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!

In the 2nd half of the year, we have been concentrating our volunteer hours at specific organizations in Chicago and local suburbs. These organizations include the Ronald McDonald House, Together We Cope and Greater Chicago Food Depository. The variety of tasks we are involved in at each organization are both people and family focused to increase the quality of life for those in need during what is still considered to be a
difficult economic time.

The Ronald McDonald House provides families of hospitalized children with stable and consistent resources. When it comes to our involvement at
the Ronald McDonald House, we happily and
humbly do any and everything residents and staff need of us when we arrive. For instance, on August 30, 2010, CJE staff cooked and served dinner for approximately 35-40 people who are staying in the Ronald McDonald House at Hope Children’s Hospital at 4410 W. 93rd Street, Oak Lawn, IL. Tasks often include cleaning the basics like laundry rooms, refrigerators, scrubbing the laundry rooms and floors, sweeping leaves off of the roof and installing new toilet seats. Our goal is to make this particular branch of the Ronald McDonald House organization as comfortable for the families living in it as possible. If you would like to volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House nonprofit, click here.

Together We Cope assists families in temporary crisis from Bremen, Orland, Palos and Worth townships in Chicago’s southern suburbs. We help unload trucks that arrive with food; we also pack up groceries for the 55 families that come in for food daily, stock the shelves and clean the freezers. This is a great organization helping people in need. If you are interested in volunteering at Together We Cope, click here.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, located at 4100 W. Ann Lurie Pl., Chicago, IL, Chicago’s food bank, is a non-profit food distribution and training center providing food for the hungry while working to end hunger in their community. We help them re-pack food into smaller containers for distribution to people and organizations in need. The Greater Chicago Food Depository also donates food to Together We Cope. For more information on the Greater Chicago Food Depository, click here.

At C.J. Erickson, we are proud to have a socially conscious and generous staff willing to donate hours to serving the community and those in need. And the year’s not over! We are continuing our service to these important foundations. If you are interested in the work we do or would like to help out, you can call us at (708) 371-4900.

Water Hammer, also called hydraulic shock, is “a sound of concussion of moving water against the sides of a containing pipe or vessel,” (State of Illinois Plumbing Code). Water Hammer is the result of a rapid deceleration of water flow in an enclosed space, like a pipe. There are a few ways to remedy this problem, requiring simple parts and know how. A water hammer arrestor, for instance, is a device utilized to absorb the pressure surge when water flow is suddenly stopped. A device called an air chamber may be required in lieu of a mechanical water hammer arrestor. An air chamber is an extension of the water supply pipe near the pipe fixture that provides the air cushion to absorb hydraulic shock. If you look at the picture below, the pink lines you see are the actual “air chambers” while the other lines are the hot and cold water supply, and the waste and vent pipes.

When filling a water supply system, any air in the system will be pushed to the air chambers. Over time, the air in the chambers dissipates and water hammer begins to occur.

How can I eliminate water hammer from happening in my home?

Most homes in the Chicagoland area utilize air chambers. Here is one way to potentially stop the “Water Hammer” noise:

• Turn off the main water supply valve for your home. This should be located near the water meter or at the point your water supply pipe enters the home.
• Open all faucets, tub and shower valves and let the water drain out of the system. Let as much water out of the system as possible by opening a faucet or valve located at the lowest point (probably a basement or hose-bibb if slab on grade) possible.
• Once the system is drained, close all faucets and valves that were opened.
• Slowly turn on the main water supply until the system is full.
• SLOWLY open all faucets and valves again to allow the water to completely fill the system. Be careful when opening faucets and valves, a mixture of water and air will come out of the faucets and might make a mess of you or your bathroom. Open slowly until the air and water mixture is gone.

The water supply system air-chambers should now be recharged with air and help eliminate water hammer.

One of the drawbacks of this process, especially in older homes, is that the faucets might not flow properly because of debris in the aerators.  If this occurs, simply unscrew the aerator, clean out the debris, and replace the aerator.

If you have questions about this process or would like a technician to help, please feel free to call (708) 371-4900 to set up an appointment or talk to one of our staff members.