Dear Maintenance Men

By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

 
The department "Ask Mr. Maintenance" by Lou Hager will be on hiatus for a while. We will miss Mr Hager’s very down to earth & sage advice on apartment maintenance. We all wish him luck on his current projects.

The new column will be called "Dear Maintenance Men:". JLE Property Management and its maintenance division now called Buffalo Maintenance will try to fill the very large shoes left by Mr. Lou Hager. The format will be Question and Answer. Please feel free to send any questions for "Dear Maintenance Men:" through our web site WWW.JLE1.COM or mail to 202 E. Broadway, Anaheim, CA 92805.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I have a hundred gallon water-heater serving 4 units. The residents are complaining about lack of hot water, sand coming out of the faucets. The heater seems to be working normally. Frustrated in Anaheim.

Dear Frustrated:

Your water-heater probably needs the calcium build-up removed from inside the tank. Most hundred-gallon water-heaters come with a clean-out port at the bottom of the tank. Note the tank manufacture and buy a new rubber gasket for this port. Most plumbing supply outlets will have these in stock. To service this problem:

  • Turn off the gas supply.
  • Turn off the water to the tank.
  • Drain the water heater completely.
  • Remove the Clean-out port. Some have a series of bolts to remove others have only one big nut to remove.

Once you gain entry into the interior of the tank, you may see white of yellow sediment on the bottom of the tank. If the tank has not been cleaned out regularly the build-up may be significant. A hammer and chisel may be necessary to remove the more stubborn areas.

 This is also a good time to check the erosion rod inside the tank. If it is badly eroded, check with your plumbing supply outlet for a replacement. The rod can be replaced by unscrewing it from the top of the tank. After all the work is completed, reinstall the port opening and always use a new rubber gasket. Your tank should work much more efficiently & cost less money to run while supplying more hot water. This clean out procedure should be done at least once a year.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I have a two handled kitchen faucet that constantly leaks, I have replace the seals repeatedly. What is the problem. Joe in Garden Grove.

Dear Joe:

One of the most over looked parts in a faucet is the Seats. A quick primer in two handle faucet repairs:

  • Turn off the water at the angle stop valves under your sink.
  • Remove the handles, remove the stem, make sure the stem is not turned tight against the seat, as this will make removal of the stem difficult.
  • Replace the rubber washer on the stem and the "O" ring inside the stem.
  • Finally, remove the "Seat" from base of the faucet. The "seat" can be removed using an "L" shaped seat-removing tool. (about $4.50) The end of the tool has ridges to accommodate different size seats. After replacing the seats, check that the nylon spacer is attached to the stem and reassemble the faucet. The leaking should stop, and the faucet will be as good as new.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I use a professional painting company, the cost is very cheap and they show up when I call them, but the quality is less then stellar. What can I do to improve their work?

 Tired of painting in Santa Ana.

Dear Tired:

By prepping the unit carefully before any outside contractors come in can save you time and money and give you a superior job.

Painting contractors are inexpensive and you can find an ad in The Apartment Association Magazine to get a one bedroom unit painted for $115.00 … that’s a great price! It is recommended that you paint your unit every time someone moves out. But, for $115.00 painters can only afford to do a minimum of prep work while staying competitive. In the time it takes to go to Home Depot to get parts and come back, the painters maybe done and gone.

However, with the right prep work such as; filling in nail holes, cracks and sanding rough areas you can make an economical paint job look top notch. Some other prep work you may want to consider: Remove all the wall plates & put a piece of tape on each switch and receptacle outlet to protect it from paint. Tape along any surface that may adjoin a painted surface such as counter tops, cabinets, carpets and windows. A little bit of prep work should solve your quality woes.

Bio:

Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Buffalo Maintenance & Property Services and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Apartment Association of Orange County. Frank Alvarez is the company maintenance supervisor. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988 and can be reached at (714) 778-0480. Frank can be reach at (714) 956-8371 or visit the office at, 202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805 or Jerry@JLE1.com

Back to Articles page