When to call an emergency plumber
Some problems can be handled the next morning. These cannot.
Call right away for water running from a broken pipe, sewage coming up through a floor drain or tub, a water heater leaking from the tank, or no water at all. Each of these can damage floors, drywall and belongings within hours, and the damage gets more expensive the longer it runs.
If you smell gas, leave the building first and call the gas utility or 911 from outside. A plumber is the second call, not the first.
Call the 24/7 line for
- Burst or leaking pipes. Water you cannot stop at a fixture shutoff. See emergency burst pipe repair.
- Sewer or drain backups. Several fixtures gurgling or overflowing at once points to the main line. See emergency drain cleaning.
- Water heater failure. A leaking tank or no hot water in winter. See emergency water heater repair.
- Hidden leaks. A wet ceiling, a spinning meter with everything off, or a sudden jump in the water bill. See emergency leak detection.
Plumbing services we handle in North Chicago
The most common calls are drains, water heaters, leaks and sewer lines, and we cover each in depth on its own page. For a stubborn main line, hydro jetting clears grease and scale that a cable leaves behind. When a tank is past repair, water heater replacement is usually the better use of money than a third repair.
Older pipes get their own attention. Buried lines can be inspected with a camera, and sewer line repair follows when the camera shows a break. Planned work such as repiping, tankless water heaters and sump pump repair can be scheduled around your week.
Not sure which service you need? Describe the problem on the call and we will tell you plainly what it likely is.
Call (847) 281-8626What North Chicago homes tend to have
The housing stock decides which problems show up.
The median home in North Chicago was built in 1973, and about 32 percent of homes date from before 1960. Pre-1960 houses often still have older drain and supply materials that are worth inspecting before they fail.
About two thirds of homes are renter-occupied, and many sit in two to four unit buildings or larger complexes. In those buildings a shared stack or a shared shutoff means one problem can reach several units, so the first phone call matters.
The city runs its own Lake Michigan water plant and publishes an annual water quality report. Its lead service line plan counts 849 lead lines and 144 galvanized lines among 5,653, which is why water service line repair comes up often.
What happens when you call
You describe the problem
Tell us what you see, where the water is, and whether you have shut anything off. We ask a few short questions to pick the right equipment.
We give a clear price before work starts
A plumber looks at the problem and explains the options and the cost before anything is started.
We fix it and explain the cause
You get the repair, plus what caused it and what to watch for, so the same problem does not return.
What affects the price of a plumbing call
Plumbing prices vary because no two problems are the same. Here is what moves the number.
Describe the problem and get a clear price before work starts.
Call (847) 281-8626Towns we serve around North Chicago
North Chicago is the base, at 3100 Skokie Highway. We also take emergency calls in Waukegan, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Libertyville and Gurnee, each with its own page covering local water, housing age and sewer conditions.
Before any dig, Illinois law calls for a JULIE locate by dialing 811. We remind customers of that before any excavation job starts.
Common questions before you call
Yes. The line is open 24/7, including holidays. After-hours calls are priced as after-hours work, and you hear the price before anything is started.
A lost water supply is worth a call. It can be a failed valve, a frozen or broken line, or a city outage. We can often tell on the phone which one it is.
For a leak, close the main water shutoff and open a faucet to drain pressure. For a backup, stop using drains. For a gas smell, leave and call the gas utility or 911 first.
Yes. A clear price comes before work starts. We do not quote a final price before a plumber has seen the problem, because a hidden break can change the job.
Waukegan, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Libertyville and Gurnee, plus nearby Lake County addresses. Each town page lists its ZIP codes.
Water on the floor? Call now
The line is open all day and all night. A licensed plumber can be dispatched while you shut off the water.
Call (847) 281-8626