Plumbing issues are like pests that sometimes will not go away easily.

Barrington, Illinois – A clogged drain can occur anywhere and anytime. Some problems can be solved without calling a professional plumbing service. Most experienced plumbing companies can detect the root cause of a clogged drain in a few minutes.

If the clog is not a massive obstruction they can usually unclog the drain within a couple of hours. However, this is not always the case.

Either way, it is always good to have the experience of a professional. This will help you understand what the main reason is behind the clogged drain so you can prevent it from happening again.

Do You Suffer from Clogged Drains in Barrington, Illinois?

Call (847) 624-3872

Grease: Cooking oils and greases generally stick to kitchen drains & pipes. Hair grease starts in the bathroom drains. If grease is not removed quickly then it can attach itself to any surface and become hard. This would be a good time to call in professional plumbing service to unclog your drains. Schedule regular maintenance to eliminate problems in the future.

Hair: One of the most common things found in a drain is hair. It clogs a drain almost instantly. This is when draining anything becomes troublesome. Hair and skin oils and lotions can be problematic for your drains.

If possible, always cover your shower and bath drain with a filter or screen. In addition to using organic products, this can help the drain to remain clear.

Do You Suffer from Clogged Drains in Barrington, Illinois?

Call (847) 624-3872

Food: It is not surprising to know that food can cause a lot of harm to your pipes and drains. All food pieces can potentially obstruct your drains and pipes. It takes more than water flow to break down food. As we all know this can lead to a bad situation. Making a bad problem worst is not a good idea. Always call professional help to unclog your drains and avoid using drains as garbage disposals.

Paper: Several types of paper are out there. Some claim they dissolve (not), and some have plastics and other dangerous materials in them. Always use toilet paper in the bathroom and paper towels in the kitchen. Napkins & diapers do not belong in the bathroom. Keep all facial tissues; wet towels, wet wipes, and anything other than toilet paper out of the toilet.

Bath Salts: Pampering your body after a tiring day can be invigorating for your mind and body but not your drains. To eliminate the chances of a clogged drain, it is better not to use bath salt. It does not dissolve in water easily and can lead to a clogged drain.

It can be almost impossible for a homeowner to avoid a clogged drain, but preventive measures can stop a bad problem from becoming worse. If you need a drain unclogged in or near Barrington, Illinois Call fox valley plumbing & backflow.

Do You Suffer from Clogged Drains in Barrington, Illinois?

Call (847) 624-3872

Choosing and Installing a Tankless Water Heater

Are you interested in installing a tankless water heater in your home? If so, you’ll want to know the requirements for tankless water heaters, installation tips, and the benefits of tankless water heaters before making your decision.

Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are more energy-efficient than their counterparts. This is because they don’t have to store heated water and reheat it when needed. They provide hot water on demand! They also save you money by being able to use cold water to generate hot water on a whim – no need to run gallons of tap water through a hot-water tank waiting for it to reach the desired temperature. And when used in combination with solar panels, they’re even more energy efficient!

Installation Tips

Tankless water heaters are very simple to install. This is perfect for do-it-yourself enthusiasts who love tackling projects from start to finish. Installation usually takes no more than an hour or two and can be done on your own with simple tools like a wrench and an open flame source such as a propane torch or welding equipment.

elgin-il-tankless-water-heater

Choosing the right tankless water heater

Finding a reliable and dependable water heater is crucial, that’s why at Fox Valley Plumbing, we specialize in tankless water heaters. We offer a wide range of options to fit any home.

Tankless water heater installation

At Fox Valley Plumbing, we take pride in our workmanship. We will make sure to install your new tankless water heater correctly to ensure it’s long-lasting and dependable.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Fox-Valley-Plumbing-Backflow-Drain-Cleaning-in-Algonquin-Illinois

Does Your Local Plumber Have a Good Reputation?

In a service business, reputation is critical. As you’re considering quality plumbers in or around the Algonquin, Illinois area, be sure to get recommendations from peers and family. You can get references from specific plumbers with whom they’ve worked. Call their previous clients and make sure they had a terrific experience.

