Author: scot-admin

Sewer Rodding Glenview Homeowners Can Trust

There are two types of people in Glenview: those who hate sewer backups and those who hate them even more.

Hate is a strong word, but probably appropriate. A sewer backup never happens at a good time, and when it does, it can cause quite the mess. But don’t despair. The Scottish Plumber is here to help.

Our technicians are trained and skilled sewer rodding experts who will treat your home like their own.

Whether the clogged sewer is caused by the roots of your neighbor’s century-old oak, a Batman action figure your son accidentally flushed down the toilet, or something completely different, we promise to do everything we can to get your sewer flowing again as quickly as possible.

Sewer Rodding at a Fair Price

The Scottish Plumber takes pride in providing quality sewer rodding at affordable prices. We also take pride in being up-front and transparent.

We don’t charge a service charge to come out and we are happy to provide you with pricing on some of our more common Glenview sewer rodding services:

• Sewer rodding from an outside cleanout is just $99
• Sewer rodding from an inside cleanout or catch basin is just $199

After the rodding is complete, we can follow up with a free video inspection of your sewer line. If the line is clear and in good condition, we will provide you with up to a 1-year warranty on the flow.

Please note that If the sewer is longer than 100 feet or if there is no cleanout access available, additional charges may apply. See our Sewer & Drain Cleaning page for more information.

How to Schedule an Appointment

To schedule an appointment simply fill our the red appointment form on this page, give us a call at 888-451-6137, or contact us here.

If you’re living in one of the older homes around Hinsdale, Elmhurst or Oak Park and you have problems with slow drains in your house, then your real problem could be sludge in the drain lines. If this is the case then chemicals and plumbing alone won’t solve your problem; what you need is for someone to get up on your rooftop and use a metal snaking system to clear our your drain lines.  It’s a very difficult, very messy job that requires a trained professional plumber.

 

If your home drains are slow and giving you trouble, give Scottish Plumber a call to see what their plumbing technicians can do to help you out. We are drain cleaning experts serving the whole Chicagoland area, including Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Oak Park and of course, Chicago.

https://www.scottishplumber.com/drain-cleaning

Repairing and Replacing a broken Sewer Line

This is one of several buildings we have come across in Chicago where the builders hooked up the new building to the old sewer line.  This is not good or “legal” and it should have been discovered by the plumbing inspector.  This type of shoddy workmanship is not usually discovered until long after the builder is gone and the homeowner association or homeowner figures out what happened.  We were called in to re-line a sewer since a large front stoop and sidewalk would have needed to be demolished and replaced if using the old fashioned excavation and pipe replacement method making the project financially prohibitive for the building owners .                                                                                                                                                   

  

                                                   In the case pictured we had to put in a new cast iron sewer line and disconnect and cap off the old PVC line which lead outside to the old collasped sewer line.                                                                                                                                            There was a maze of old pipe outside some of which we re-lined and some we had to replace completely because part of  sewer line had collapsed. It cannot be re-lined if it is collasped.  This job was 1/4 the price of excavation & replacement due the concrete work that would have needed to be re-done.  Re-lining saves time, energy and  money.

Generally speaking, the toilet is a very sturdy contraption, and tends to be pretty low maintenance. Of course, everything needs a tune-up once in a while, and your porcelain throne is no exception. Here is a quick fix for three of the most common problems:

 

1. Not Enough Water When Flushing

 

The quick and easy check to make is whether or not there’s enough water in the tank, because the water in the tank is the water that gets flushed. Generally speaking the water should be at least one or two inches above the overflow tube. If too little water is coming into the tank, bend the arm up to make let more in.

 

1. Toilet Tank Leaking

 

Leaking toilet tanks are a huge headache- not only do they leave ugly stains on your toilet, but they can also ruin tiles if you’re using chemical cleaning solutions. The best solution is to use a temperature valve, which stops sweating by mixing hot and cold water as it flows into the tank. This causes a relief in condensation. The valve should only be installed if the temperature of your toilet tank remains less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

1. Broken Toilet Seat

 

Nobody likes sitting on a cracked or broken toilet seat- and sometimes you can’t sit on it at all. Fortunately, changing the toilet seat is a 1-2-3 job.  There are a ton of different styles, even electronic ones that will warm your butt and keep you cozy on those cold winter mornings.  You can buy them at the Home Depot or other hardware supply stores, but MAKE SURE TO GET THE RIGHT SIZE!  Remove the existing toilet seat by taking out the two nuts holding it in place- it will lift right off after that. If the nuts are rusted and not coming off, a little oil should fix the problem.

 

If your toilet is broken or not working properly, it is very often a job to be handled by a professional.  We serve the whole Chicagoland area, including Villa Park, Joliet, Aurora, and of course, Chicago.

www.scottishplumber.com

Because of the record-breaking cold front, plumbers are having a difficult time meeting the demand for the services. Old pipes, water pipes and drain pipes have frozen.   Thousands of homes have been affected and a lot of families won’t have running water for the holidays. There’s going to be even more problems when thawing comes into play.

 

Don’t forget to call The Scottish Plumber for any of your plumbing and boiler needs this winter. We serve the whole Chicagoland area, including Villa Park, Joliet, Aurora, and of course, Chicago.

www.scottishplumber.com

Sewer Gas – Chicago & Suburbs

If you smell sewer gas in your home, you shouldn’t ignore it. Though It is a fairly common problem in Chicago area homes, and more often than not has a very simple solution, it could also be a sign of a more serious issue.

What Causes the Sewer Gas Smell?

The smell is caused by a gas called hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) which can be dangerous even at low levels. It can affect both people and pets, and prolonged exposure to the gas can cause symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and sinus infections.

What Can I Do to Make the Smell Go Away?

Often, the smell is caused by something as simple as a dried-out trap in a floor drain, so the first thing you should do when you smell sewer gas is check any floor drains in the house to make sure that there is water visible at the bottom of the pipe.

That section of the pipe is called the trap, and it is designed to hold water and prevent gases and odors from traveling from the pipe into your home. If the trap is empty, pour a cup of water into the drain.

What If the Problem Persists?

If the problem continues, it could be a sign of a larger problem like a broken sewer or vent stack. At this point, you should contact The Scottish Plumber for a free assessment.

Our technicians are trained to track down the source of sewer gas and can often do so with just a visual (and nasal) inspection. But for the more difficult-to-track situations we use a process called a smoke test to safely locate the leak using non-toxic smoke.

How Do I Schedule an Appointment?

To schedule an appointment for a free assessment, give us a call at 888-451-6137, or click here.