A couple of weeks ago, one of my tenants called and complained that the kitchen faucet was leaking from the top. From the top, how unusual I thought, especially this was a brand new faucet I installed on this unit when the tenant first moved in two years ago. So I went to check it out.
It turned out that the tenant placed a water restricting device at the tip of the faucet, probably to help save the water consumption. This device created so much back water pressure that the faucet overhang/head bursted and started to spring/shoot out water stream. And the water was leaking into under the sink as well. As usual, there is bucket underneath trying to catch the water dripping down. This was a disaster. I couldn't believe the faucet lasted only two years. I then removed the restricting device and that fixed the water "spring" temporarily and I left.
I then went shopping for a brand new faucet. This time, I don't want to go cheap and end up with more repair work later. I selected a $100 faucet from American Standard. The nice thing about this faucet is that it comes with all the hoses that I can connect directly to the faucet sunder the sink. So I went there last week, removed the old faucet and installed the whole thing for less than an hour. Wow! I remembered it took me more than 2 hours to install the previous faucet two years ago. This is a breeze and well worth the extra $50 I spent on it. Hopefully, it saves more grief down the road too.
This goes to tell you how important it is understand the total cost of ownership. The initial cost of the faucet is only the 1st part of the equation. The installation time, the longevity and the ease of use all play into the total cost of ownership.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The shower head has no water coming out
Last month, June, 2007, unit #2 tenant called the claimed that the water is not coming out of the shower head. Wow, "that's strange," I said. "Hot water or cold water," I asked. "Hot water," he claimed. I was suspicious because this tenant has been asking for a new shower head because the water flow was only trickling. I figured that this was probably a quality-of-life issue that slow water flow from shower head does not provide the same kind of shower experience as a fast flow with massage, which may result in higher water bills for me.
I reluctantly purchased a $40 shower head from Home Depot and went ahead and replaced the shower head. Yes, the shower head was all clogged up, which required a common-sense cleaning that the tenant is not willing to do or capable of doing. The replacement took only 15 minutes. Not too bad. I'm curious what else the tenant is going to ask next.
I reluctantly purchased a $40 shower head from Home Depot and went ahead and replaced the shower head. Yes, the shower head was all clogged up, which required a common-sense cleaning that the tenant is not willing to do or capable of doing. The replacement took only 15 minutes. Not too bad. I'm curious what else the tenant is going to ask next.
The Collapse of Shower Doors
On July 5th, 2007, I was on vacation in Las Vegas when I got a phone call from my #1 unit claiming that shower door has collapsed as if the ceiling has fallen and how much her family was endangered and so on. I was undaunted because the day before on 4th of July, she called me about seeing a cockroach on her living room. It seems that tenants, especially the lonely ones, love to ruin the landlord's holidays as a way to get back to them for the rents they charge.
On that weekend, 1st day after we returned from our Vegas trip, I went over to the unit to check things out. Well, the shower door has run off tracked and fell into the tub. I adjusted the rollers of the door and put the shower door back on track. The rollers are a bit old. I figured that I should just replace the roller. But I couldn't find the exact same roller anywhere, after checking out OSH, Lowe's, and Home Depot on subsequent days. I'm sure the shower door will go off track one of these days again, probably during one of my holidays.
The lessons learned that one should avoid installing shower doors in the apartment. Shower curtains are cleaner and easier, cheaper to replace.
On that weekend, 1st day after we returned from our Vegas trip, I went over to the unit to check things out. Well, the shower door has run off tracked and fell into the tub. I adjusted the rollers of the door and put the shower door back on track. The rollers are a bit old. I figured that I should just replace the roller. But I couldn't find the exact same roller anywhere, after checking out OSH, Lowe's, and Home Depot on subsequent days. I'm sure the shower door will go off track one of these days again, probably during one of my holidays.
