Plumbing tips
Parker-Holsman Co.    1461 E. 57th Street    Chicago, IL 60637    773-493-2525 Your Neighborhood Realtor since 1931

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Parker-Holsman Co. was a charter member of the Institute for Real Estate Management in the 1930's. We continue to believe that it's our responsibility to educate our clients. We hope that you will find this information useful.

Index to articles:

• Respect your toilet
• Avoid the drain pain
• Toilet need a tune up?
• No El Niño? We can still have water emergencies in the house!
• More Winter wonders: put the freeze on frozen pipes
• Plumbing problems

Respect your toilet (From The Primer, Spring 2000)
Do not put facial tissue or hair into your toilet -- or dog toys, baby rattles, socks, shampoo bottles, or plant debris.

You know what toilets are for. Use them that way - AND ONLY THAT WAY. Let's keep our plumbers as strangers - the stranger the better.

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Avoid the drain pain (From The Primer< Spring 2000)
Ok, we know the friendly neighbor plumbers are always on call, but there are ways to keep them strangers.

• Never-ever pour grease down your kitchen drain!
• Don't let food garbage go down the drain (unless you have a disposal - and then follow instructions).
• Do pour a pot of boiling water down all drains at least once a month, more often if possible.
• Do add a half-cup of baking soda to boiling water poured in the disposal.
• Never pour paint or chemicals down drains. They'll wreck the pipes.
• Use drain cleaners carefully. Follow directions. Don't put your head over the drain when you pour the cleaner into the drain... or KAPOW!
• Using a drain opener once a drain is completely stopped will compound the problem.
• Always use a screen or filter (hair snare) over lavatory and tub drains to snag hair and objects.

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Toilet need a tune-up? (From The Primer, Spring 1999)
A leaky toilet wastes enough gallons of water per year to fill a swimming pool. Let's do our part for a healthy environment and a lower water bill.

Most often the cause of a leaky toilet is a faulty flapper or tank ball. To fix the toilet you need four replacement parts:

• Fill valve or ballcock assembly
• Flapper or tank ball
• Flush lever or handle
• Supply connection

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No El Niño? We can still have water emergencies in the house! (From The Primer, Spring 1998)
It's late Saturday night. All is quiet and peaceful - except for the sound of rushing water. It takes you a few minutes to remember you don't live near Niagara Falls. The water you hear is - your own! Do you know what to do?

Toilet overflow: Have on hand a plunger and sewer snake and know how to use them. Start with the plunger, then move to the snake. Even if you think you've moved the clog, fill the toilet bowl with a bucket of water instead of flushing. If the water doesn't go down, the clog is still there. It's plumber time.

Water pouring from pipe: Turn off the water supply immediately! It's plumber time again. Hyde Park has a lot of aging plumbing fixtures that will require replacement.

Drain clogged, sink, or basin overflows: Use a plunger. Repeat. You may need a drain auger, a snake for sink/tub drains.

Avoid plumbing crises! Do not put food scraps or grease down the sink. Use a hair snare on drains. Don't let little kids put odd objects in toilets. Prevention works!

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More Winter wonders: put the freeze on frozen pipes (From The Primer, Winter 1997)
Every Winter apartment dwellers are shocked and dismayed by the damage caused by frozen pipes. Pipes near exterior walls are at risk. To prevent frozen pipes, you can take the following steps:

1. Insulate pipes next to exterior walls.
2. If bitter cold is expected, open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes and let hot and cold water faucets trickle.

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Plumbing problems
It is particularly important to prevent plumbing problems. A plumbing problem left unresolved not only causes damage in your apartment but usually also causes problems in your neighbor's apartments. Some measures taken by you will actually prevent the usual plumbing problems.

1. In your bathroom tub, make sure you have and use a hair catcher over your drain. It's use prevents clogged tubs and drain traps.
2. Your shower should have two shower curtain rods or one oval rod. You will need to supply two shower curtains. Using two curtains and keeping them inside the tub will prevent water leakage onto the floor and into the apartment below you.
3. Large items or cooking grease should be properly disposed of in your trash can. Do not use your toilet or kitchen sink to dispose of them.
4. If your toilet "runs" constantly, have your janitor repair it. It is usually just a minor problem but wastes a great deal of water. This also applies to dripping faucets in your bathroom and kitchen.
5. Periodically check the pipes below your kitchen and bathroom sinks for any leaks.

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