Essential Plumbing & Sewer

Douglas S.

Essential Plumbing provided excellent service when I experienced a sewage problem in my basement. Fernando showed up with in minutes and was able to clean out the line. Very satisfied with the work. Highly recommend.

Matthew M.

Don't get me started on how great Fernando and his Essential Plumbing team is. First quote from someone was, no kidding, $30K (!!!) to fix an outside line complete replacement (""The line is offset,"" they claimed.). Second quote was $15K (thanks for the discount!), also for a FULL outside line replacement.

Now enter Essential plumbing. After a camera investigation from another plumber who put me in touch with Essential, Fernando said I DON'T need a full line replacement. Instead, I needed a jet, which they did. Then (in the same visit), when the line didn't flow properly (I was at work on Zoom), they discretely went into the basement and cleared the line for a small additional fee. Turns out the problem was not just the jet but the indoor, underground line as well. As the classic horror movie put it, ""The call is coming from inside the house.""

But that's not all. Plumbing is complicated. The next week our flow was slow, and so, naturally, I called Fernando. He showed up that day (no charge of course) and he then realized what he could not have known previously. There was a quicksand-like build up (60 years of it) in the indoor basement drain. He had rodded it on the first visit, but one doesn't know these things until time (a week in this case) determines the problem. Turns out the floor needed to be ripped up and the drain replaced, and this was the ACTUAL (not imagined) problem that we had been having for almost a decade. Fernando gave me a very reasonable price considering the cement flooring needed to be excavated. The job was done in well under two days and the final cost was (I kid not you) one sixth (!!!) of the ridiculous original mainline replacement estimates. They replaced our dryer vent while they were at, made sure our appliances were well tended, and gave me a general education of my basement plumbing, gas and electricity.

So let me summarize: Nearly a decade of many plumbing visits and no one got to the root problem... until Fernando. Not only that, these guys were great around the house and with our kids. I cannot recommend Essential highly enough.

Chase E.

Tim did a great job and was super helpful when we moved into our new home. We bought a flipped house and it was clear there was work to be done. Tim helped give quotes and worked with our home insurance to make sure we got taken care of. I'll be calling him if I need anything!

Abigail F.

We found out first thing early on a Sunday morning (and the hard way) that our water heater not only wasn't working but had begun to leak water in our basement. We called Essential Plumbing, left a voicemail and heard back from a representative whom was able to give us some tips to mitigate the problem until a plumber could come out. We received a fair and competitive estimate (especially given it was a Sunday morning on a holiday weekend). Fernando and his assistant arrived in the window they gave as an ETA and explained all the steps, options and prices to us. His work was quick and exactly as he described/priced. Everything was fixed and resolved by lunch and we were able to salvage the remainder of the weekend! We are very happy with the quality and professionalism of this team. We recommend them to family and friends as well as for any of our future plumbing needs.

Lauren P.

We had a leak in our basement, and we were referred to Fernando of Essential Plumbing. His office manager, Maria, was quick to answer my call,set up a same day appointment for Fernando to troubleshoot the problem. Upon his same day arrival, he diagnosed the problem to be a cracked sewer pipe. He made me full aware of his work schedule, a reasonable price proposal, and he was able to fix everything as stated. He and his workers worked really hard, and also cleaned up all their work. As far as my leak into my basement, he referenced and provided me with a terrific restoration company to deal with the interior damage the water created, and made sure I called my homeowners insurance co.
I highly recommend Essential Plumbing & sewer. Maria, Fernando and his team of great workers are all hard working individuals, and they run their company with a smile. Fair pricing for great work!

Ellen B.

March 2018
This is not a reputable company. I came across a referral on Next Door and then checked out their reviews online. What I did not know is that both the plumber, Fernando and his wife, Maria are not people you would want to do business with.
I had a leaking kitchen sink and Maria scheduled Fernando to come out and fix it. He came and spent 5 minutes putting glue on the pipe and then he said that this would last for 20 years. He said that if we were going to move that we should reconfigure the piping so that it was up to code and that it would cost around $400.
Fernando asked for $80 and did not provide a receipt. He said that I would receive an e mail receipt. He made me feel very uncomfortable, After his 5 minute repair he seemed to want to chat to fill more time. He commented on my husband's photo on the fridge, looked around everything at the house including my wallet. He made a statement that all Glen Ellyn people are rich. I told him that was not the case. I wrote him a check for $80 and before he left he asked for a hug. Very strange, uncomfortable and unprofessional! Ladies beware and guys, don't let him come to your house if your wife is home alone!
Two days later when I ran our dishwasher, the water from the pipe leaked all over the kitchen floor. I called Maria telling her that I was going to cancel payment on the check as the repair was not done. She assured me that there was no need to do this and she scheduled Fernando to come back out. She said that he would look at the pipes again and he would return my check.
Fernando never came out and then every time I tried to call them Maria did not answer the phone. She did send me an invoice and I replied back to her with the following:
Dear Maria,

Thank you for sending the invoice.

