Are you planning a bathroom remodel or planning to install a tile shower? In addition to the contractor who will install the tile, you will also need to hire a trusted plumber to install the shower pan liner. The plumbing shower pan is the most important step when installing a tile shower as it collects any water that falls from the shower floor. Proper installation prevents water leaks and mold problems. Below are pictures of a shower pan liner installation performed by Robert Bair Services.
Old shower concrete base with tile removed.
Shower base subfloor
The plumber installs the liner over the subfloor. A special adhesive is used to seal the edges and corners.
After the installation, the plumber fills the shower liner with water to check for leaks. The water is drained before the tile is installed.
The DuPage County Forest Preserve hired Robert Bair Services to help them go green.
The DuPage County Forest Preserves had solar thermal water heating systems installed in their remote forest preserve bathroom facilities. Solar water heaters, which are also called solar domestic hot water systems are a cost-effective way to generate hot water. They can be used in any climate and are an excellent way to conserve energy.
The pictures below illustrate how 4×8 solar panels are installed on the roof of the forest preserve buildings. The panels use solar energy to heat the potable water.
Spring Creek Reservoir in Bloomingdale, IL
Solar Thermal panels installed on the roof of DuPage County Forest Preserve bathroom facility.
Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove, IL
Piping to the potable hot water supply from the solar panels.
Solar panels on the roof of a DuPage County Forest Preserve building.
Mud, debri, grease, and sludge are all culprits for blocking drains and sewers lines. Regular preventative maintenance using high-pressure water jetting services is necessary to prevent these blockages from becoming a huge headache and large financial burden. Not only is high-pressure water jetting an economical solution, it’s also an environmentally safe method for cleaning water mains and sewer lines.
Storm Drain Cleaning
Robert Bair Services provides high powered jetting services to thoroughly clean your property’s drains and sewer lines. Below are some pictures of a high-pressure water jetting of a storm drain. The storm drain was full of mud and debri, so Bair technicians were hired to flush out the storm water main.
This is the before picture of the storm drain full of mud and debris.
Bair technician is lowered into the storm drain.
"After" picture of the storm drain.
This is a large fish found wiggling around in the storm drain. Bair technicians caught the fish and released it in a nearby pond.
Naperville Home Burned Down
It was a few years ago, but my brother had an old house in Naperville
and the upstairs pipe (I think it was an older heat register in a
bathroom that used water to heat the house) was on an outside wall
facing the cold west. Anyhow, he used an electric blanket to defrost
it and burned the house down. Electricity and water (unfrozen) from
pipes do not mix. M.S. Naperville
Downers Grove Condo Building Burned Down
About 6 years ago a friend who is a builder had an employee (a carpenter)
who was doing some work for a lady in a condo. The work he was
performing was not authorized or managed by the builder -this was a
remodel side job for the carpenter. The carpenter accidentally shot a
nail through a pipe in the wall. Not being a plumber he went to
Big Box store to get a kit to fix the hole in the pipe when he met a
handy man in the plumbing department who said he had the right tools
and could fix the hole for him. So the handyman & the carpenter went
back to the condo to fix the hole. Unfortunately the handyman was not
as handy as he had thought because he started the insulation in the
wall on fire while soldering the pipe. The whole condo building burned
to the ground. I never did find out what happened to the carpenter
or the handyman, but I wonder what happened because neither one of
the workers carried a contractors license or insurance.
Metal Snake on Loose in Back Yard
This is a story about a rooter company coming out to unclog our toilet.
It was a young guy in an unmarked van that showed up. He went right
to work on the problem (we heard the usual scraping sound from the
auger in the pipes) and he was in the bathroom for about 1/2 an hour
when he came out and said he fixed the problem. After we paid the
money and he left we brought the kids from playing in the back yard.
They said that there was a big metal snake coming out of the house
and they tried to catch it! We figured out that the inexperienced
rooter guy rodded the toilet but got off track and shot the cable
out through the toilet vent rather than down the drain pipe. There
was proof on the siding at the back of the house as to what happened.
