Chicago Plumbing Blog: John Baethke & Son Plumbing

We've all heard or maybe even experienced a horror story involving improper usage of a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal can be one of the most useful things in your home, but like anything you use, it nedds to be maintained and used properly.

If you're someone who wants to be environmentally friendly, you've more than likely considered the idea of getting a low flow toilet; however there are also a lot of misconceptions when it comes to these wonderful water savers.

Lawsuits are now popping up across the country over the use of the word "flushable". Sewerage authorities claim that flushable wet wipes don't break apart, and, as a result, are destroying municipal sewer systems. The wipes cluster with congealed food fat to form large blockages.

In the city of Chicago, we very rarely have water usage restrictions, but other cities and states, especially those on the West Coast, have nearly constant restrictions, sometimes lasting months on end. This is where the rain barrel can be extremely useful, not to mention eco-friendly.

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Why do so many people hate tankless? Whether I am speaking to another contractor or a homeowner the reasons given seem to be that they do not work.

These freezing cold temperatures in Chicago can definitely wreak havoc on a home's plumbing system. In fact, we've already had a considerable amount of service calls specifically related to frozen and burst pipes.

Wow, I was sitting back, relaxing and I saw the actors in Breaking Bad fixing his own tankless water heater. What does that mean? Not too much, it is only a TV show but…….Every day we service all brands of tankless water heaters.

3,000 B.C. Egyptian ruler Menes supports a thriving civilization spanning over 3,000 years by constructing basins, canals, and irrigation ditches to hold floodwater. 2,700 B.C. Water pipe is crafted from clay and chopped straw in the Indus River Valley of India 1,500 B.C.