Search for Hidden Leaks by Smoke Test in Chicago and Suburbs

Are you experiencing sewer odor or rats?  You may even have sewer gas or hidden leaks that you are unaware of.  The culprit may be a cracked or broken sewer, or an otherwise damaged drain pipe.  The Scottish Plumbercan now help find problems and protect your system by using the most advanced and accurate testing system available.

Let The Scottish Plumber, a 2-time Super Service Award winner and “A” rated company on Angie’s List, help you find the problem with our new odorless, non-staining, non-toxic smoke system, which can identify the location of any leak in your drains pipes.

Here is how it works.  By forcing smoke-filled air through a plumbing system using a special machine, leaks are quickly detected as smoke escapes through the problem areas.

Smoke testing has become a world-wide standard for finding leaks in sewer and plumbing systems.  And since the smoke is perfectly safe, it has even been approved for use in schools.

According to a recent article in Angie’s List Magazine, 78% of homeowners surveyed did not know their broken or cracked sewers could be repaired or replaced without digging up their properties.  73% said they would be willing to pay more for such a repair if it meant that their decks, patios, gardens, or walkways could be saved.

The great news is that they can have their cake and eat it, too.  The Scottish Plumber’s Trenchless Sewer Relining process can save both your yard and your money.  Most procedures are less expensive than traditional excavation, and there’s no need for expensive landscape and hardscape restorations.

For more information on Trenchless Sewer Repair, visit the trenchless section of the Scottish Plumber website or read this article from Angie’s List Magazine.

1. Faucet aerators are blocked
A faucet aerator is the little strainer at the tip of most household faucets. Without an aerator, water flows out of the faucet as one large stream. An aerator spreads this stream into tiny droplets, helping to both save water and minimize splashing.

Aerators should be removed annually and checked for mineral deposits built up inside of the openings. You should be able to get these deposits off with just water and a brush, but if you can’t, soaking in vinegar should do the trick.

Another common symptom of a clogged aerator is an irregular spray pattern or a stray stream of water going off at an odd direction. If you see this happening, it’s time for a cleaning.

2. Valves not open all the way
Occasionally, one of the valves controlling the water supply to your home gets stuck in a slightly closed position and restricts the flow. This usually happens either at the meter valve or at the main valve. The meter valve is found in the meter box, while the main valve is located near the outside hose faucet. Make sure both are in the open position by turning in a counterclockwise direction.

Be careful when dealing with older valves. They may be brittle and have the potential to break. Old gate valves, which tend to get stuck or break at the most inopportune times, should be replaced with ball valves, which are much more reliable over time, and much easier to use.

3. Your old pipes are made of galvanized steel
Calcium and other mineral deposits love galvanized steel. So much, in fact, that they often stay behind, making a home inside of your pipes. Over time, the inside diameter of the pipe is reduced to a point where the water flow becomes restricted.

There is no easy solution. Once a pipe becomes blocked with sediment, the only way to repair the problem is to replace the pipe.

4. There is a hidden leak
A leak at any point in your water supply system can result in low pressure. If the leak is not visible, there is a way to check.

First, shut off all the faucets inside and outside of your home. Check the meter reading and write it down. Wait several hours, and check the meter again. If there is an increase in water usage, you probably have a leak.

At this point, you should call a plumber. An unattended leak can not only increase your water bill, it can also wreak havoc on your walls, ceilings, and floors.

5. Municipal water pressure is inadequate.
The water supply for many towns in the Chicagoland area is dependent on century-old infrastructure. So, while the ideal water pressure for the average home is between 40 and 60 psi, many municipalities deliver substantially less than that.

If the municipal pressure coming into your home is inadequate, the problem can be resolved by installing a booster pump. But first, you must make sure that this is what’s causing the problem. The Scottish Plumber can test the water pressure coming into your home using a special pressure gauge and tell you whether a booster pump is a good solution for your specific problem.

If you need help with any water pressure issue, call The Scottish Plumber at 888-622-2564, or visit our website at www.scottishplumber.com.

Have you invested in Lombard plumbing services, had a plumber come to your home, and then experienced the same exact plumbing issue after the plumber left? Well, let’s not rush to blame the plumber, because complex plumbing issues sometimes require complex plumbing equipment that not all plumbing companies have on hand. However, it is equally important to hold your plumber accountable for the quality of his or her work. At The Scottish Plumber, our Lombard plumbers are professionally trained to provide the most thorough residential plumbing and commercial plumbing services on the market.

All of the Lombard plumbers at The Scottish Plumber are professionally trained to use the latest plumbing technology available, such as a sewer video camera or non-invasive (no-dig or trenchless) pipe repair.

Video camera pipe inspection is a plumbing service that can reveal what we cannot see with the naked eye. The video camera pipe inspection machine can snake down into those hard to reach pipes and give us an up close and personal look at their condition. This allows us to more precisely locate pipe issues such as cracks, holes, and corroded areas. An in-depth plumbing inspection should include video camera pipe inspection, so if this is what you are looking for, please contact the Lombard plumbers at The Scottish Plumber today.

The Villa Park plumbers at The Scottish Plumber bring years of expertise in residential plumbing and commercial plumbing services to every job they do. When you select the services of one or more of our Villa Park plumbers, you can rest assured that they will come to your Villa Park home or business according to your schedule at a time that is most convenient for you. One of our most popular residential plumbing and commercial plumbing services is drain rodding, and we perform drain rodding as part of our comprehensive $99 drain cleaning package.

Drain rodding is helpful in removing solid obstructions, and you may be surprised by the things we have found in shower drains and bathroom sinks! When we perform drain rodding as part of our $99 Villa Park drain cleaning service package, we will also come back and re-rod that same drain free of charge if it clogs again within a year of our initial visit.

If you are looking to schedule a plumbing maintenance visit from The Scottish Plumber, then why not make it a $99 drain cleaning visit? Our drain cleaning services, which include up to 2 drain rodding procedures, are backed by customer satisfaction for several years. Please call us to learn more about drain rodding.