For many homeowners, making household repairs can be a daunting and cost-prohibitive task. In addition to searching for and securing a qualified contractor, this process may include several weeks when a home may be somewhat uninhabitable. However, in celebration of National Rebuilding Day – April 26, 2014 – more than 3,500 volunteers will apply a days-worth of elbow grease to make major repairs in 70 homes, three nonprofit facilities and one landscape area in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood and the Cook County suburb of Riverdale, Illinois.

Dispatched by Rebuilding Together* Metro Chicago, volunteers – representing more than 100 corporations, skilled labor unions and service organizations – will paint, re-route electricity, and provide plumbing and carpentry repairs in just one day. Rebuilding Together is the nation’s leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities. This year, more than 10,000 houses and non-profit facilities across the nation will be painted, repaired, weatherized and revitalized by over 200,000 volunteers.

Since its inception in 1991, Rebuilding Together* Metro Chicago has cumulatively worked in over 1,200 homes in the Chicagoland area. This year’s sponsor list includes Starbucks Coffee Company, Takeda, Siemens, TransUnion, Power Construction, Walsh Construction, MWH, Northern Trust and Peoples Gas, among others. Additional support is provided by labor unions such as the IBEW Local 134, the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Local 130, and the Chicago and Northeast District Council of Carpenters – who have all contributed greatly to the success of this year’s neighborhood upgrades.

For more information or to support Rebuilding Together* Metro Chicago, call 312/201-1188 or visit www.rebuildingtogether-chi.com.

Rebuilding Together* Metro Chicago works to make a sustainable impact in partnership with the communities where volunteers serve, while improving the homes and neighborhoods of elderly, disabled and low-income residents so that they may continue to live in warmth, safety and comfort.

*An affiliate of the nation’s largest volunteer organization preserving and revitalizing low-income houses and communities.

Sponsors Include:

• If your sump pump fails during a rainstorm, your basement can be flooded in a matter of minutes. It does not take much water to cause thousands of dollars in damage.
• Sump pumps should be checked for proper operation a couple of times per year. Don’t wait for failure during a rainstorm to find out your sump pump does not work.
• Average sump pump life is 10 years. The most common reason for failure is the sump pump switch.
• 80% of flooded basements are the result of failed sump pumps and not a power outage.

Basement flooding costs homeowners hundreds of thousands each year, but it doesn’t have to. A battery back-up system that kicks in when your regular sump pump fails or you lose power can save your basement. Because it has its own power source and can be installed in a couple of hours, this is one home improvement that can save thousands the very first time it works.

Make sure your home is protected from a sump pump failure, power outage, melting snow and rainy days. To protect your home against unwanted damage, let us help you find the system you can trust.

Spring is just around the corner. Will your basement stay dry when heavy rain hits? Call (708) 371-4900 or visit our Plumbing Showroom for a consultation of your basement de-watering options.

Learn More about Your Options for Sump Pumps and Battery Back-up Systems

Every year, without fail, a record number of homeowners call their trusted plumbers with reports of drain and disposal failure.

With that in mind, here are some helpful, money-saving tips for all of the do-it-yourself cooks out there:

1. Get to know your garbage disposal’s enemies so that you can avoid becoming a statistic. The “enemy list” includes: artichokes, asparagus, bones, carrots, celery, corn husks, glass, metal or plastic objects, gravy, large fruit pits, oil, onions, oyster or clam shells, potatoes, rice and stuffing.
2. Learn your disposal’s anatomy. If your garbage disposal just refuses to work, try this quick, no-cost trick before calling a plumber: Find, then press your disposal’s friendly “reset” button. It’s located on the disposal itself under the sink. Simply pressing this little reset button can often make your disposal hum again.
3. Post a temporary “enemy list” over your sink so that friends and family members who may help you clear the table are also in the know!
4. Of course, if you compost, all the better. You can bypass the disposal all together.
5. If none of these suggestions work for you, call the experts at C.J. Erickson Plumbing at 708-371-4900. We offer full plumbing service and repair and can help ensure your holidays are problem free!

Looking to Spruce Up your Kitchen or Bath For Holiday Guests?

Stop by the C.J. Erickson Plumbing Showroom where you have access to licensed plumbing professionals who can assist you with finding a new kitchen or bathroom fixture, installation and repair services before holiday guests arrive.

The Plumbing Showroom is located at 12100 S. Cicero Avenue in Alsip and is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 8am to 2pm.

At our plumbing showroom, you’ll find an on-site demonstration with a fully functional sump pump display to show you everything you need to add a battery backup system to your sump pump. Explore different sump pumps and battery backups and get answers to your questions from experienced Chicago area plumbers who stand behind their work.

If you are not the do-it-yourself type, C.J. Erickson provides a complete list of plumbing services, as well as installation of your sump pump battery backup system.

Asking yourself “why do I need a battery backup system for my sump pump?” – we have the answers…

Get Peace of Mind with Your Existing
Sump Pump
With our $25 Sump Pump Inspection, C.J. Erickson will inspect and test your existing sump pump, inspect the impeller, check the basin for debris, inspect pump wiring and any other sump pump related accessories.