The toilet was also scratched up inside the bowl. We called the company
back and the call taker took the information but no one ever got back
to us even though we called at least 6 times trying to speak to a
manager. We are just thankful the kids never caught the snake! Now
we call a licensed plumbing company not a rooter company because we
understand the difference between the two, which is a 4 year plumbing
education.
Newly Wed Flooding Disaster
A man called and said that he had a plumbing emergency – there was
water coming from everywhere and could we get there right away. The
dispatcher said yes and educated the customer on shutting the main
water valve and let him know the plumber would arrive shortly. The
plumber was actually surprised at the amount of damage done when he
got there and looked around. There were leaks and water damage all
around in almost every room. When the plumber started asking the man
and his young wife what had happened the man explained that they just
arrived home after 2 weeks away – they had been on their honeymoon.
When they returned everything was fine and they turned on the lights &
heat and started unpacking. After an hour or so there was popping
sounds and water started shooting right through the drywall. Being new
to home ownership and not knowing any better they had turned off the
heat while they were gone (and it was winter time). They had many
frozen and burst pipes which did not start leaking until the heat
thawed the building about an hour or two after they turned it on.
They had a very expensive mess on their hands.
These systems are used to prevent flooding during power outages; keeping your family & home dry.
Sumpro is a two battery back-up system which is sold separately from the sump pump.
•powers your existing sump pump during a power outage
•Works with any 115 V sump pump up to ½ HP
•Made in USA & has fully automated charging system
•Microprocessor based system AquaNot is a pedestal style pump
•Heavy duty 12 volt motor and positive contact float switch
•Stainless steel column & shaft
•Electronic 25 amp charger to maintain & recharge battery
•Pump alarm
•12 month warranty or warranty extended to 36 months with the purchase of Aquanot battery by Zoeller Self contained submersible back up pump
•pressure activated diaphragm switch for immediate activation
•24 volt operating system
•50 gallon per minute at 5 ft. head
•will cycle as normal pump at 40 cycles per hour for approximately 50 hours
•3 year limited warranty
There are many options and also reasons to choose a certain type of back-up system. For instance professionals take into account the size of the sump pit, the average amount of water needing to be pumped up & out, the diameter of the drainage pie & more. For these reasons we suggest our customers get the opinion of a professional licensed plumber who actually takes a look at your unique circumstances.
With over 35 years serving the Western Suburbs we are the areas experts on sump pumps & battery back-up systems.
For cleaner drinking water take back the tap! If you are concerned about the quality of your water at home call your plumber to install a water filtration device in your home so your family can have safe & healthy drinking water 24/7. Whole house or point of use (at faucet) filtration is available at an affordable price.
If you want to save money, drink cleaner water and do the right thing for the environment please read the following information:
Many Americans drink their water out of plastic bottles—a convenience that stuffs landfills, clogs waterways and guzzles valuable fossil fuels. Americans spent nearly $11 billion on over 8 billion gallons of bottled water, and then tossed over 22 billion empty plastic bottles in the trash. More than 70 million bottles are consumed each day in the U.S. drain 1.5 million barrels of oil over a one year span.
Bottled costs us a thousand times more than water from our faucet at home, and it is no safer or cleaner. The bottled water industry spends millions a year trying to convince you that their product is somehow healthier than tap water, when in fact that’s just not true. Take Back the Tap is a non for profit organizatio who campaign to get consumers to ditch bottled water. they say “As much as 40 percent of bottled water started out as the same tap water that we get at home.” A Natural Resources Defense Council study found that, with required quarterly testing, tap water may even be of a higher quality than bottled, which is only tested annually.
