Plumbing Problems and Solutions for Park City Property Management
Recently I have experience a rash of plumbing-related problems in some of our Park City property management condominiums. For whatever reason when it rains it pours so I thought it might be beneficial for anyone with some Park City long term rentals to know what I've been running into and what steps I've had to take in solving these problems. My very first recommendation is to find yourself a good plumber. They are worth their weight in gold and I feel very fortunate to have one. They will deal honestly with you, charge you a fair price (remember they are in business for themselves too), and help you come up with solutions to tricky and sometimes not easily diagnosed problems. So let's take a look at some recent plumbing problems and solutions from bad to worst. Hopefully these will be helpful to anyone in Salt Lake City property management.
Bad
Anyone who has recently replaced a water heater may have noticed that the old pilot light and burner assembly has been replaced with what is referred to as a "sealed combustion chamber" design. I'm not a plumber, a lawyer and I don't work for the government so I have to take it on faith that this new design requirement is somehow better, safer, or more efficient than a traditional water heater. And ultimately my conjecture on the subject doesn't matter because sealed combustion chamber is your only choice. Unfortunately these units come with some inherent design flaws. First they have a ceramic filter that can become clogged with dust, pet dander, you name it. And fatally this filter cannot be removed. The only option is to clean it with compressed air and a vacuum. Depending on the conditions in your rental property this could be a few times a year. Symptoms of a clogged filter are a pilot light or burner that won't stay on. Because the combustion chamber is sealed there can also be problems with excessive heat ruining pilot assemblies which will cause the same problem. The part to replace has thus far been warrantied but the labor necessary to perform the work is not. To date my plumber and I have not found any alternatives to the periodic maintenance of the water heater. Unfortunately for Park City property management a new water heater can also mean more maintenance calls.
Worse
A condominium located within a home owners association that I manage has had a recent string of plumbing problems. The issues mostly consisted of the floor drain in the laundry room backing up and the property manager and owner were both convinced it was a building wide problem with the plumbing system. I being the manager of the association already knew that no one else in the building was having any problems but I was willing to have my plumber along with a drain camera operator investigate the problem. My plumber first pulled the trap off from under the sink and it was almost complete clogged with a nearly solid amount of grease. After clearing the immediately visible obstruction the camera operator started to feed his camera in and couldn't go more than a few feet before he ran into another serious grease blockage. He then tried his camera in the drain behind the washer and didn't get much further than the trap before finding more grease blockage. We then went a checked the condo next door in the same locations and found minimal buildup and clean-running drains. Needless to say it was definitely not a building-wide problem. I gave the property manager some enzyme drain cleaner, he instructed the tenants to stop putting grease down the drain, and I recommended water jetting the plumbing. For anyone in Park City property management grease down a drain is a big no.
Worst
In a property that I manager for winter season rentals there was a problem with water periodically backing up from the floor drain for the hot water heater. We would clear the line, things would be fine for a little while, and then it would back up again. Finally I ended up having my plumber pull the water heater, cut a hole in the wall and open up a pipe so we could stick a camera down it. We found that the drain pipe had a piece of rebar coming through one side of the pipe and out the other. My plumber eventually had to jack hammer up the bathroom floor, dig down and under the footings to where the rebar had pierced the pipe. He then cut the rebar, fixed the pipe, filled the hole back up and poured some new concrete. Fortunately he had seen this type of thing before, it pays to have a great plumber in Salt Lake City property management!
If you would like more information on solving plumbing problems, or further information about Park City property management in general click the link below for a free consultation. You will receive valuable information specific to your property that will help you make an informed decision. You will also receive a free, no-obligation quote on our property management services. At CC Realty we specialize in making investment property ownership a trouble free experience. Please contact us today for your free consultation.
photo credit #1