Services

Water Heaters | Peoria IL

When selecting a new water heater for your home, choose a water heating system that will not only provide enough hot water but also that will do so energy efficiently, saving you money. This includes considering the different types of water heaters available and determining the right size and fuel source for your home.

TYPES OF WATER HEATERS

It's a good idea to know the different types of water heaters available before you purchase one:

• Conventional storage water heaters
• Tankless or demand-type water heaters
• Heat pump water heaters
• Tankless coil and indirect water heaters

Water Softeners

Fixing Hard Water:

Hard water is created in underground sources that collect dissolved minerals. These minerals give water poor characteristics.

We have many options for fixing hard water in your home. Contact our experts for a water analysis and solutions for your problems.

Options for Water Softeners:

The most commonly used option is an ion-exchange unit, but other options are available. It’s important you understand the differences.

1) Salt-Based Ion Exchange Softeners

This type of water softener cycles household water through two tanks: one with special resin beads and the other filled with brine. It works on the principle of ion exchange, softening hard water by substituting salt for hard minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.

2) Dual-Tank Water Softeners

When a water softener is recharging, it is designed to disconnect from the water system, so it is basically out of commission. For this reason, the cycling is set to occur at night.

If down is an issue, or you have a  large family, you should consider a dual tank water softener. These units operate on demand and can be smaller than one tank systems.

Remember to measure the space required for these systems. It should be installed near  inbound water line is present for your entire home so it can supply the entire home. These systems require a drain nearby for back washing. Some systems require electrical power and require power source close-bye.

Other Services We Provide:

• Sewer & Drain Cleaning
• Backflow Testing
• Sump Pumps
• Water Heaters

Sump Pumps

A sump pump is a pump used to remove water that has accumulated in a water collecting sump basin, commonly found in the basement of homes. The water may enter via the perimeter drains of a basement waterproofing system, funneling into the basin or because of rain or natural ground water, if the basement is below the water table level.

Sump pumps are used where basement flooding happens regularly and to solve dampness where the water table is above the foundation of a home. Sump pumps send water away from a house to any place where it is no longer problematic, such as a municipal storm drain or a dry well.

Pumps may discharge to the sanitary sewer in older installations. Once considered acceptable, this practice may now violate the plumbing code or municipal bylaws, because it can overwhelm the municipal sewage treatment system. Municipalities urge homeowners to disconnect and reroute sump pump discharge away from sanitary sewers. Fines may be imposed for noncompliance. Many homeowners have inherited their sump pump configurations and do not realise that the pump discharges to the sewer. If the discharge is fed to a laundry sink in the basement, it's likely going to the sewer.

Sewer & Drain Cleaning

Got a clogged-up or slow running drain? You’re not alone. Each year, more than one-in-five Americans find themselves with a blocked-up toilet, sink or tub. And each year, many of these same people try to solve these problems themselves. You can try using a plunger, but more often than not, that just makes the problem worse. You can try one of those store-bought chemical products to dissolve the blockage, but they can damage pipes, fixtures, clothing and skin.

Call the experts at Illini Plumbing and save yourself all that worry and aggravation.

All kinds of materials and objects can obstruct your drains and cause a clog: hair, soap, grease, toothpaste, food debris, toilet paper; even jewelry and kid’s toys. Our drain cleaning technicians can handle any kind of drain cleaning job. Our plumbing experts have the latest tools, technology and expertise to make sure that your drain cleaning procedure is done properly, safely and cleanly. We tackle sink drains, shower and tub drains, toilet drains and floor drains –any drain that needs cleaning. From kitchen to bathroom to basement, you can count on the drain cleaning pros at Illini Plumbing to accurately diagnose any drain problem, safely clear the clog and quickly get your home or office back in the flow.

Back Flow Testing

A backflow testing device is used to protect potable water supplies from contamination or pollution due to back flow.

In water supply systems, water is normally maintained at a significant pressure to enable water to flow from the tap, shower, or other fixture. Water pressure may fail or be reduced when a water main bursts, pipes freeze, or there is unexpectedly high demand on the water system (for example, when several fire hydrants are opened). Reduced pressure in the pipe may allow contaminated water from the soil, from storage, or from other sources to be drawn up into the system.

Backflow means the undesirable reversal of flow of a liquid, gas, or suspended solid into the potable water supply; a backflow preventer is designed to keep this from happening. Points at which a potable water system connects with a non-potable water system are called cross connections. Such connections occur naturally in appliances such as clothes washers and dishwashers, but they must be carefully designed and installed to prevent backflow. Another common location for a backflow preventer is the connection of a fire sprinkler system to a water main, to prevent pressurized water from flowing from the fire suppression system into the public water supply.

Excavation

Excavation contractors are fond of telling their friends that they couldn’t bear to give up their childhood dump trucks, so they exchanged them for bigger versions. In the world of construction, excavation contractors do much more than haul dirt around; their responsibilities include site preparation, grading, trenching and many other soil-related tasks. And, yes, they do operate some very large pieces of heavy equipment.

Site Preparation

In a typical residential construction project, the excavation contractor shows up after the surveying crew determines the house and lot boundaries. The contractor removes the soil to the depth required for the new foundation and ensures that the soil is firm through compaction tests and compaction with equipment, if necessary. The dig requirements are precise, so the excavation contractor must be able to use a level and transit to match the grade posted by the surveying crew. After the foundation contractor pours the footers and stem wall, the excavation contractor backfills around the new foundation.

Contracting

Excavation contractors are business owners and are considered subcontractors because their job is often just one part of a larger project. A homeowner can contact an excavation contractor for a personal job, such as digging for a swimming pool, but the excavation contractor won’t oversee the entire project. Excavation contractors often work under the direction of general contractors, who solicit bids, coordinate subcontractor timelines and pay the excavation contractor when he completes his part of the project.</p

Water Back Ups

Water back up is one of the more common services we offer. It involves more than back-up, as overflow is mentioned in many instances. But what is a back-up, and how is it different from an overflow or a discharge? All these things come in to play when there is a water loss, and what causes the back-up or overflow requires experts in this area to figure out.

First let’s look at definitions. A back-up is an accumulation caused by a stoppage in the flow; something prevents the water from continuing down its path, so it is forced to reverse direction and go back the other way. A collapsed drain pipe can cause a back-up; water can no longer proceed down its normal course and is forced to change direction. A blockage can cause a back-up; the blockage prevents the water from going forward, and the water has to reverse itself.

An overflow is when the water exceeds its boundaries; the space is filled to capacity and water then spreads beyond its limits. A tub left running creates an overflow. The tub can no longer hold the water running into it, so the water overflows onto the floor and surrounding area.

A discharge is a flowing or issuing out; water coming from a pipe. A leaking pipe discharges water from the hole in the pipe; it is not a back-up or an overflow, it is simply water issuing from a pipe at the wrong spot.