You can also find out about a company’s reputation online. Don’t put too much emphasis on one review, but if they have a lot of negative comments from different people, that’s surely a no-no!

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Does Your Local Plumber Have the Right Qualifications?

Everyone loves their family and friends, but when you need quality plumbing repair in or around Algonquin, Illinois, it’s important not to call on your family or friends to do the job if they aren’t qualified. Find individuals who have the appropriate qualifications and don’t be scared to call the agencies to make sure their licenses are still valid.

To verify a plumber in Algonquin, Illinois, you can do a search online for Fox Valley Plumbing. A fast and easy search will save you hours in frustration and thousands of dollars in plumbing repair costs.

Finding a quality plumber in or around the Algonquin, Illinois area doesn’t have to be a stomachache or take all day. Just use these four simple guidelines: a well-written transparent estimate, local experience, a good reputation, and updated credentials to find the right plumber. When a plumbing repair company has all four in line, you’re much more likely to have a quality experience.

If you’re looking for a plumber in or around Algonquin, Illinois, you can check us out on HomeAdvisor, Yelp or Google to see what others are saying and then give us a call.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

fox-valley-plumbing-elgin-il-residential-plumbing

Kane County Residents

Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow Plumbing Services is a full-service plumbing company in Elgin, Illinois. Our professional plumbers are available 24/7 for emergency service.

We carry a variety of top-shelf plumbing brands including Zoeller, Bradford White, Navien, and many others. We can also assist with plumbing installations, repairs, remodeling/renovation, and industrial & commercial plumbing services.

Call Us at (847) 624-3872

If you need help with plumbing repair in your Algonquin, Illinois business or residence, you will want to make certain you choose a top-rated plumber. Bad news, so many people out there call themselves plumbers but couldn’t begin to spell “quality work”. They are messy, uncourteous, or in the worst cases outright felons.

Locating a good plumber in Algonquin, Illinois doesn’t have to be difficult. Use these 4 simple guidelines to ensure that the plumbing repair company you hire for your next repair is professional, does awesome work, and gets the task completed in a timely manner.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Do They Give You A Well Written Estimate?
More bad news, we don’t live in the times where a handshake and a person’s word is something we can depend on.

A professional plumber will arrive at your residence or business first, take a look at the problem and give you a well-written, easy-to-understand estimate. When consumers have a tangible estimate in writing, it’s something they can hold to.

Well-written estimates should be completely transparent.
They should include the work needed for the plumbing repair, the estimate for each task, and an approximate timeline, especially if the issue is major.

Take time to interview plumbing contractors as they walk around to review the plumbing job. If they give you a good feeling about them in person, that’s very important.

Do They Have a Lot of Experience Servicing Algonquin, Illinois, Or Its Surrounding Areas?
You want to make sure that the plumbing professional you hire has plenty of experience with residents and businesses alike in and around the Algonquin, Illinois area.

The worst thing that can happen is that a fly-by-night contractor comes in after a major disaster, does a poor job, and vanishes.

We cannot stress this enough. When you hire a plumber, be certain they have a substantial amount of experience doing plumbing repair in your local area. They should be well known and have a long-term physical location in or close to the Algonquin, Illinois area.

Different geographical areas have their own specific problem problems due to weather, design, and other geographical differences.

Give us a call if you need help with plumbing repair in your Algonquin, Illinois business or residence.

Call Us at (847) 624-3872

Your old gas or electric water heater is not heating like it’s supposed to.If you’ve ever been in a cold shower against your will then you know there are not many more stressful situations, or annoying than wanting to take a hot shower and learning you have no hot water.

What! Really! No one wants a cold shower in the dead of winter. (Except maybe…. never mind). Trust, here at Fox Valley Plumbing and backflow we understand. That is why we are here to help. Fox Valley Plumbing would like to serve you with all your water heater service needs!

