Storing Jugs Over Laundry Area

The following entry is a problem we discovered on several occasions while checking units. The first time we came across it, it was the result of a gallon plastic jug of soap detergent (TIDE), next time it was from a jug of fabric softener and this last time from a jug of bleach. All three clients had stored these jugs on a common wire shelf atop the washer/dryer area as shown in the left photo. Apparently when hefting the jug up onto the shelf, somehow a very tiny hole penetrated the plastic jug which over time caused the contents of these jugs to seep out then drip down the back of the washer/dryer or in this latest case atop the dryer. The soap and fabric softener were discovered only after they had seeped onto the floor and out the front side of the appliance. The bleach which is somewhat caustic, wasn't discovered until it had left it's mark on the lid of the dryer as shown in the right photo.

Broker Slider Door Glass

Although this problem doesn't occur too often we've come across it on several occasions and still are unable to determine the root cause. While checking a veranda unit in Countryside we discovered that the glass on one of the slider door panels had shattered. At first we thought it was caused by an errant golf ball but although it was facing the golf course it was located in a spot where that would be almost impossible. We immediately notified the owner and then set off to get the glass replaced. We contacted a window repair contractor, gave them access to measure the glass panel and ultimately to replace the broken pane of glass. Unfortunately the glass was a custom size and had to be special ordered which would take several days to procure so in the meantime we had to do something to prevent the elements from getting into the unit. The panel was 81x42 inches so we had a large area to cover which in itself poses a problem. Fortunately we were able to use a large sheet brown paper that painters use as a drop cloth by securing it to the walls with tape. Total cost to the owner was $325 for the pane of glass and $85 for them to cleanup the broken glass chards. Our efforts cost $0...all part of doing our job!

A/C Line Set Problems

This purpose of this posting is to describe what happens when the A/C to a unit stops cooling as a result of loss of coolant. Recently we encountered this problem in a 1st floor condo in Countryside. The owner had a service contract with a well known company so we contacted them and gave them access to the unit so they could troubleshoot the A/C. They determined that the line set that carries coolant from the outside compressor to the inside air handler was leaking allowing the coolant to escape. They isolated the problem by cutting each end of the two coolant lines, sealing them off at both ends (inside & outside) then installing a pressure gauge on one of the lines. After this was done they pressurized the lines until there was 400psi in the lines. They returned a day later to see if the pressure was being maintained and it wasn't...it had dropped to 235psi indicating that the line set would have to be replaced at a cost of $4500! Why so costly? Normally they would have to run the lines up the outside wall to above the third floor through the wall into the attic crawl space, then down through the 3rd floor unit, then the 2nd floor unit then and finally into the 1st floor unit. When the owner told us the price that the A/C company had given him, we suggested that he get a second opinion which he did and they in turn confirmed that the line set was defective however they gave him a price estimate that was 1/3 less than the first  estimate  given. Instead of running the lines the way the first company suggested they decided to run the lines in a ditch underground, along the
outside of the condo, then up the wall (see photo #1) then into the condo, across the bedroom ceiling (see photo #2), then re-connect them to the air handler (see photo #3) all of which could be done far less costly than the first estimate. He elected to go with the more economic estimate and ended up with a significant savings. This line set problem, although not a common every day occurrence, seems to be happening more often as buildings and A/C units get older. The moral of this posting is to "always get a second opinion" and don't rely on the first estimate. 
Meanwhile we just added a photo below of what the bedroom looks like after the A/C line set was enclosed. Great job huh?

Casrport Disaster

BEWARE!...If you live in a condo with carport parking be very, very careful when backing out of a parking space or you'll end up with the cost of replacing the carport support (see photo) to say nothing of what the cost of getting the damage to your car repaired. The photo left shows the results of what can happen if you're not careful however they had to tow the vehicle away before we had a chance to take a photo of the damage to the car.

A/C Drain Problems?

Came across this flyer on the bulletin board at one of the condo buildings where we check units. It's an offer from Service America at two price points. During the course of checking units, over time, we have encountered a number of clogged drain lines which can cause one of two problems...the condensation from the A/C fails to drain properly and backs up into the condo causing a flood or it causes the kill switch that many of the newer A/C units have and shuts down the A/C completely. If you haven't had your A/C serviced for awhile it might be worth looking into by contacting them at 1-800-314-4621.

Car Left in Garage

One of our clients in a home at Lely Resort leaves a car with a convertible top in their garage with the battery disconnected and windows and doors tightly closed. Because the garage isn't temperature controlled with A/C we regularly poke our nose inside the car to make sure there are no problems. Because of the lack of air conditioning in the garage it has always had a musty odor but there was nothing we could do to improve the situation. Several weeks ago we checked the car as always and we discovered the start of mold/mildew on the center console as shown in the photo. We contacted the owner and decided the only course of action was to leave the doors open and place a Damp-Rid container inside. Fortunately allowing the car to air out along with adding the Damp-Rid all signs of mildew have subsided. Keeping our fingers cross that things stay that way!

Mystery Water Intrusion

Checked in on a condo at the Naples Boat Club and discovered a small puddle of water on the floor. Tried to determine the source but was mystified. Since we have had a few driving rain storms the only conclusion we could come to was that it came from the slider doors. We're keeping a close eye on any reoccurances but since we first discovered the problem things have been staying dry.