Althoff Home Services Blog: Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

The Plumbing Inspection You Think You Don’t Need—Why It Actually Matters

Monday, January 12th, 2026

When water flows freely, and fixtures seem to work as expected, it’s easy to assume your plumbing system is in great shape. Many homeowners believe that if there are no obvious leaks or backups, there’s no need for a professional inspection. In reality, plumbing issues often develop quietly, out of sight, and can cause significant damage before any visible signs appear. That’s why plumbing inspections are not optional—they’re protective.

Understanding what happens behind walls and beneath floors helps explain why routine inspections matter more than most people realize.

Tags: Plumbing Maintenance
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Avoid Holiday Plumbing Headaches: Winter Prep Tips for Your Home

Monday, December 22nd, 2025

The holiday season often brings full houses, busy kitchens, and increased water usage throughout the home. While gatherings and celebrations are meant to be enjoyed, the added demand can put extra strain on plumbing systems—especially during winter. Taking steps to prepare your plumbing ahead of time can help prevent inconvenient issues and keep everything running smoothly when it matters most.

Winter plumbing preparation is about awareness and professional care, not waiting for a problem to appear during the busiest time of year.

Tags: Maintenance
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Testing Your Tap Water

Monday, April 28th, 2025

You pour a glass of water from the tap expecting something clean, refreshing, and safe—but have you ever stopped to think about what else might be flowing through your pipes? While most municipal water supplies meet legal safety standards, they can still carry a range of unwanted contaminants.

If you’ve never taken the time to test your tap water, you might be surprised by what you find. Schedule an appointment with our team for water testing and learn more about whole-house solutions for cleaning your water and improving overall water quality.

Tags: Residential Plumbing, Residential Services
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What’s Lurking in Your Tap Water?

Monday, April 14th, 2025

When you turn on the tap, you expect clean, safe water—whether it’s for drinking, cooking, or bathing. But what if we told you that even “clean-looking” tap water could be hiding contaminants that affect your health, your plumbing, and your appliances?

Welcome to this week’s Tech Tip Tuesday, where we’re shining a light on what might really be lurking in your water—and why now is the perfect time to test it. Our team cares about the safety and well-being of your family. That’s why we’re encouraging every homeowner to take a closer look at what’s flowing through their pipes.

Tags: Residential Plumbing, Residential Services
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Is Your Toilet Tank Overfilling? Here’s Why

Monday, December 16th, 2024

Oh no! Is your toilet tank leaking water? Or does it seem like it is constantly running and filling up with water? If so, it may be an issue that our team needs to check out. Even though there are a variety of toilet maintenance tasks you can complete as a homeowner, a toilet tank overfilling in Crystal Lake may not be one of them.

You can keep reading to learn more about the causes of a common toilet problem that we get calls about. Then when you’re ready, our team can visit your home for service and check your toilet from top to bottom to ensure that everything is working the way it should.

Tags: Crystal Lake, Residential Plumbing, toilet overflow
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Partner With a Team Who Can Help With All Your HVAC and Plumbing Needs

Monday, November 4th, 2024

When it comes to maintaining systems around your home, you may be looking for a single business or contractor to partner with. If that’s the case, you are in the right place. The Althoff team can help with all of your home maintenance needs, from HVAC to plumbing and even electrical in Crystal Lake. And don’t just take our word for it! Hear what one of our customers has to say:

“I highly recommend Althoff Home Services for its highly-qualified and experienced technicians – who are also very nice people. They arrive on time, provide an estimate, and complete all work with the utmost professionalism. I rely on Althoff for both plumbing and HVAC. I never need to worry about the quality of their work.”

Tags: Crystal Lake, Residential Services
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Maintenance Tips For Your Residential Water Softener

Monday, July 1st, 2024

If you have a whole-house water softener, you need to keep up with regular maintenance in order for the unit to work at its best. After all, a water softener cleans all the water that enters your home, which can be a tall order. Aside from the maintenance steps that you complete as a homeowner, our team can help with professional maintenance and even a water softener salt subscription in Mundelein.

Just give our team a call to schedule your service. We can talk to you about how many gallons per month you use and how often you need to refill the salt. You can also keep reading to learn more about some of the other maintenance steps you can complete for your whole-house water softener.

Tags: Mundelein, Residential Plumbing
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How Does a Water Softener Work?

Monday, June 17th, 2024

You may or may not already have a water softener in your home. Whether you already have one of these great systems or are thinking about investing in one, you may be curious about how exactly they work to soften water for your home.

You can keep reading to learn more about the components of a water softener and how they work together to remove harmful particles from your tap water. We are also highlighting the types of particles that a water softener can eliminate. You can give our team a call to schedule service and then an assessment for installation or home delivery water softener salt in Hinsdale.

Tags: Hinsdale, Residential Services, water softener
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Tips for Preventing a Sewer Backup

Monday, April 22nd, 2024

Sewer backups can be a major problem. In addition to being inconvenient, they can also allow germs and bacteria into your home and create a mess that’s a lot to clean up. But sewer backups are preventable when you take the right steps in advance.

We’re highlighting some tips and tricks for preventing a sewer backup from ever happening in the first place. If you suspect a sewer backup, you need to schedule sewer cleaning in Crystal Lake, give our team a call. In the meantime, you can keep reading to learn our steps for protecting your home from a sewer backup.

Tags: Crystal Lake, Residential Plumbing
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Does it Really Require a Plumber? Let’s Help You Find Out

Monday, February 12th, 2024

There are some minor plumbing problems that you can fix on your own. Other plumbing problems require expert help, but aren’t necessarily an emergency. Then there are times when plumbing problems are serious enough to require service ASAP. But how do you know when that is?

We are highlighting some of the ways that you know whether a plumbing problem is an emergency or not. When you need a plumber in Hinsdale, IL for an emergency, our team is ready to help. You can keep reading to learn more about common plumbing emergencies and how you can address the problems yourself until we can arrive at your home.

Tags: Hinsdale, Residential Plumbing
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