Fay's Point sits at the southern edge of Blue Island, where the Little Calumet River meets the Cal-Sag Channel. The city's landmark tour places the start of the 1769 Ottawa battle account at this spot. In 2013, developer MACK Companies described Fay's Point as a 27-acre marina community of townhomes, with walking paths and a marina of more than 80 boat slips.
That description matters for plumbing. Townhomes built in one era tend to share the same fixtures, the same water heater models and the same questions about who owns what. If you live here, call (773) 207-0518, give your street and unit, and tell the plumber whether an association manages the building.
This page does not give a boundary for Fay's Point, because no official boundary was found. It treats the name as the townhome community around Broadway and Water Street.
Townhome plumbing: shared walls and who is responsible
In an attached townhome, a leak can travel into a neighbor's unit through a shared wall or a shared floor. Before any repair, find out whether your association handles pipes inside walls, or whether each owner does. Association documents usually answer this.
A plumber can fix what is yours, but cannot decide who pays. Ask the association in writing which pipes, valves and drains it covers. Keep that reply with your insurance papers. It will save time if a leak ever crosses a wall.
Water heaters in newer townhomes: read the label date
A 2013 developer announcement for new Fay's Point townhomes mentions energy-efficient mechanicals and basements, and the community also had older townhomes by then. A water heater from that period may now be well past a decade old. Look at the label on the tank. It carries a serial number that usually encodes the month and year it was made.
If the tank is old and you see rust at the base, a drip from the relief valve or a rumbling sound, plan a replacement before it fails. A planned swap costs less than a flooded basement. Our water heater repair page explains what a plumber can check first.
Plumbing trouble in Fay's Point?
Call (773) 207-0518 to describe the problem and ask about plumbing service.
Things to check in a Fay's Point townhome
None of these needs tools. They take a few minutes.
Main shutoff
Know where it is, and test that it turns. A stuck valve is worse than no valve in an emergency.
Basement floor drain
Pour a bucket of water into it. If it drains slowly, tell a plumber before the next heavy rain.
Sump pump
If your home has one, lift the float and listen for it to start. Ask about a battery backup. See sump pump service for what to ask.
Washing machine hoses
Rubber hoses fail with age. Check for bulges and replace old ones with braided lines.
Living beside the river and the channel
Fay's Point sits next to the Little Calumet River and the Cal-Sag Channel. Waterfront homes can have different groundwater and flood concerns than homes on higher streets. The Cook County hazard plan for Blue Island discusses urban flooding in the city, and RainReady recorded 469 flood-related insurance claims in ZIP code 60406 between 2007 and 2011.
Those are ZIP code figures, not a statement about any single street. For your own address, ask your insurer and the city about flood maps. A plumber can then advise on a camera inspection, check valves and a battery-backed sump pump.
When a townhome leak will not wait
Take these steps in order.
- Shut off the water. Turn off the main. If the leak is coming through a shared wall, tell your neighbor.
- Call the association. If one manages the building, report the leak. Many associations have an emergency contact.
- Stop using drains. If sewage is rising, keep fixtures off until a plumber has looked.
- Photograph everything. Take pictures of the water, the source and any damage in neighboring units.
Fay's Point plumbing questions
It is a townhome and marina community in southern Blue Island, near Broadway and Water Street, beside the Little Calumet River and the Cal-Sag Channel. No official boundary was found, so give your street when you call.
That depends on your association documents and insurance. A plumber can fix the pipe but cannot decide who pays. Ask the association which pipes it covers.
Read the label on the tank. The serial number usually encodes the month and year of manufacture. The manufacturer's website can decode it.
It depends on the home and its basement. Ask a plumber about a sump pump and a battery backup, and ask your insurer about flood coverage.
Use the Illinois Department of Public Health plumbing license verification lookup, and ask for a license number before work begins.
Related plumbing services
Also see plumbing information for Uptown, another Blue Island neighborhood, or the full service area.