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Your old gas or electric water heater is not heating like it’s supposed to. Maybe it’s leaking or too hot? Fox Valley Plumbing and Backflow in Barrington, Illinois and surrounding areas are here to help. We’ve got everything you need to keep your baths hot but not too hot. So you can enjoy long showers if you so desire.

Our professional plumbers are experienced and capable of taking care of all brands of water heaters, electric and gas. We service commercial water heaters for your business and for your home. We use Bradford White water heaters for all our standard installs.

Call Us at (847) 624-3872

Fox Valley Plumbing uses high-quality, high-efficiency contractor-grade units with reliable warranties. We work with all-size electric and gas water heaters. Federal regulations have changed many of the options for larger (60, 75, and 80-gallon tanks) so we would be happy to talk to you about your options.

Electric Hybrid heaters and tankless water heaters have become the favorite upgrade for those oversized tank heaters of the past. Several commercial settings are moving to tankless water heaters as well, both for efficiency and extra space.

And guess what? “It doesn’t have to be expensive.” Trust and believe we get it. After all, Fox Valley Plumbing and Backflow has been owned and operated by an Elgin, Illinois family, just like yours, for nearly 20 years. That’s why here at Fox Valley Plumbing and Backflow, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that you are completely satisfied with your new Gas, Electric, or Tankless water heater, and to keep the price as low as we can.

Call Us at (847) 624-3872

As you know, all of our units come with a manufacturer warranty, to make sure that our work and your new water heater are in top working condition for as long as we can reasonably expect them to.

Our plumbers are trained and extremely skilled and educated, ensuring that you are getting precisely what you want out of your gas or electric water heater.

Are you the one that took a bath this morning and were upset to learn that you can’t even fill your tub before the faucet spits out all of Antarctica? Or possibly you’re the last one to take a shower while your family was visiting for the weekend and let’s just say it wasn’t hot.

Whatever the reason, and whatever the need, Fox Valley Plumbing and Backflow wants to be your water heater service provider. We will make your showers and baths Hot again!

Call Us at (847) 624-3872

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Shower water filters are the types of equipment installed to cleanse the water for the shower. They provide great safety against harmful chemicals and sediments. These harmful chemicals go through the plumbing lines in a shower faucet. Water pouring in from the showerhead is contaminated with high chlorine content that can prove to be harmful to skin, lungs, and hair. Never forget that municipal water is already treated with chlorine and has been subjected to processes that supposedly make it safe.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Shower water filters not only eradicate chlorine but also remove dirt and bad odor. In hard water areas, it has been evident that small pieces of sand, or rock, dissolve in water through the water lines. That is why anyone who has fitted water filter faucets or traps on their faucets is bound to clean out the tiny particles once a week. If not, then this will lead to blockage of the filters. Shower water filter cartridges generally work for 6 to 9 months providing clean shower water.

Generally, shampoo removes the oil from your hair, but when it is dissolved with water containing chlorine and sediments, its purpose is comprehensively lost. Most people have become vulnerable to chemicals and various other foreign matters on their skin. Shower water filters ensure that your fitted shower never gets clogged with foreign materials, and also protect your hair, skin, and body by cleaning the water through water decontamination filters.

The prime aim of the shower filters is to lower down the toxic and chlorine content in the water. It is advisable to install a shower water filter that can eliminate the contaminants by 90% making water fit for showering. The majority of the shower water filters are easy to use, install, and also to maintain.

Shower water filters are environmentally friendly and also perform well at any water temperature providing a positive response to your skin and hair. Thus, keeping all the mentioned points in mind it is wise to buy a shower water filter. Instead of spending dollars on cosmetics to hide skin stains as they are the result of various harmful chemicals present in the water, that’s why shower water filters radically minimize the risk of skin stains.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Whether you are a bathtub or shower person, most people look for shower-only options when buying a home. This simple fact means more than a few homeowners spend a weekend upgrading or installing showers in their bathrooms. Fortunately for you, it is a fairly simple process.

