Unit flooding disasters happened 6+ times in 2022. In the past, multiple residents both on and below their floor were forced to vacate their unit for months while restoration/repairs happened. Use this preventative maintenance checklist to save you and your neighbors the headache. 

We need your help in preventing plumbing backups in the sink, toilets, and showers. These backups are often caused when items that shouldn’t go down these pipes end up clogging the unit stack and create sewage backups that flood you and your neighbors’ units.

For residents it has meant:

1. Money: Costly restoration that start at $7,000, floor replacement, insurance

2. Time: Residents and neighbors displaced into hotels during repairs

3. More Time: Insurance adjustors, inspections, claims

4. Fear: That it may happen again

For the HOA it has meant:

5. Money: Reserves depletion for plumbing reimbursements that are costly. HOA dues increase, higher rent costs are passed on by owners to tenants.

6. Time: Board members are at times the first individuals Seabreeze on-call management will reach out to triage.

Preventing or Detecting Issues Early

1. Check homeowner/renter insurance policy and make sure it covers water leak damage (Insurance is required by our CC&Rs, if something happens, you’ll be glad you had it).

2. Check washer tray for water (inside or outside), and that it isn’t cracked (if it is, replace it with a new one), and is properly hooked to drain tube in case of a failure.

   1. If there is any water outside your washer tray, contact Seabreeze immediately so we can ensure downstairs neighbors are not impacted and their unit is not flooded by this leak.

   2. If there is only water inside your tray and hasn’t leaked outside the pan, contact an appliance repair company to ensure the unit is not leaking, Seabreeze can dispatch Victor to check the pan.

3. Washing machine hot/cold fill hoses have been replaced within last 5 years.
   (If these burst, it’s incredibly hard to access the shutoff behind the washer/dryer – in the event this does, contact the Seabreeze emergency after-hours line for an emergency water shutoff).

4. Water shutoff valves can be closed and opened and are not stuck
   (Over time, mineral buildup may lead these to become stuck, so if your toilet ever overflowed, you may not be able to shut off the water. This requires a licensed plumber to replace the valve itself, requiring a full apt stack water shutoff. Washer and fridge valves require a special arrestor that’s tied to the valve.

5. Water leak sensors are installed
   (Offline versions like watchdog sound like fore alarms, the newer Wi-Fi-connected leak detectors not only alarm but also notify you of leaks via their app + email, even if you aren’t at home).

6. Use less detergent as oversudsing is known to cause leaks in front-load washers.

7. Run the “clean washer” cycle every few months with safe natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar (1 cup of baking soda for cycle 1, vinegar in cycle 2). 

Maintenance Routine

Every month

• Washer trays are not cracked and are hooked up to the drainage

• Water shutoff valves work properly

• Kitchen hood fans are cleaned and oil-free

Every 6 months

• • Smoke alarm batteries (9V) are replaced (unless you did a swap-out and your smoke alarm has a 10-year lithium unit)

  • Bathroom fan is clean (use the circuit breaker to turn off the bathroom, unscrew the white grate, then unscrew the black panel, wear an N95 mask, and use a toothbrush and vacuum to clean). You can also take off the fan unit and clean it in more detail.

  • Showerhead has been descaled (video tutorial)

  • Refrigerator Water Filter is replaced (If applicable, check your model)

Every year

• • HVAC air filters replaced - Note: not all filters in P51 are the same size. Lowe's carries a trim-to-fit type of HVAC filter, or you can order custom sizes online.

  • HVAC vent cleaning - this you will need to find a local vent cleaning company to do this. Places typically charge 35 / vent. Try Yelp and go through the estimates process and get quotes from multiple vendors.

  • Dryer vent cleaning - the HOA schedules and pays for this - (you will get announcements about it) saving you $$ because of negotiated bulk rates. These prevent dryer inefficiencies (longer time to dry clothes) and potential fires.

  • Window washing - the HOA schedules and pays for this - typically in the summertime. If you need to clean it beforehand and live on anything other than the ground floor, it's recommended you use a magnetic wipe. Don't lean outside your window, hire someone.

Every 5 years

• • Washing machine hot/cold fill hoses have been replaced

Every 10 years

• • Replace your smoke alarm (if you haven't replaced them yet, they are overdue for a replacement).

I have an issue, who can help?

The first thing to check is whether it's your unit (your responsibility) or a larger issue in the complex that either is or may affect other neighboring units. 