As per our discussion on Saturday, March 17th, I let you know that the sink problem was not fixed and was leaking. You told me not to cancel my check payment and said that your husband, Fernando would come back this Monday, March 19th between 9:00 and 11:00 to look at the sink and he would then return my check. Fernando did not come on Monday and I did not hear from you. I left you a voice mail message to reschedule him coming and I have not heard back from you. I have tried several times to reach you with no success. Do you have any interest in resolving this situation?

There was no acknowledgment or response. I decided to try one last time to reach out. I called and finally talked with Maria. She said that she had not received my note. She gave me another email and I forwarded my letter. I also read it out loud to her. She said that she would call me back and that did not happen. The bottom line is that they did not repair my kitchen sink and neither Fernando nor Maria honored their promises to resolve the situation.
My recommendation for you is to not consider using Essential Plumbing and Sewer, PO BOX 344, Winfield, IL 630-433-7058, 630-903-5907. You will be glad that you took your business elsewhere!

Melody C.

Looking for knowledgeable service with a handshake and a smile? Look no further, this family business delivers. Ferdinand fixed my sewer issue and cleared a terribly clogged old drain for a fair price. He and his crew were conscious of cleanliness and kept me informed and involved at each step. He would stop to show me what he was accomplishing and teach me things I didn't know to prevent future issues. After working with several other companies over the years, this is the one I will always call first. Keep up the good work guys! I'm adding you to my contacts as my new plumber.

McMabes M.

So, after an incredibly expensive and unpleasant experience with a different sewer company and in reading the reviews for Essential Plumbing and Sewer, I contacted Maria at Essential, explained my situation and Fernando came to my home to evaluate the situation and assured me that he could make the necessary repairs. Fernando is charming, knowledgeable and was horrified by the work that had been done in my home. Maria then sent me a proposal with 2 different options. I signed the proposal and Fernando hopefully completed the work satisfactorily on Tuesday, August 8. I paid for the repairs by personal check and Fernando told me that I would be receiving a paid receipt and warranty. When I questioned the senior discount, Fernando thought it was included in the quote. In a nutshell, I have reached out to Maria several times, and was assured that I would have the information yesterday morning. My request is very simple - I would like a paid receipt, I would like any warranty information and I would like to know whether I am entitled to a senior discount or whether it was part of the original proposal, although, there was no reference to such in the proposal quote. As of today, still nothing. Very disappointing.

Again, much of this frustration is based on a previous recent experience and all I want to do at this time is complete my file so that I have the necessary information and proof that the work was done. Fernando and Maria seem to be terrific people and I want to be able to give
them 5-stars.

Darren M.

Our water heater died we called these guys and they came out immediately took the time to evaluate the situation and explained why the water heater died and replaced it with a new one They also spent the time to make sure we were very happy before they departed. I highly recommend them

Erin M.

Essential plumbing saved us from being taken advantage of by Roto Rooter. We are young homeowners and of course called the big name guys when we had a backup in our basement. Roto Rooter told us a whole horror story about how bad the line was and there were blockages they couldn't get their blades past and told us we needed a complete replacement of our main sewer line with a quote of 11K.

Well, being smart young people we called around and got other quotes. Fernando came out and talked to us and gave us a quote based on what Roto Rooter told us we needed. Based on our experience that day we called him back to get a camera inspection. We were told by him that we were lied to and the ""blockage"" was actually a dead end in the line that had been capped off. They also were able to get past all the other ""blockages"" that they said were too bad to get past. They cleared the line completely and told us that what they saw didn't warrant a full or even partial replacement of the line. We just need to get it clear out every few years.

I'm glad to know that even though we are out money for two clearings of the line, we found someone honest and wasn't just telling us stuff to get us to spend more money. I believe we have found our go to plumber for any of our other plumbing needs.