With the outdoor temperatures warming, it’s time to think about spring cleaning your Chicago property. For most superintendents, maintenance teams and property managers, this often means checking the building envelope for leaks, visually inspecting facades for winter weather damage, scheduling roof and HVAC inspections and cleaning up the exterior of the property. However, you shouldn’t forget about your plumbing system. Cold weather can cause damage to your plumbing pipes, and as everything begins to thaw, you may notice water spots appearing on walls and ceilings.

1. Why Spring Is the Best Time to
Check for Building Plumbing Leaks
by Patti Althoff - Siwicki | Mar 13, 2019 | Property Manager, property management maintenance,
Plumbing, Facility Manager, Preventative Maintenance, commercial plumbing | 0 Comments
With the outdoor temperatures warming, it’s time to think about spring cleaning your Chicago property.
For most superintendents, maintenance teams and property managers, this often means checking the
building envelope for leaks, visually inspecting facades for winter weather damage, scheduling roof and
HVAC inspections and cleaning up the exterior of the property. However, you shouldn’t forget about your
plumbing system. Cold weather can cause damage to your plumbing pipes, and as everything begins to
thaw, you may notice water spots appearing on walls and ceilings.
Health and Plumbing
One of the greatest inventions for the health of mankind is the plumbing system. It takes water from the
water reservoir and pumps it into a treatment facility where it is filtered and treated with chemicals to kill
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2. any bacteria and pathogens. Once the water has been deemed clean, it is pumped to homes and
businesses across the city where it is used for drinking, cooking, cleaning and showering.
Of course, piping water from a lake, river or manmade reservoir isn’t a modern invention. The Romans and
Greeks both had plumbing systems that consisted of aqueducts and either stone or lead pipes that
pumped the water to certain areas, usually bathhouses and the homes of wealthy families. Unfortunately,
when these civilizations fell, their plumbing technology was lost. It was only rediscovered in the 1800s.
Between the fall of Rome and Greece and the 1800s, mankind experienced a plethora of illnesses due
to contaminated water, including chronic diarrhea, vomiting, cholera, Guinea worm disease, parasitic
infections, trachoma and typhoid fever. Not to mention, leprosy is caused by living in unclean conditions.
Today, in the United States, we’re less concerned about developing stomach and intestinal trouble and
parasitic infections from drinking the water, but water can still pose hazards to humans and pets if it is
left to stagnate. This is particularly true if plumbing pipes start leaking behind the walls and in the
ceilings of your Chicago building. When water starts to leak, it can lead to the development of black mold,
which is hazardous to humans and pets. Not to mention, if the leak isn’t fixed, it can lead to having to
replace large sections of drywall and flooring as well as the structural components inside your walls. In
order to prevent these things from happening, it’s important to check your plumbing system and building
for signs of leaks, and the best time to do this is in the spring.
Why You Should Spring Clean Your
Plumbing System
Spring is a great time to take a long look at your plumbing system because your maintenance team and
staff are probably already moving through the building and fixing and inspecting other items, like the
HVAC system, broken stairwell railings, light switch and outlet operation and changing burnt out light
bulbs. Not to mention, you probably have staff sweeping and mopping floors, dusting and cleaning walls
and other finishes to help give your building that fresh spring smell. As everyone focuses on cleaning and
organizing the building for warmer weather, simply remind them to be vigilant for plumbing leaks, and if
they find any mysterious water spots or staining to report them to management.
Find Damaged Pipes Before They Burst
Damaged and severely corroded pipes often start leaking before they completely fail. Slow leaks allow
water to drip onto other surfaces, like the drywall and the floor beneath the pipe. While it may be
impossible to detect water leaks below the pipe as this is often within the walls, it may be possible to see
small water spots, rings and the beginning of mold development. If you, your staff or any of your residents
find any discoloration on the walls or ceilings, have them immediately report it to maintenance so that a
plumber can be called.
Prevent Low Water Pressure Situations
Low water pressure within a building is often the result of numerous small leaks. In order to prevent your
residents from complaining about low water at their faucets and in the shower, it’s important to look for
signs of leaks. This can include water puddles in areas where there are no water fixtures, damaged
drywall and/or flooring and bubbling or peeling paint, especially if there are black spots under the paint.
Prevent Water Waste and High Bills
Water conservation is a hot topic and has been for many years. While 70 percent of the earth is covered in
water, only 2.5 percent of that water is freshwater, and only 1 percent of the Earth’s water is drinkable,
according to Worldatlas. For this reason, water conservation is extremely important in order to ensure we
have enough water for every living creature. The other reason for eliminating leaks is to prevent high
water bills. For example, a single faucet that produces one drip per minute wastes 51 gallons of water per

3. year, according to DrinkTap. The city of Chicago charges about $3.95 per 1,000 gallons of water. While one
slow leak may only amount to an increase of .20 cents, imagine if every unit in your condo or apartment
has a slow leak. At that point, we could be talking about bill increases of hundreds of dollars over the
course of the year.
Reduce Black Mold Risk
Black mold is toxic. It causes breathing difficulties in individuals who have lung ailments, and it can cause
your building to develop sick building syndrome. Large amounts of black mold also have to be removed by
professional mold restoration companies who have the proper tools and equipment to prevent the spread
of mold spores and to clean the air in contaminated rooms. Finding and fixing leaks quickly can reduce
the risk of your building developing a black mold problem.
Ways to Spring Clean Your Plumbing
System
Along with visual inspections by your maintenance teams, residents and employees, our experienced
plumbers, here at Althoff, recommend scheduling inspections of your plumbing system to help locate
leaks and worn-out pipes before they result in a flood.
1. Pressure Test Your System
One of the easiest ways to test for leaks in your plumbing system is to have a pressure test performed.
This service involves draining the system and introducing pressurized air. Once the desired pressure has
been reached, the system is left in place for about 15 minutes. If there is a drop in pressure, the system
has a leak.
2. Clean Out Your Drains
Consider having your drain and sewer lines cleaned. Spring and summer are big seasons for family get-
togethers and cookouts. With the increased traffic through your building and the increased use of your
facilities, existing minor clogs could become major clogs, resulting in sewer backups. In order to prevent
this scenario, we recommend having your drain system and sewer line hydrojetted to remove any debris
and clogs.
3. Replace Worn Hose Bibs, Sprinkler Heads and
Faucets
If you have old hose bibs, sprinkler heads and/or faucets in your building or on your property, we
recommend getting them replaced. This will help to prevent water waste via leaking fixtures, and it may
even lower your water bill. This is because new faucets, hose bids and sprinkler heads are designed to
use less water per minute.
4. Consider Pipelining
If you have an older plumbing system, you may want to consider lining your pipes with epoxy. Pipelining
with epoxy is a great way to fix current leaks and cracks, restore water flow and pressure and extend the
useful life of your plumbing system. Here at Althoff, we often partner with Nuflow to provide
comprehensive plumbing services that include pipe repair and replacement as well as epoxy pipelining.
To learn more about our spring plumbing services and how we can help you prevent water leaks, call us at
800-225-2443.

4. Main Office
8001 South Route 31
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Phone: (815) 455-7000
Office Hours: Mon-Fri
9:00a-5:00p
Branch Location
4152 May St.
Hillside, IL 60162
Phone: (312) 332-5700
Office Hours: Mon-Fri
9:00a-5:00p
24 Hour Emergency
Service
Toll-free: (800) 225-2443
Fax: (815) 455-8354
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