Call (708) 371-4900 to schedule your Sump Pump Inspection today!

At the plumbing showroom you’ll also find a variety of fixtures including toilets, showerheads, lavatories, kitchen sinks, disposals, sump pump systems and battery backups from leading brands like Kohler, Moen, Delta and Elkay. From budget conscious to top of the line fixtures, it’s a great place to browse, test and buy.

Whether it’s a sump pump system, “going green” inside your home, tackling a bathroom remodel, updating your fixtures or protecting your home from plumbing emergencies, visit the “Showroom that Works” to shop, compare, ask questions and learn from the experienced professionals at C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. The retail showroom is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. For more information, please visit www.cjerickson.com or contact (708) 371-4900.

The C.J. Erickson Plumbing Showroom has a variety of faucets, toilets, kitchen and bathroom sinks, shower heads, sump pumps and more, on display and fully functional. You can try fixtures before you buy them – which Jay gladly pokes fun at. And we gladly accept the humor – because we know that this is something you can’t do at the big box stores or most other plumbing wholesale locations.

The coolest thing about our plumbing showroom is that all the working fixtures use recycled water – so no water is wasted down the drain.

“And Mr. Leno: while we’ve had a few people sit on the toilets to test comfort and height, we have yet to have a comedian leave behind a “sample” from testing! From all of us at C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co., we hope you’ll visit our showroom next time you come to the Windy City. And if you’re interested, we’ll be happy to install new ultra high-efficiency toilets that the entire staff of the Tonight Show will enjoy!” – Matt Erickson, CEO

For those of you in the Chicagoland area, if you haven’t yet visited our Showroom that Works, what better time to stop by. With spring just around the corner, it’s a great time to upgrade your plumbing fixtures or tackle that bathroom remodel project. We can also help you make sure that your sump pump system is ready for “April showers.”

Visit the C.J. Erickson Plumbing Showroom at 12100 S. Cicero Ave. in Alsip, IL. The Showroom is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. For questions or more information, call 708-371-4900, or visit us at www.cjerickson.com.

Cherry Wood Sours
Cherry wood cabinetry has enjoyed being first or second on the list for quite some time, often directly competing with maple. However, designers are seeing a shift away from cherry wood. With a drop from 80% in early 2010 to 72% in 2011, heading into 2012, that number has fallen even more to 69%. While no one wood preference has overtaken cherry wood, instead designers are seeing an increase in other woods, such as oak, walnut, birch and bamboo.

Movement towards the Dark Side
Only two years ago, dark natural finishes were specified by only 43% of designers. Today, however, that number has jumped to 58% and designers are seeing a decline in light natural finishes. For painted cabinetry, white continues to be the most popular option and distressed finishes seem to be making a comeback.

Glass as a Backsplash
More than half (52%) of kitchen designers report using glass as a backsplash material, up from 41% just a year ago. Granite and quartz are also rising in popularity due to their high use as countertop materials.

Energy-Efficiency is Not a Fad
One real trend that is taking hold in home across the US and Canada is LED lighting. Over the past year, the rate reported by NKBA member kitchen designers has jumped from 54% to 70%.

Pull-Out Faucets Take the Lead
The standard kitchen faucet is being over-shadowed by pull-out faucets. In fact, 14 out of every 15 designers incorporated a pull-out faucet in 2011. Rather than the standard faucet with a detached side spray, integrating these two functions into a single unit seems to be the trend these days.

The Return of the Medicine Cabinet
Once swept aside in bathroom remodels, homeowners looking for more efficient use of space has caused a resurgence in the use of medicine cabinets to gain additional storage without installing separate shelving or cabinetry.

Out with Traditional, In with Transitional
For the first time in the history of this survey, traditional is no longer the most popular type of design. In both the kitchen and the bathroom, transitional has become the most common style. Transitional can be described as a blend of traditional and contemporary, using lines that are simpler than traditional, but more elaborate than contemporary in order to create a modern and classy look.

Solid Surfaces Still Going Strong
The use of solid surfaces is a trend that’s grown even stronger than it was a year ago. The use of solid surfaces, such as granite, quartz, marble and glass has increased to 30% in kitchens and 34% in bathrooms from 26% and 34% last year.

Shades of Grey
While whites and off-whites continue to be the most popular color schemes used in kitchens and bathrooms, gray tones have been become a very popular choice. They can be quite attractive and still give a distinguished look without becoming overpowering.

Polished Chrome is Making a Comeback
Once surpassed by brushed metal finishes, polished chrome is on the verge of a comeback. In the bathroom, polished chrome has seen an increase from 46% to 65% over the past year. Bronze finishes also continue to be popular in both the kitchen and the bathroom.

To learn more about new trends in kitchen and bath fixtures, visit the C.J. Erickson Plumbing “Showroom that Works” where you can try before you buy and get help from expert plumbers who stand by their work. Visit the Plumbing Showroom or call 708-371-4900 today!