The lessons learned that one should avoid installing shower doors in the apartment. Shower curtains are cleaner and easier, cheaper to replace.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Accidental Clearing of Stoppage
The home warranty company got on my nerve again. After scheduling the rooter job on the next morning, they decided to change the plumber the last minute. It's now next Monday (from Thursday morning) or find your own plumber. I decided to try to fix it myself.
The stoppage was solid - not a slow drain but a solid stoppage. Armed with my snake and electric drill, I opened up the p-trap and snaked in nearly the entire length of the snake. At the last few inches, it seemed to have hit something and could not go any further. I thought I might have hit the stoppage so I pulled back and checked. The stoppage was still solid. At that time, I figured that I might have to hire a pro after all. My snake might have wondered into a sub-branch (like toilet or something else other than the stoppage). This was a dirty job. The pipe was full of grease, smelly and slimy stuff. I didn't feel like ruining my dinner ( it was close to 7pm). So I thought I give it another try just in case I got lucky. The second time was fairly quick due to having more experience. It hit something again at around the same distance. I gave it a few more turns to see if I can shake it off but to no avail. I pulled the snake in. This time, it seemed to have fixed the stoppage. I didn't know how this time was any different than the previous time. I might have gotten lucky by banging the pipe a few more times during the second snake and might have shaken loose the grease or the stoppage. I'll wait a few days before declaring victory.
Is the rooter job really a hit or miss game? Maybe this is why most rooter guys charge so much money for it because it's hard to predict how long it takes to fix the problem. Based on the stories I heard from this rooter guy I know, this might be the case. I hope there is more of science to this. I hope.
The stoppage was solid - not a slow drain but a solid stoppage. Armed with my snake and electric drill, I opened up the p-trap and snaked in nearly the entire length of the snake. At the last few inches, it seemed to have hit something and could not go any further. I thought I might have hit the stoppage so I pulled back and checked. The stoppage was still solid. At that time, I figured that I might have to hire a pro after all. My snake might have wondered into a sub-branch (like toilet or something else other than the stoppage). This was a dirty job. The pipe was full of grease, smelly and slimy stuff. I didn't feel like ruining my dinner ( it was close to 7pm). So I thought I give it another try just in case I got lucky. The second time was fairly quick due to having more experience. It hit something again at around the same distance. I gave it a few more turns to see if I can shake it off but to no avail. I pulled the snake in. This time, it seemed to have fixed the stoppage. I didn't know how this time was any different than the previous time. I might have gotten lucky by banging the pipe a few more times during the second snake and might have shaken loose the grease or the stoppage. I'll wait a few days before declaring victory.
Is the rooter job really a hit or miss game? Maybe this is why most rooter guys charge so much money for it because it's hard to predict how long it takes to fix the problem. Based on the stories I heard from this rooter guy I know, this might be the case. I hope there is more of science to this. I hope.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Drained on Drainage and Home Warranty
It seems that every two months or so I get called by my tenants about some drainage (shower, tub or kitchen sinks) don't drain. It's rooter time again. Why is that tenants simply don't get the idea that they shouldn't put stuff in the drain other than liquid? It's often the hair or undigested food by the garbage disposal. By the way, who came up with the idea of garbage disposal - a rooter professional? This thing gives people the mis-perception that you can simply throw things into it and out came some liquid or something. It doesn't work and it should be banned!
This time I called my home warranty company. Their standard requirement is that they must have the clean out to do a rooter job or the job is not covered. How convenient! If the drain pipes are easy to clean out, I wouldn't need them. I often question the value of home warranty. Yes, I did get something out of it when the water heater in my home broke and they replaced the heater for me, which is already worth the cost by itself. Also, one time my garage opener gear broke and the home warranty company took care of it. However, most of the other times, they didn't cover the drain over x number of feet or drain without a clean-out. It's one restriction after another. Whether they cover it or not, they still charge the standard deductible rate of $50 (in my case). Well, the problem with an insurance policy like home warranty is that you can never win in the long run, because they've got the math all figured out - they will make money anyway.
