Maintenance Corner Q & A
By Various Authors
Q. What steps should be taken in maintaining basic water heaters?
A. There has long been an urban legend that you should empty your water heater once a month in order to prevent sedimentary buildup from the bottom. Here in San Francisco, we are blessed to have water from Hetch Hetchy in the Sierra. It constitutes some of the best and softest water in the world. It does not build up on the bottom of water heater tanks. In addition, most water heaters have delivery tubes that run cold water to the bottom of the tank. As a consequence, any matter in the tank is suspended and does not adhere to the bottom.
Each water heater has a temperature/pressure relief valve. This valve will discharge if the temperature exceeds 210 degrees or the pressure rises above 150 pounds per inch. This is a safety valve. The valve should have a tube that runs to a floor drain, a hard surface or to the exterior of the building. Rarely does this valve fail. However, you would be wise to trip this valve once a year to make sure it is operating.
One Word of Caution
The water will be hot, so watch out where it sprays. Make certain that it pipes safely. If you have doubts, call your plumbing contractor and have him or her show you how to do it. Make sure that combustibles are not stored around the water heater. If the flue is not working properly, the unit can shoot flames out of the front. Keep all combustibles at least one foot away from the water heater.
– Bright Winn
Q. Should I have an annual roof inspection? Is it okay to do a patch job if necessary?
A. As a property management professional, one of the services we provide under our full-service management package is an Annual Unit Evaluation. During this evaluation we look at each unit of our managed buildings, in addition to the common areas. This includes a walk on the roof where we assess problems such as dry spots, cracks, missing gravel (with tar/gravel roofs) and standing water marks. We also look for unauthorized items that may be attached to the roof and could cause damage, such as antennas and satellite dishes. Last, in situations where we do not allow our tenants to use the roof, we look for evidence (beer bottles, barbeques and lawn chairs) that our tenants may be using the roof when they should not be; and we document this misuse with digital photos. A follow-up letter is then mailed to the entire building.
Roof Patching Versus Replacement
We have performed small patch jobs on roofs in the buildings we manage, and we have found them to last a significant amount of time. However, in most cases these small patch jobs are intended to get you through to dry times when you can undertake a full roof replacement. In either case, you should know that if you ever want to pass through the cost of your roof to your tenants, only a complete roof replacement qualifies as a Capital Improvement Petition under the Rent Ordinance—regardless of the amount of money spent on roof patches. Otherwise, you are looking at an Operating and Maintenance Petition for repairs (the small patch job) where you do not need to meet as burdensome a threshold.
– Michelle L. Horneff-Cohen
Q. What is a shower pan?
A. A shower pan is a single membrane that leads to and is attached to a drain fitting. It can be made of lead, plastic, poly/plastic, roofing paper and tar or sheet copper. The code is very specific regarding the grade, size and material used. Once the pan is installed, it is then covered with grout and tile. Again, the code is specific about the type of tile you can use. A shower pan should only be replaced when it fails, as evidenced by a leak. Many pans will last for generations.
– Bright Winn
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Consult the advice of a specialist for specific problems. Bright Winn is with Bright Plumbing, N. J. Cohen, Inc., 415-957-1115. Michelle L. Horneff-Cohen is with Property Management Systems, 415-661-3860, www.propertymanagementsystems.net. Copyright © 2005 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.