A collector or pan refers to the horizontal surface located at the bottom of the shower. The collector typically consists of a non-slip surface slightly banked towards the center or wherever the drain is located. Combined with three to four-inch walls around the side, the goal of your shower drainage plumbing is to get the water to flow to and down the drain.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

You can physically build a collector for your new shower, but you really need to think about it. Do you really want to get into the complications of getting the sloping correct, not to mention making sure every aspect of it is waterproof? And I mean every aspect!

It is much easier to simply buy a pre-cast collector online or at your local Palatine, IL Lowes, Home Depot, or hardware store. Building one might sound like a great idea, but you will probably feel differently after a couple of hours.

Regardless of how you go about getting a pan, you should make every effort to use one that has the drain located in the same spot as the original pan. Moving the drain pipes can be a task, particularly if the builder used a unique framing structure. If you are determined to move the drain, you are going to have to cut back the pipe or lengthen it, which may mean ripping up large chunks of the floor. Put another way, you are going to be looking at a multiple weekend project.

Assuming we have our drain lined up, the actual hook-up is fairly simple. The drainage pipe should be facing vertically up to the collector. It will often look like a “U”, which means it acts as a cleanout to keep nasty smells from coming back up from the drain.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

To connect the drain, you are going to create a water-tight connection between a drain cap on the top of the pan and the drainage pipe. Systems vary, but you are typically going to do this by putting a coupling piece on the top of the drainage pipe. This is then covered with gaskets and literally screwed into the drain cap. The drain cap should act as a locknut, to wit, it screws directly onto the coupling.

The tricky part of this process is getting your drain cap to fit into a watertight position in the pan. This is accomplished by backing off the drain cap once you are sure everything fits together. At that point, you put plumbers putty around the underside of the cap and then screw it back on. The putty should form a tight seal between the cap and the shower pan, which keeps water from trickling under it and into the framing under the shower.

Obviously, bathroom showers come in a wide variety of styles these days. If you purchase a collector, they almost always come with plumbing instructions or the store can note anything unusual you should know. It sounds complex but is typically pretty straightforward. Have fun!

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

What causes water damage? Learn how to inspect air conditions, plumbing, appliances, and more. Learn how to detect the hazards in your home or business.

If you want to prevent water damage in your home or office, you must first learn where to look for and what are the different causes of this kind of damage. This article covers the invisible causes of water damage, those that are a little harder to detect by simple do-it-yourself inspections.

There is additional material about the visible causes of water damage that you need to read in order to fully understand the subject. A good understanding of the subject will not only provide you with great techniques to prevent water damage but also will help you save money and will keep your house in good shape, preserving its value for many years. While you can control some of the causes for damage, others cannot be predicted and therefore cannot be prevented.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872

Plumbing:

Plumbing equipment usually develops leaks due to failures in joints or hose attachment.
Internal wall leaks are even harder to discover and can cause major damage.

Pipes:

The common problems in pipes are blocked toilets and drains (especially kitchen drains), failure of garbage disposals, and roots in sewer lines.

Weather:

Unpredictable summer storms, floods, and other water accompanied disasters such as hurricanes, blizzards, and tornados are some more reasons for water damage.

Heating Systems and Air Conditions:

Neglecting air conditioners leads to poor performance, expensive operating costs, and moisture issues. Moist cooling ducts promote mold and other water-borne bacteria.

Appliances:

Water heaters, washers, and dryers tend to crack over time, allowing water to trickle. Although these appliances will start leaking slowly, this leak can grow and cause a flood when completely failed. Hoses tend to deteriorate inside out, resulting in leaks as well.

Basements:

A wet basement is caused by moisture accumulations that drip through the foundations. When moisture evaporates, it increases humidity even if there are no leaks or standing water. Another common cause is condensation on the cold concrete walls and floors during more humid time periods.

It is recommended to inspect your home periodically to ensure that it stays in good condition and keeps its real market value. A periodic inspection will also help prevent high-costs restoration projects after water-related disasters.

Call Us At (847) 624-3872