When you make the decision to line your Chicago multi-family building plumbing pipes, you may have questions about the process and what your residents will experience. At Nu Flow Midwest, we are dedicated to making sure our pipelining process is as un-intrusive as possible, and we take steps to make sure our equipment is out of the way. Our pipelining professionals will also take the time to answer all of your questions. Here are a few common questions we receive about the pipelining process.
1. How long are your pipelining technicians on site each day?
Our pipelining technicians typically start arriving between 6AM and 7AM, and they leave the property around 4PM. From 7AM to 8AM, they inspect, check and connect equipment to your plumbing pipes. Our pipelining technicians do not typically start entering tenant occupied units until 8AM.
2. Are the technicians inside the apartments all day?
Our pipelining technicians do not remain in the apartments all day. Instead, they enter each apartment for about 20 to 30 minutes in order to connect and disconnect equipment or add certain products to the air hoses in order to clean or line the pipes.
3. How many risers are lined at one time?
We only line one riser at a time, and that plumbing riser is completely isolated from the system while it is being dried, cleaned and lined. This means that only the units connected to that riser will be affected by the pipelining process.
4. Is the pipelining process noisy?
There is some noise associated with the pipelining process, but we take steps to minimize noise pollution by keeping our air compressors outside, usually in the back of the building in a tent. Typical noises that residents and staff hear include our pipelining technicians walking through the building and entering and exiting apartments and the sound of air running through our air compressor hoses.
5. Is the pipelining equipment stored in the building?
Our pipelining equipment and hoses are not stored in the building. Instead, at the end of each day, all of the hoses from the units and stairwells are collected, rolled into a coil and stored in our tent at the back of the property. This helps ensure that hallways and stairwells are not blocked and that fire doors can be securely closed each evening and overnight.
6. Is the pipelining process dusty or smelly?
When we dry and clean your pipes, there may be a slight amount of dust and a slight odor. However, the hose system is a closed loop. Meaning that there are no open hose ends that can pump dust into the air or allow odors into the indoor air. Instead, all dust, dirt and debris remains in the hoses and is collected in special collection bins. We also have filters installed so that large amounts of dust and/or odors are not released into your indoor air.
7. Are the pipes lined all the way to the shutoff valves?
The potable water plumbing pipes are lined all the way to the shutoff valves under sinks and toilets. However, when we line risers, our technicians cut the pipes under sinks and toilets in order to connect the hoses. Once the pipes are lined and cured, a new shutoff valve is installed on the cut pipes. Many unit owners and tenants find this to be extremely helpful when performing future repair and replacement work on their water fixtures because they can shut the water off to the toilet or sink without affecting the rest of the units connected to the riser.
8. Once the process is complete, how do we know that the epoxy coating/liner lined the entire pipe evenly?
Epoxy coatings are mixed to a specific consistency in order to ensure that the epoxy rolls over itself as it coats your plumbing pipes. This helps ensure that the entire internal diameter of the plumbing pipe is coated. Once the coating process is complete, we perform a camera inspection to ensure that the liner was installed correctly and that no section of the host pipe is visible through the liner.
9. Will my water be shut off for the entire time that the pipes are being lined?
A single riser can take up to 5 weeks to line. Here at Nu Flow, we know that individual units cannot be without water for that length of time. For this reason, we only line one hot or cold water riser at a time. This allows us to install mixing valves so that certain areas have water during the pipelining process, like sinks, showers and toilets.
10. How do I know that my water is safe to drink after the pipelining process?
We perform water tests both before and after the pipelining process, and we submit those results to the management staff, employees and residents of the building as well as the city and state authorities. This is done in order to prove that the water coming out of your pipes after the lining process is the same quality as it was before the lining process.
To get your questions answered and to schedule an appointment to see if pipelining is right for your building, call us at 815-790-9000.