Example of things that are your own responsibility - you most likely should not contact  the Property Management company 

1. Your appliances or any equipment that came with your flat (see section below)

2. Burnt out lightbulbs (the HOA does not replace these, ACE is across the street)

3. In-unit toilet/shower/sink issues (call a plumber for consultation, and only if a water shutoff for the stack is needed contact  Seabreeze.  Renters can not contact Seabreeze directly and request must be submitted by owner of the unit.

   • Toilet - it could be anything along the water flow path, ranging from a seized water shutoff valve to the fill valve to the flapper.

   • Shower - it could be your shower cartridge - the hard water over the years may have damaged it. 

   • Sink - it could be your faucet cartridge - the hard water over the years may have damaged it. 

4. AC / heating issues - this one is tricky, as you may need to triage whether it's your in-unit HVAC elements or the common elements.

Examples of things that may be the HOA's responsibility - contact Seabreeze.  Renters can not contact Seabreeze directly and request must be submitted by owner of the unit.

1. No water (hot or cold) - if it's potentially the whole stack affected. E.g. your toilet AND your sink AND shower all don't work - most likely a stack issue.

2. Water shutoff requests based on any in-unit plumbing work needed (info here)

3. Unusual noise or drilling

4. Floods or leaks in your unit or any adjacent units

5. Issues with your window rollers

6. Anything in the common area (e.g. Latch issues not tied to your phone - for example the gate 

Example of things to ask others:

1. Power fluctuations / outages --> PG&E

Troubleshooting

If an appliance or other equipment in your flat or loft that came with the unit is not working…

• If the problem is with equipment that is no longer under warranty, the cost of repair is yours (Renters, check with your owners). 

• If you are an owner and just moved in, see if you have homeowner's insurance as part of your home purchase.

• If you need to replace items (such as light bulbs or batteries in smoke detectors or HVAC filters) that came with your condominium and you do not know how to do it, search the discussion topics on the Google Group, where most issues have been discussed with recommended solutions.

If you need to clean granite countertops or your stainless steel kitchen sink…

• Use a non-abrasive cleaner only.

• Method products (available at Orchard Supply or Target) work very well on P51 countertops and other surfaces.

If you want to take care of your wood flooring…

• Bona or a similar cleaning product (available in Orchard Supply or Bed, Bath, and Beyond) works well in cleaning wood flooring.

• Take care in dropping anything heavy on the floor; the floors dent easily.

• Do not wet-mop or steam-mop the wood flooring; it will warp the panels over time. Clean-up wet spills right away.

If your air conditioning or heating appears to not be functioning properly:

• Shut the system down and wait 10 minutes to reset it.

• Restart the system.

• If there appears to be no improvement, this indicates a system-wide (rather than unit-specific) problem. Therefore, contact  Seabreeze. Renters can not contact Seabreeze directly and request must be submitted by owner of the unit. and notify them of the issue. Be sure to specify your building (Buildings A and B are on one HVAC system; Building C is on a separate system).

If your smoke detectors are chirping…

• You should replace all the batteries of all your smoke detectors at one time (they “talk” to one another).

• Set a date to replace them annually or more often.

If your carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are chirping:

• The number of chirps and their meaning depends on the manufacturer/model. Check the back of the unit or online for instructions

• Most alarms require regular Alkaline batteries, not rechargeable Lithium ones

• CO monitors are designed to be end-of-life after 5 or 10 years and need replacement. This is indicated by a different chirping sound, which does not go away after replacing the batteries

If the building fire alarm goes off…

• Calmly but quickly exit the building following directions posted at entries.

• If you believe the alarm is a “false alarm,” contact  the Property Management company after leaving the building.

• Read other instructions for emergency preparedness under "Safety" on this site and on the Safety brochure. What to do: Safety in and around Plant 51

If you have ants…

• Establish a perimeter of cinnamon if you don't want to deal with chemicals

• Dropping tons of salt in window crevices, waiting a few days, vacuuming up any seeable salt left on the outside

• Diatomaceous Earth

• Boric Acid

• If the ants are outside your unit (in hallways or courtyards), you should notify  the Property Management company of the problem so pest exterminators can spray the area. Try to locate the ants’ “nest” site and include this information in your message. ("I have ants!!" is too general.) The only truly effective way to get rid of ants is to stop their activity in their nest.

• If the ants are only inside your unit, you are responsible for their extermination. If your own efforts are unsuccessful, you may contract a vendor found on the Services  page

• Keep in mind that once the ants' nest has been disturbed, their activity level may increase for awhile (as they search for new places). Ant extermination at the "nest" level is not instantaneous and may take multiple applications.