In any case, is there a way the drain can be designed to be self-cleaning? How about a rooter robot that can search out the stoppage and cut through it? If someone can design a powerful and inexpensive rooter robot, it will sell like hot cake. And I will be the first one to buy it.
This time I called my home warranty company. Their standard requirement is that they must have the clean out to do a rooter job or the job is not covered. How convenient! If the drain pipes are easy to clean out, I wouldn't need them. I often question the value of home warranty. Yes, I did get something out of it when the water heater in my home broke and they replaced the heater for me, which is already worth the cost by itself. Also, one time my garage opener gear broke and the home warranty company took care of it. However, most of the other times, they didn't cover the drain over x number of feet or drain without a clean-out. It's one restriction after another. Whether they cover it or not, they still charge the standard deductible rate of $50 (in my case). Well, the problem with an insurance policy like home warranty is that you can never win in the long run, because they've got the math all figured out - they will make money anyway.
In any case, is there a way the drain can be designed to be self-cleaning? How about a rooter robot that can search out the stoppage and cut through it? If someone can design a powerful and inexpensive rooter robot, it will sell like hot cake. And I will be the first one to buy it.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Replacing the Shower Unit
Much to my dismay, all the work to caulk the shower unit did not help to fix the shower leak. See my previous blog. The leak problem got worse. It's good that it's gotten worse, which makes it easier to find the problem. One thing that still bugged me was why I could NOT see the leak even I opened up a big hole on the Sheetrock underneath the shower. Does it only leak when a person is taking a shower? I made my tenant take a shower so I can witness the leak. Sure enough, as soon as she started taking a shower, the water was nearly pouring down. I'm convinced now that I'm not dealing with a drip but a deluge and it's coming from around the drain of the shower pan. I went ahead and order a new shower unit at Home Depot. Why didn't I just replace the shower pan? Because the new shower pan wouldn't match the old wall and the enclosure. It looks better when everything is new. So I did. The new shower (Sterling CA2900-32S/W) cost me $613 with tax. Thanks to Home Depot's special service, the delivery was free.
This custom order took nearly three weeks to get here. On the day of the installation on 6/08/07, my contractor and I spent nearly an hour ripping off the old shower unit. We found where the problem was. The joint between the shower pan and the drain pipe was severed under the weight of my tenant. See the picture below. It's no wonder that there would be no leak unless there is some weight over the drain. We also found the real culprit is that there was insufficient 2x4 support beams under the shower unit, allowing the shower pan to flex too much. Well, at least I found out where the problem was, that was bugging me and my tenant since last December, for nearly 6 months!
The whole replacement effort took us nearly 7 hours. The bad thing was that we started around 6pm. We didn't finish until nearly 1am. The tenant was more than accomodating, leaving us alone during these time. I had to go back the next morning to clean up and touch up the drywall that I open a hole in and the prime shower skirt. The entire work costs me nearly $1K, plus my time plus numerous trips to examine the problem without success. But I learned a great deal from this exercise: Don't jump into conclusion where the problem might be. Some of the "experts" may not be good problem solvers. Remember I hired three different experts to diagnose the problem.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Fixing Leaky Shower - my third try!
My tenant called about the water leaking into her kitchen. This is the 3rd time I have attempted to fix it - not much to be brag about. The first time, a plumber (introduced by the tenant) figured it's a leaky shower door. So he silicone-sealed the the shower door and called it done. The second time, the handy man figured it must be the leaky drainage. Se he silicone-sealed the the drainage pipe area and recommended that shower pan be replaced. Each incremental fix seemed to have done some good. At least it kept the tenant quiet for a month or so. Then yesterday the tenant called and complained that it's leaking again. This time it's really "pouring." So I figured I will probably need to spend some money to replace the shower altogether. This morning, I went to Lowe's and found the choices of 32"x32" shower pan/kit to be quite limited. The integrated wall/pan kit is economical (~$300) but it's too wide and would not fit the narrow door, according to the sales guy. The kits that separate the wall and shower pan and doors are expensive. They would probably add up to over $600 easily. Mmmm... That's a bit more than I'm willing to pay. So I kept on shopping online. The on-line deal is not as economical as Home Depot or Lowe's because the transportation costs can go as high as $100 due to the bulkiness of the product.
