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Sump Pump Problem or Sewer Backup? How to Tell

Sump Pump Problem or Sewer Backup? How to Tell

Basement water does not always come from the same source. One homeowner may have a sump pump that stopped moving groundwater. Another may have water coming up through a floor drain because the sewer line is restricted. During heavy rain, both problems can be confusing...
Sump Pump Problem or Sewer Backup? How to Tell

Sewer Line Bellies and Low Spots in Chicago Homes

Some sewer problems are not caused by one simple clog. A pipe can sag, settle, or develop a low spot where water and waste collect instead of flowing away cleanly. In plumbing language, this is often called a sewer line belly or a low spot. For Chicago and...
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in a Chicago Winter

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in a Chicago Winter

When a hard freeze settles over Cook County, the water inside an unprotected pipe can freeze, expand, and split the pipe open. The break often is not discovered until the thaw, when water pours out behind a wall or across a basement floor. A little preparation before...
Tree Roots in Your Sewer Line: Signs and Solutions

Tree Roots in Your Sewer Line: Signs and Solutions

If you live in an older neighborhood in Lyons, Berwyn, or Riverside, the mature trees that make the streets beautiful are also the number one threat to your sewer line. Tree roots are one of the most common causes of recurring drain problems in the western suburbs,...
Sump Pump Problem or Sewer Backup? How to Tell

How to Prevent Basement Sewer Backups in Chicago

A basement sewer backup is one of the messiest and most expensive problems a Chicago-area homeowner can face. The good news is that most backups give warning signs first, and most are preventable. Here is why basements in Chicago and the western suburbs back up, and...