The Flapperless toilet features tip bucket technology. The fill valve fills the bucket and the handle tips the bucket to start the flush. The flush is good, plus you benefit from a no-sweat tank. The maintenance-free flush system should give you peace of mind if you are used to repairs due to aggressive water or inferior products. This product comes in a round or elongated 1.28 GPF (gallons per flush) or 1.6 GPF.

In our “real world testing” at the C.J. Erickson Working Showroom, we have found that the 1.6 GPF model does a better job than the 1.28 GPF version. The extra water seems to help clear the bowl of solid wastes more consistently than the 1.28 GPF model. This technology would benefit large hotel/motel buildings that have experienced flapper or fill valve problems in the past.

If you want to try the Niagara Flapperless toilet, come on in to the C.J. Erickson Plumbing “Showroom that Works” located at 121st and Cicero Avenue in Alsip. The plumbing showroom is a fully-functional and environmentally friendly, featuring a wide variety of plumbing fixtures to try before you buy. Shop the latest brands and styles and get the help you need from experienced C.J. Erickson plumbers who will stand behind their work.

C.J. Erickson Plumbing is proud to be a local distributor of Niagara Water Conservation products. At .8 gallons per flush, most of us in the service department were skeptical about how The Stealth would perform. So, before endorsing the product and displaying it in our “Showroom That Works” we needed to perform our own ‘real world’ tests.

The Stealth has been in our plumbing showroom for 2 months now and we’ve had great results. The Stealth is flushed at least 20 times per day with both solid and liquid wastes. There have been no clogs or back-ups to report, and all of our expert plumbers are very happy with the Stealth’s performance.

It’s important for us to point out that while we’ve had good success with The Stealth, it may not be right for every household. If you’ve had sewer problems in the past and your underground piping is not in the best shape, you may want to stick with a conventional 1.6 gallon per flush toilet. The Stealth UHET does a great job of flushing with low water volume, but the reduced water volume might lead to problems in some plumbing systems.

If you are intrigued by the Stealth but aren’t sure if it’s right for your home, come in to our plumbing showroom where you can test the toilet, see how it works and learn the difference between a .8 gallon flush and the 1.6 gallon flush. If the Stealth is the right product for you, buy it in our showroom and a C.J. Erickson expert plumber can help you with installation.

Niagara Water Conservation also offers other toilets, along with a number of showerheads and faucet aerators. Stay tuned… I’ll blog about another cool technology from Niagara next time.

Stop by our “Showroom that Works” at 12100 S. Cicero Ave, Alsip, IL to see The Stealth and other water conserving products in action.

C.J. Erickson Plumbing Company

Customers can explore, test and buy products from leading brands in a variety of colors and styles while gaining a first hand look at how these products really work. If the showroom doesn’t have the color or style you are looking for, the experts at C.J. Erickson can order it from their broad list of suppliers.

C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. is a trusted name in the Chicagoland with over 105 years of experience, and the “Showroom that Works” is staffed with licensed, expert plumbers and trained technicians available to answer questions and offer the best solutions to your plumbing problems.

On-site demonstration displays are also available, including food waste disposals, water heaters and a working sump pump display that shows you everything needed to add a battery backup system to your sump pump.

If you are planning a remodel of your bathroom or kitchen, the “Showroom that Works” is a great place to explore and test both budget-friendly and top of the line fixtures from brands like Kohler, Moen, Delta and Elkay. C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. can help you plan your project and order the fixtures you’re looking for – with many color options and styles to choose from.

C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. prides itself on helping homeowners “go green” inside their homes. At the showroom, you’ll find water saving toilets from brands like Niagara. If you’ve ever wanted to see the difference between 1.6 gallon and .8 gallon per flush toilet tanks or ask why a faucet can cost $70 when another can cost $470, the “Showroom that Works” and C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. can enlighten you.

Another unique and exciting feature at the “Showroom that Works” is that all of the display faucets, kitchen sinks, showerheads and toilets use recycled water.

“Since C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact, all the water used in our showroom will be recycled – making it completely green. It was very important for us to carry our ‘green efforts’ forward into this new showroom.”  – Matt Erickson, CEO

Visit the plumbing fixture showroom to shop, compare, ask questions and learn form the experienced professionals at C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. The retail showroom is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 5pm, Thursday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 3pm. For more information, please visit cjerickson.com/plumbing-showroom or contact (708) 371-4900.

The CJE Community Service Corps has set a new goal of 450 volunteer hours in 2011. In the coming year, we will continue to volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Together We Cope. We will also be providing pro-bono service work to Ronald McDonald House Charities.  In our hometown of Alsip, we are excited to start work on a project for “Adopt a Road.”

Since we were not able to have a marquee event in 2010, we have started planning early to get one on the calendar for the upcoming year. A few ideas include:

• A multi-site car wash
• A family volunteer day at one of our favorite charities
• Participating in the Habitat for Humanity or Rebuild Together Chicago house program

Thank you to all the Community Corps volunteers and the charities helping C.J. Erickson Plumbing Company achieve our goals for 2010! If you have any suggestions on organizations that need help or requests for volunteers, then please call 708-371-4900 and ask for Shawn. Have a safe Holiday and a Happy New Year!