run at odd times between use, it can mean the seal inside needs replaced.
8. Check or install water softening systems – Hard water not only leaves stains but it also causes build-up within your pipes that will slowly rust them from the inside out. Installing a water softening system takes care of both problems.
9. Check or install water filtration  – Chemicals added to water to clean it can cause problems with build-up within pipes. A water filtration system will help eliminate the worst of the damage in the areas around the spigot and in such appliances as dishwashers and washing machines.
10. Ensure piping is insulated and leak free – A frozen pipe can burst as it warms back up. The constant expanding/contracting of repeated freezing/thawing weakens the pipe, and all the pipes connected to it. Install special pipe insulation around all pipes and check regularly to make sure it remains free of tears and holes.

Run through this general inspection twice a year and you should be able to catch any minor problems before they become major ones. It is also recommended that once a year you have a professional come in and inspect the parts of your system you can’t. With regular maintenance, you won’t have to worry about being left high and dry at the worst possible moment.

Call Lake Cook Plumbing today & schedule a home plumbing inspection!

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By zachadmachinescom