The more I thought about it, the more I thought I needed a second opinion. So I called up this plumber from the Craig's List. Yes, I have had reasonable good experience with the trade/service people I found on Craig's List. You just have to be a bit selective on how "professional" they sound in their ads. I would avoid the desperate "cheap" and "do-them-all" type of people. She asked a few questions and said she needs to diagnose the problem in person.
Fours hours later, this good looking woman with a great figure showed up in front of my apartment. I never saw a woman plumber before and was at awe. My tenant, a woman painter, was excited to see a woman plumber too. The plumber checked a few things and listened for the "quiet" dripping. She hypothesized that the shower pan is leaking water (not from the faucet) as she saw the discoloration of the wall around the shower. So she touched around the shower wall area. Sure enough, the caulk/seal was not even forming a good seal between the shower wall and the shower pan. The wall was flapping and moving. She then determined that it's the source of the leak. She prescribed that I "go crazy" with the GE Silicone II Clear around all the joints where leaks may occur. I thanked her and asked what kind of plumbing work she usually does and if she has "others" (implying men) working with her. She said she has a crew of 3 and she's been too busy already trying to keep all 3 employed. She left without asking for a dime.
It just happened that I have a tube of GE Clear Silicone in my car, I immediately followed her direction and went crazy with the Silicone and sealed every possible gaps I can find in the shower.
I will report back if this fixed the problem. Stay tuned....
The more I thought about it, the more I thought I needed a second opinion. So I called up this plumber from the Craig's List. Yes, I have had reasonable good experience with the trade/service people I found on Craig's List. You just have to be a bit selective on how "professional" they sound in their ads. I would avoid the desperate "cheap" and "do-them-all" type of people. She asked a few questions and said she needs to diagnose the problem in person.
Fours hours later, this good looking woman with a great figure showed up in front of my apartment. I never saw a woman plumber before and was at awe. My tenant, a woman painter, was excited to see a woman plumber too. The plumber checked a few things and listened for the "quiet" dripping. She hypothesized that the shower pan is leaking water (not from the faucet) as she saw the discoloration of the wall around the shower. So she touched around the shower wall area. Sure enough, the caulk/seal was not even forming a good seal between the shower wall and the shower pan. The wall was flapping and moving. She then determined that it's the source of the leak. She prescribed that I "go crazy" with the GE Silicone II Clear around all the joints where leaks may occur. I thanked her and asked what kind of plumbing work she usually does and if she has "others" (implying men) working with her. She said she has a crew of 3 and she's been too busy already trying to keep all 3 employed. She left without asking for a dime.
It just happened that I have a tube of GE Clear Silicone in my car, I immediately followed her direction and went crazy with the Silicone and sealed every possible gaps I can find in the shower.
I will report back if this fixed the problem. Stay tuned....
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Oh... The Joy of Being a Landlord!
Back in February of 2005, I purchased a triplex in Sunnyvale, CA after reading about all the great advantages of investing in a rental property. Since then I have joined the class of landlords. Oh, how fun it is to field all sorts of issues related to plumbing, appliances, parking and etc. :-(
This blog is intended to share some of the my learning from being a landlord and hopefully help you becoming a better landlord or scare you enough from becoming one. Of course, any of your comments or tips will help me as well. Blog away!
This blog is intended to share some of the my learning from being a landlord and hopefully help you becoming a better landlord or scare you enough from becoming one. Of course, any of your comments or tips will help me as well. Blog away!
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