The plastic used in both single-use and reusable bottles can pose more of a contamination threat than the water. A safe plastic if used only once, #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) is the most common resin used in disposable bottles. Also as #1 bottles are reused – which they commonly are – they can leach chemicals such as DEHA, a known carcinogen, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a potential hormone disrupter ( both in men and women). According to the Journal of Environmental Monitoring some PET bottled-water containers were found to leach antimony an elemental metal that is an eye, skin, and lung irritant. And ….because the plastic is porous you’ll likely get a swill of harmful bacteria with each gulp if you reuse #1 plastic bottle.
Do not keep bottled water in the car. When the bottle is heated or frozen the chemicals leach into the water.
Avoid plastic bottles altogether with a metal water bottle that can handle a variety of liquids, including fruit juices and that won’t leach chemicals into your beverage. Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel bottle is lightweight, durable, and entirely chemical free. Avoid detergents that contain chlorine when cleaning Klean Kanteens; chlorine can corrode stainless steel. Another attractive alternative to plastic is the aluminum Sigg bottle with a taste-inert, water-based epoxy lining. Independent lab tests commissioned by the company found that the resin leached no detectable quantities of BPA, while other unlined aluminum and polycarbonate bottles subjected to the same conditions did.
Tips:
- If you are concerned about the quality of the water from your home tap – have it tested!
- Call a reputable plumber for an easy to maintain home water filtration system. There are many types of filtration systems available – let your plumber know what your specific concerns are and he will let you know which system will best suit your needs.
- Clean drinking water -not only is it good for you and your family but homes that have engery efficient equipment and water filtration systems sell faster in this tough home market.
- If you have concerns about the plastic bottles leaching chemicals into the water your drinking there are better bottles on the market for about $20 – several sizes are available – some are made especially for a child’s small hands – see below for bottle information. There some very cool looking designs – choose a different pattern or color for every day of the week!
Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org and take the pledge to take back the tap, promising to choose tap water over bottled whenever possible and to support policies that promote clean public tap water for everybody. And meanwhile, invest in a safe, reusable bottle.
Better Bottles
Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottle w/ cap, 27 fluid ounces ($17.95; www.kleankanteen.com)
MLS Stainless Steel Thermos Bottle, 1 liter ($22.16; www.mls-group.com)
Sigg resin coated aluminum sport bottle, 25 ounces ($19.99; www.mysigg.com)
Nalgene HDPE Loop-Top Bottle, 16 ounces ($4.53; www.nalgene-outdoor.com)
Check out this video on bottled water at youtube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEyo7X0u_fA
and for more info … http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled
We would love too!
The most rewarding part of our profession is knowing that we fixed the problem and it will stay fixed for years to come.
We not only fix the problem ~ we take care of all the details like the Village permit/inspection process and we call Julie to help assure that we don’t damage any cable or power lines while digging.
Tight Spot? No Problem! We will come prepared to get the job done right with the proper sized equipment and knowledge to get your home’s comfort system up and running as quickly and painlessly as possible.
For your piece of mind…We are Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Your technicians were hired based on their background and integrity. All of our employees have had a background check and drug test.
Tramco Sump Pump
Stop worrying about your basement flooding; this Tramco Sump Pump is the best available pump on the market today. This pump is not new to the marketplace; it has a long history with a great track record with of years of service in the Chicago area. It is built right here in Chicago and is used in commercial & residential applications. Some commercial applications are bank vaults, schools, churches and other areas where there would be extreme hardship if water damage would occur. Recently we have also done many residential installations where the homeowner has incurred hardship due to last year’s heavy rains. Many of our customers not only had to replace the basement carpet, drywall & furniture but also some had recently installed furnaces & water heaters. Many homes in the area had well over $10,000 in damages. An average sump pump last 3-5 years but this pump is built to last 40 years with a 10 year manufactures warranty. We are so confident in this pump that Robert Bair Services is personally extending the warranty another 10 years.
THIS PUMP PURCHASED & INSTALLED BY ROBERT BAIR SERVICES NOW CARRIES A 20 YEAR WARRANTY!
Tramco also has a very reliable lift station. Many villages (including Downers Grove) are offering financial assistance to put in a lift station.
