
Clogged Sink
Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Dave. Looks like we have a clogged sink here. Believe it or not, this is one of the most frequent maintenance requests we get reported here at the building. So we created this do it yourself video series to help you tackle this and other common maintenance requests safely, quickly, and with little effort. So let's get to it. The first step is to use a plunger like this. You can pick these up at any hardware store, they're great to have on hand. We wanna make sure that the sink has enough water, that when the head of the plunger goes over the drain opening, that it's completely submerged, just like this. Now, maintain the seal as you plunge up and down quickly, keeping the head of the plunger under the water, and only moving it about an inch every upstroke like this. Now, in my experience, this should do the job, but if it doesn't, we'll try another method. I'm not talking about liquid Drano, I'm not a big fan of those chemical products. They're not good for the environment, and they could do a number on your skin if it comes into contact. Instead, we're going to use a baking soda solution. Here's what you do. You take one cup of baking soda, pour it down the drain. You take one cup of white vinegar, then you pour it down the drain, as follows. Now don't worry if it starts to fizz, you'll see that in a second. That means that it's working, watch this. And you pour it down the drain, perfectly normal. We take the drain hole cover, we put it over the hole and we wait for 15 minutes, letting the baking soda and the white vinegar do their job to unclog your drain. It's been 15 minutes. So now we'll take up the drain cover and we'll run hot water down the drain. That's your clue to the clog, Presto, that did the trick. Now, if you have a more serious clog, I want you to head to the resident online portal, and I want you to log in maintenance requests. Make sure to list the various steps that you took in the notes. To prevent future clogs, follow these helpful tips. Never pour grease, oil, or coffee grounds down your drain, and with each use of your kitchen sink, make sure to run the hot water and keep that drain clear. I'm Dave, and make sure to watch the rest of the DIY videos in this helpful video series.

Mechanical Tour
Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Dave. And today I'm standing in one of our newer units. We're gonna give you a little tour of where some of the various mechanical controls are in the event you need to make some basic adjustments. Now, while the location might be slightly different in your unit, at least you know what to look for, and what to do. Now, when somebody moves into their apartment, we give them a tour of where the various mechanical controls are in their unit. Anything from the breaker panel, to the thermostat, to the water control valves for the bathroom, we even show them how to make basic adjustments to their appliances. Now, while it may have been a while since you moved into your unit, this will serve as a really great refresher. Let's start with the breaker panel. Now, like I said, this might be in a slightly different location in your unit, but this is what you're looking for in the event you need to shut off the power or a breaker's been tripped and needs to be reset. So as you can see, all the switches are individually labeled. In the event that you lost power to an appliance or an outlet, the breaker is gonna be tripped. Now, a tripped breaker is in the off position. In order to get the breaker back on and power back to your appliances, all you have to do is flip the breaker to the on position. Simple. Now, we had a number of calls from our residents reporting that they suddenly lost power to an outlet in their bathroom. Now, I just showed you where to look on the breaker panel, but you may also need to reset the GFI button on the outlet. A GFI is a special type of circuit breaker that can automatically shut off power directly at the outlet when it detects an electrical fault. These are usually found in wet areas like the bathroom and kitchen. Now, if you're still not getting power, you may need to reset the button on the outlet. Push it until you hear a click, bingo. Now, in order to find the water valves, it's usually behind a white panel, it's spring loaded. So now that you've got the panel off, you wanna locate the hot and cold water valves. Red for hot, blue for cold. Turn the knobs one quarter turn until you actually shut them off. There's also a water valve shut off for the toilet, and it's right behind the toilet right here. Give it a turn until it's off. Now, the last thing I wanna talk about is the thermostat. The thermostat controls the temperature in your apartment, and in most cases, you just set it and forget it. But in the event you find yourself too hot or too cold in the newer units, it's probably because the program button has activated accidentally. So you just press and hold, and you should be able to adjust your temperature. Another tip for the older units is when you're turning on the heat for the first time, turn the dial to a setting higher than your desired temperature. And as the apartment starts to heat up, gradually turn it back down to the original setting. Okay, thanks for watching. Don't forget to check out some of the other videos in our series. And if a problem persists, give us a call, book an appointment. Online bookings are possible through our new resident online portal. I'm Dave, and this has been another video in our DIY video series.

Running Toilet
Video Transcript
- Hi, I'm Dave. You hear that? That's the sound of a constantly running toilets. Chances are, it's a minor issue that can be assessed and fixed in a matter of minutes. If it's a more serious issue, well, have somebody come in and fix it. But first let's have a look. The first step is to carefully remove the toilet tank lid and set it down on a flat surface, like this. There are likely two reasons your toilet is constantly running. The first possibility is that the flow valve needs adjusting. To determine if this is the issue, start by lifting up on the float cup and seeing if the water stops. If it does grab a screwdriver and turn the adjusting screw a few turns counter-clockwise, so that the float cup and water level are below the flow tube. The other possibility is the flapper. Maybe it's got some mineral deposits preventing it from making a proper seal, or maybe it's worn out and needs to be replaced. Let's start by turning off the water in the shutoff valve at the base of the toilet like this. Now that the water has been shut off, flush the toilet to get rid of the water from the tank like this. Now that it's clear, detached the flapper from the chain like this. Next, carefully examine the flapper for any obvious wear and tear. If it looks good, give it a good clean with some soap and water, reattach it to the chain. Turn back on the water and see what happens. If it's still leaking, it may need to be replaced. Head on over to our new residents portal and fill in the online request. Make sure to indicate the steps you've taken in the note section and we'll reach out to you with our first available appointment. Thanks for watching, I'm Dave. Be sure to catch the rest of the videos in our DIY maintenance series.