Windsor Life
Page 8
We answer call after call from residents reporting that a toilet, tub or
sink will not drain. Many residents are under the impression that the
association will always clear a plugged drain. This is not the case if an
“individual” drain is plugged.
Let’s think of our plumbing drain lines like a
road system; we have highways that compare
to main sewer lines (common), side roads that
compare to stack drains (common) and home
driveways that are like our “individual” drain
lines. If there’s a snowstorm, the state and cities
plow snow on the highway and side streets,
and the homeowner clears the snow from their
individual driveway. My car is the only one that
uses my driveway so clearly I should maintain
it. My neighbors and I drive on the side roads
and highways, so we share the responsibility
for maintenance through fees and taxes.
Let’s look at an example where the resident
owner is responsible for clearing a plugged
drain: a single toilet is clogged in a unit that has
two toilets. 99% of the time it is a resident owner
issue and the association is not responsible for unplugging this toilet.
Also, if a plugged sink, tub, or toilet drain is on an upper floor, it is
99.99% likely that it is an owner issue.
Let’s look at situations where the association would be responsible to
clear a common drain. When a common drain is plugged, water will
Maintenance Matters
From Bill Walsh,
Facilities Maintenance Manager
come up backwards through the drain. This scenario is exclusively on
the first floor, and most of the time you would see water coming up
into the sink, tub or shower (it is seldom noticeable in the toilet).
The most frequent common drain backup, which many people on the
A floor have experienced, is a kitchen sink backup. If it is a common
line backup, water will come up backwards through the kitchen sink
and sometimes into the dishwasher. If it’s a plugged individual drain
line, water will simply be stagnant in the sink, sometimes only in one
side of the sink and sometimes in the dishwasher.
We do have situations where it takes some testing to make a firm
conclusion as to where the drain is blocked, but the best way to
determine if it is a common line is to watch and see if water is coming
backwards into the device. If the clog is in
an individual line, it simply drains slowly or is
stagnant and not draining.
If you are in doubt, call the maintenance line
during normal business hours, or Community
Response after hours, we can advise you as to
who would be responsible to clear the drain. If
it is actively backing up, call immediately so we
can help prevent property damage.
If you call for outside help, please call a
reputable company that is insured. We have
seen individuals do extensive damage to our
delicate drain lines with improper tools and
techniques.
Remember drain lines do not like solids, so
keep toilet paper to a minimum and do not flush
anything other than toilet paper. Paper towels
or “wipes” of any kind are very problematic to
our drain lines and will cause blockages. And in the kitchen throw
garbage in the trash not down the garbage disposal.
Until next month be nice to our plumbing and … keep those drains a
runnin’.
When is a plugged drain
my responsibility?
