By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

Dear Maintenance Men:

My units all have dishwashers. I am starting to get complaints from the residents that the dishwashers do not clean the dishes as well as they did when new. What is the problem and what can I do about it?

Bill

Dear Bill:

This problem may be caused by a number of issues.

1: Check that the dishwasher’s filter or grates are not clogged. The filters are commonly found under the rotating spray arms at the bottom of the dishwasher. The filters normally snap in and out of place. Remove them gently and watch for broken glass.

2: Check the operation of the water inlet solenoid valve. It should open and close crisply.

3: Related to the inlet valve is the water level sensor. The sensor looks like a small upside-down cup or float, normally located at the front corner of the tub. Calcium buildup can sometimes cause the water level sensor float to malfunction, causing too little water to be allowed into the dishwasher. Cleaning the float area with vinegar should help.

4: Check the temperature of the water going into the dishwasher. The water should be at least 140 degrees.

5: Hard water is most likely the biggest hindrance to having clean looking dishes. The dishes may actually be clean but look dingy or milky. Hard water will cause calcium and mineral deposits to adhere to all wet areas of the dishwasher and over time the dishes themselves. The rotating spray arms may fill with mineral buildup and clog. To remove the hard water deposits, run the dishwasher empty on its longest setting, usually the pots & pans setting. Add a few cups of vinegar to the water without soap or dishes. Run the dishwasher with clear water through a short cycle to flush the vinegar before using again.

6: Installation of a soft water system will greatly improve the performance of any dishwasher, as will using name brand dishwashing soap.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I am getting pinholes in some of my 90-degree joints on my hot water copper piping. Why is this happening and do you have any solutions?

Mr. W

Dear Mr. W:

We have often found this problem can be traced to high water pressure and/or an overly enthusiastic recirculation pump. Check the water pressure entering the hot water tank, if it is over 60 pounds per square inch; consider installing a pressure regulator to lower the pressure. If your system has a recirculation pump, check the volume of water being pushed through the pipe system. Many pumps come with adjustable settings that can be lowered, thereby reducing the amount of water friction caused by large volumes of water rushing through the pipes. If your pump does not have an adjustable setting, connect your pump to a time clock to enable it to operate only at times when the circulation pump is needed most. As an example, have the pump operate between the hours of 6am to 10am and then again between 5pm and 11pm. The rest of the time the pump is off, reducing the amount of water friction deteriorating your pipes. As for the angles with pin holes. They will need to be replaced with new 90-degree angles.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I have a unit that has pocket doors between the kitchen and living room and also between the hallway and the living room. The door has fallen off track and no matter what I do; I can’t get it to work properly. How do I fix this problem?

Jack

Dear Jack:

Pocket doors … a love/hate relationship. We love them because they are an efficient use space, but when they go bad, we hate them. Pocket doors by their nature are very secretive and getting to their internal working parts is almost impossible. When we run into problem pocket doors and find that they are not used a great deal, we seal them in the wall and make believe they are not there! They are not typically worth fixing, but that does not answer your question. Pocket doors operate very similarly to sliding closet doors. The door has a set of rollers that attach to a track above the door. Typically, what goes wrong is that either a roller bracket has come loose or one of the rollers has broken. Unlike a sliding closet, the pocket door cannot easily be angled away from the track and removed. The only way to extract the pocket door is to remove the casing around the door opening and the vertical jamb on the side where the door that goes into the wall. The door can then be tipped out and removed. This is not easy, as sometimes the top jamb must be removed first depending on original installation. A second method is to make a four-inch hole in the wall in line with the track. This will allow access for your hand and a tool for repairs. Every door is different; a close inspection of the hardware should help in determining which side of the wall should be opened. The most common problem with pocket doors is the screws holding the roller bracket becoming loose and getting out of adjustment. Replace the screws with a larger more aggressive thread pattern and try to use new holes if possible. Good luck, we still recommend abandoning the door if it is not a critical use door.

Bio: 
If you need maintenance work or consultation for your building or project, please feel free to contact us. We are available throughout Southern California. For an appointment, please call Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. at 714 956-8371 
Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 30 years. Frankie is Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and a lecturer, educational instructor and Chair of the Education Committee of the AAOC.  He is also Chairman of the Product Service Counsel.  Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to:  www.BuffaloMaintenance.com
Jerry L’Ecuyer is a real estate broker. He is currently a Director Emeritus and Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and past Chairman of the association’s Education Committee.  Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.