Call Today to set up an appointment to have a Tramco Pump or lift station installed at your convenience.
We also offer other types Battery Back-up systems for power outages that sometimes occur during rain storms.
Check out this you tube video on Bio Clean. Copy and paste this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3-AyjgZlOQ
BIO-CLEAN is… a blend of bacteria and enzymes. The bacteria are natural, not genetically-engineered. The enzyme concentration is the most powerful on the market.
SAFE
Bio-Clean is non-poisonous. It creates no heat, no fumes, no boiling. It does not attack live tissue nor inorganic materials, only organic wastes like grease, hair, food particles, paper, cotton & sewage. This makes BIO-CLEAN safe for people, plumbing and the environment. BIO-CLEAN changes the waste particles into water, carbon dioxide and mineral ash which run harmlessly out of your waste system. These elements are then available for plant life.
EFFECTIVE
Within an hour after pouring the bacteria into the drain, the bacteria begin to eat their way into the waste that has accumulated on the sides and top of the drain pipe. This is their natural food. They digest the waste and spread throughout your system, cleaning it completely.
MULTIPURPOSE
• Residential and commercial applications
• All drain and sewer pipes, including:
Kitchen Sinks
Lavatories
Bath tubs
Showers
Floor drains
Laundry drains
Septic tanks and drain fields
Garbage disposal odors
Grease traps
Sewage ejector sumps
Outdoor outhouses and cesspools
R.V. & boat holding tanks
Lift Stations
Cat Litter Boxes
ECONOMICAL
• 100 drain treatments per 2 lb. container
• 2lb. container treats 1,000 gallon septic tank
• Eliminates the need to clean grease traps and cable drains
• Eliminates the need to buy dangerous chemicals
• Eliminates the need to buy deodorant blocks (urinals.)
• Eliminates costly compensation to employees that have been injured by using dangerous chemicals.
ONLY $39.95 OVER THE COUNTER.
SORRY NO DELIVERIES EXCEPT DURING A SCHEDULED SERVICE CALL
Robert Bair Services Plumbing, Heating & Air are your Residential & Commercial RPZ Experts
Call toll free at 877-337-BAIR we have RPZ Valves In Stock
RPZ stands for Reverse Pressure Zone. These devices are used to prevent back flow or back siphon of contaminants into our public water supply. The state mandates that RPZ’s be installed where there is fire protection and or lawn watering systems. It is used in commercial & residential buildings. The reason for RPZ’s is that there is a chance that water in the building could get sucked back into the village water supply if the village water pressure drops and it sometimes does for one reason or another. There have been instances where chemicals from a facility have been found in city water supplies (cross contamination) due to back flow. State regulations require that these devices are to be installed by a licensed plumber, who is also certified by the EPA as an installer and tester of these devices. Always ask for proof of license and RPZ certification when having an RPZ installed or certified. The village mandates that paperwork be attached to the valve itself and also a copy is to be sent to the Public Works Department upon recertification each year.
We have many licensed plumbers on staff and 5 of them are certified installers and testers of the RPZ.
We are experienced in:
Commercial, Industrial and Residential
Sump Pumps, Ejector Pumps & Upright & Submersible Pumps
Water Heaters
Complete repipes and water service
Sewer and drain cleaning
Sewer repair or sewer line replacement
Pipeline Inspection
High Pressure Jetting & Roding
Fiber-optic pipeline video inspection
Tubs, toilets, urinals, sinks, faucets, showers , shower pans, drinking fountains, process piping, lift stations, storm drains and more – repair or replacement
Boilers, Forced Air Furnaces, High Efficiency Boilers & Furnaces, Air Quality & Humidification – repair or replacement.
Money saving maintenance plans available to suit your unique needs.
Proudly serving DuPage, Cook, Will, and Kane Counties for over 35 years. Call 1-877-337-BAIR (2247) toll free or 630-964-1700 for a live customer service representative 24/7. Emergency Service Available
