08-JUN-2017
POTENTIAL WATER DAMAGE ISSUES WHICH YOU HAVE RESPONSIBILITY
Section 3 of Condominium Declaration Article XI, titled Casualty Affecting Units Exclusively, states in part:
If damage or destruction occurs only to those parts of one or more Units for which the responsibility of maintenance and repair is that of the individual Unit Owner, then the Unit Owner shall be responsible for reconstruction and repair or replacement after casualty.
To help mitigate possible owner responsibility, listed below are five major sources of water leaks in the building.
- Kitchen Drain Inside Your Wall
Your kitchen drain line extends through your walland continues behind the kitchen cabinets. These drain lines can deteriorate causing water damage to the floor in owners unit as well as in adjoining units.
Your plumber needs to inspect the kitchen drain line connected to piping inside your wall and replace as necessary. The piping inside the wall is not easily to inspect. Sliding out the stove may provide some access for inspection in some of the units.
- Dishwasher and Water Heater
The dishwashers and water heaters installed in the 2005 upgrade are reaching the end of their life and have started leaking causing water damage to floor in owner's and adjoining units.
You should be watchful for any signs of water in the area of your dishwasher and periodically inspect the drip pan under the water heater for signs of moisture.
- Air conditioning Condensate Drain Line
Air conditioningcondensatedrain linescan become clogged causing water damage tothe owner'sand adjoining units.
These drain lines need to be cleared of sediment on a routine basis.
- Toilet Seals
Toilet seals(i.e., wax rings) have had a tendency to seep water so you need check regularly for water seeping out at the base of the toilet. If this happens, have your plumber replacethe seals immediately.
- Bathroom Drain Piping
The drain piping for the bathrooms is located below the unit floor slab in the ceiling of the unit below, making it difficult to inspect since it is above the sheetrock ceiling in the unit below.
Unit owners need to be vigilant for any signs of water staining on their bathroom ceilings and immediately notify property management who will in turn notify the responsible owner.
Note copper piping, originally installed in 1965, is still in use throughout the building. All repairs need to be done using either copper or plastic (CPVC or PEX) piping. Use of steel piping is to be avoided, if possible,to prevent corrosion to the building's copper piping system. If unavoidable, a dielectric coupling is to be used at any steel-to-copper connection.