Fallen Objects

Just finished doing our weekly condo check and were suprised

when we went into one particular condo to find that a chandalier

over the dining room table had fallen. Apparently it was too heavy for the mount and when it fell it landed on the glass topped dining room table. Fortunately the table top didn't break. Another mystery in a long line of Peace of Mind discoveries when checking our client's Florida homes.

Another Sewer Back-up

Water main is off, unit is secure and yet when we walked into a unit recently we discovered that there had been a sewer back-up for the 3rd time! The sink was full of sewage, the floors had about 1/4 inch of standing water and you could smell the problem as soon as you walked inside. We contacted the owner, then contacted the property management company who scheduled a plumber to assess and fix the problem. A problem such as this is the responsibility of the association and not the owner since the problem originated outside the 4 walls. One lesson to be learned from this is that whenver there's a problem, IT JUST DOESN'T GO AWAY, unless action is taken to take care of it by way of a repair.

Iced up A/C

Recently when we were checking a condo we found that the A/C was running when we entered the unit. Generally, it's unlikely that the A/C would be running unless there was a problem, especially when we do so in the early morning, ie., 7:30AM, when the outside temps are a bit cooler than mid-day. Upon further investigation we found that the A/C had for some reason had iced up and was not cooling at all. We notified the owner, contacted their A/C contract company and they took care of the problem. Needless to say we're always on our toes whenever we check your unit.

Insect Nest Found

Another first for us...found an insect nest inside a condo although we're not sure what kind of insect built the nest. We did see a live spider on the floor (which we quickly dispatched) but it looked more like a wasp nest to us. The nest was located inside the unit, in the upper left hand corner of the lanai doors, behind the verticals so we cautiously removed it and reported our find to the unit owner.

Comcast Digital Transfer Adapter

FYI...If you subscribe to COMCAST for your cable TV feed then within the next 2-6 months you will have to make sure that any TV in your home that isn't connected to a COMCAST cable box will require a DTA (Digital Transfer Adapter). Comcast is in the process of converting all their analog signals to digital format which will then require an analog to digital converter box (see photo). Depending on the type of service you have, you can pick up to 2-3 boxes from them FREE OF CHARGE. Our advice is to give them a phone call and ask them about these changes.

Crash Bang Goes the Lanai Door

When checking a condo in Falling Waters the other day we discovered that the glass in one of the lanai door sliders had shattered. We've only encountered this problem a few times and are not completely certain what causes the door to shatter. Our best guess is that either a clap of thunder may have caused the glass to vibrate within the frame causing it to break or it may simply be the result of temperature differences between inside and the outside of a unit. Either way we contacted the owner, contacted a glass replacement company and they replaced the broken glass that very same day (Sunday). The owner will be filing a claim with his home insurer and hopefully recoup some of the replacement cost.

Toilet Frog

Here's one for the books...In many units when clients leave for the season we recommend that they pour some bleach into the toilet bowls then cover them with Saran Wrap. We always thought it accomplished two things...#1 it prevents toilet water evaporation from puting moisture into the air thereby lessening the chance of mold and mildew and #2 the bleach keeps the inside of the toilet bowl clean. Now we have a 3rd reason....Recently when we checked a unit in Cedar Hammock we discovered a dead frog inside a bowl that had been sealed with saran wrap. Somehow the frog must have came in through the plumbing and entered the toilet bowl only to encounter bleach water that promptly ended it's life. Sad news for the frog but good news for the client because the saran wrap prevented the frog from entering the home and doing whatever damge frogs may do.