  Dear Maintenance Men: |
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Dear Maintenance Men: |
www.JLE1.com
Dear Maintenance Men:
I know that I need to remove the sediment from my water heater at least once a year and I know how to do it. What I want to know is how do I stop the sediment from forming in the first place?
Tired of Scooping
Dear Scooping:
Water hardness is usually the cause of the problem. The water contains calcium and magnesium salts. As water moves through soil and rock, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solution. Calcium and magnesium dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water "hard." The degree of hardness becomes greater as the calcium and magnesium content increases. This is not harmful to drink, the body needs these chemicals, but it is tough on your water heater. There are three ways to deal with this problem. You can physically clean out your heater more often, install a water softener or purchase a self-cleaning water heater.
After talking with fellow AAOC member, Ed Fish a water softener expert 714 484-9484, he suggested using a water softener to help curb the problem. The softener will not only cut down on the water heater buildup, it will also help calcium buildup from forming on your faucets, shower walls and doors etc. A water softener works by replacing or exchanging calcium and magnesium ions in the water with sodium ions. Since sodium does not precipitate out in pipes or react badly with soap, both of the problems of hard water are eliminated. To do the ion replacement, the city-supplied water runs through a bed of small plastic beads or a chemical matrix called zeolite. The beads or zeolite are covered with sodium ions. As the water flows past the sodium ions, they swap places with the calcium and magnesium ions. Voila … soft water! A short science lesson!
Dear Maintenance Men:
I hear people talking about winterizing their buildings. I grew up on the east coast were that meant something! In Southern California, what “Winterizing” could we possibly be doing?
Warm and Confused?
Dear Confused:
In California, “Winterizing” simply means we switch from light shorts and white T-shirt to dark shorts and a T-shirt! When it comes to your building, “Winterizing” California style is simple. Start from the top and go down. Inspect your roof; replace any loose tiles, shingles etc. Caulk all flashings around fireplaces, vent pipes, siding to roof transitions and skylights. Remove any junk on the roof, clean your gutters, and secure any loose runs. Test your gutters with water to make sure they are pitched correctly and check your gutter downspouts; make sure they direct the water away from the building. If you have any floor drains, clean out and snake them. Caulk any wood seams, window trim, vents and any area that might soak in water during a rainstorm. Check your sprinkler timers and adjust the duration and days watered. Don’t turn them off, as it is California after all! To keep your grass green all winter; fertilize and seed with Rye grass. During windy, rainy weather, trees may touch both the side and roof of your building, trim any branches that may cause damage. Secure any weak or young trees or bushes that may fall in a storm. These simple winterizing steps will help keep you dry and off of the roof during winter weather.
Dear Apartment Owners:
We are getting close to the holidays, which means guests, cooking and an emergency call to you from one of your residents on Thanksgiving Day about a clogged sink or non-working oven with an apartment full of guests waiting for dinner. This scenario can ruin both yours and your residents’ holiday. The answer is: Preventive Maintenance. Before the holiday season begins, check each stove and oven for proper operation, many residents only turn on their ovens at this time of year, and the problem may be as simple as a pilot light being out. Also, check the oven’s temperature calibration with an oven thermometer. Because of heaver than normal use of the plumbing, it may be a good idea to snake out your main plumbing lines. Also, sending a note to each tenant on the proper use of the garbage disposal will be useful. Note what they should and should not put down the disposal unit. A few items to include on this No No list are: banana peals, potato skins, coffee grounds and any stringy food. Also make sure they turn on the water before using the disposer and put down small amounts of food at a time. Do not use the disposer as a trash can and then turn it on when full, it will clog.
Maintenance Trivia: Do you know what “WD-40” stands for?
Most of the engineers out there will know the answer. For the rest of us, WD-40 is that miracle lubricating spray in the blue and yellow can found in every garage and toolbox.
"WD-40 literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed WD-40 back in 1953. The chemist, Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion:
a task which is done by displacing water. Norm's persistence paid off when he perfected the formula on his 40th try. Source: www.howstuffworks.com
Bio:
Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Buffalo Maintenance and is a licensed contractor & real estate broker. He is currently on the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Education Committee for the Apartment Association of Orange County. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988 and can be reached at (714) 778-0480. Frank Alvarez is the Operations Director for Buffalo Maintenance. He has been involved with apartment maintenance for over 13 years. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 or visit the office at, 202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805. Please visit our web site at: WWW.JLE1.COM