The saga of our maintenance issues drags on. Remember our leaky washing machine? Well, a guy came to fix it while I was in Florida, and apparently he did nothing more than reposition the hoses. He insisted to Dave that was the problem. They tested the machine and it seemed to work.
But when I came home and ran a load of laundry, once again -- water on the floor. (Not a lot of water -- maybe half a cup? But still.) I looked at the hoses and pipes and found that the dishwasher, which we run at night when we go to bed, feeds into the same drain line. So when I ran the dishwasher that night I stayed up to see what would happen, and sure enough -- water on the floor. Clearly the drain pipe that serves both machines is partially clogged. During my absence the wood floor in the kitchen has become increasingly warped from the spillage.
I reported all this to the landlords, but no one seems very concerned about it. Nothing has been done yet. I'm still running the machines, because gosh darnit I pay for them and it's not my fault the property managers can't move more quickly to unclog that pipe. I'm about to go buy a bottle of Drano, or its English equivalent, even though I know that stuff is terrible for pipes.
Meanwhile, upstairs neighbor Mrs. Russia is still upset about next-door neighbor Mrs. Kravitz's kitchen vent fan, which is mounted on an outside wall facing Mrs. Russia's terrace. She insists that it's too loud and perhaps even illegal. She is trying her hardest to drag us into this conflict no matter how much I insist that we don't really notice the fan being a problem. Mrs. Russia went to our landlords to sign them on to the cause, and I told them I'm happy for them to write a letter in support of Mrs. Russia -- if the vent is noisy it seems reasonable to ask the Kravitzes to make it quieter -- but I don't want to get involved in any administrative or legal action.
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?!?!
Dave and I continued our documentary streak last night by watching "Downfall: The Case Against Boeing." We added it to our watchlist a few weeks ago but I didn't want to watch it just before getting on a plane myself -- so we waited until now. It's very good and quite compelling in showing that Boeing's focus on profits led to passenger deaths in the crashes of two 737 MAX planes. Interesting side note: Rory Kennedy, the youngest daughter of Robert Kennedy, directed the film, and about 20 years ago, when I lived in New York, I met her. A journalism organization I helped run screened her documentary "Pandemic," about the AIDS crisis. Small world!
(Photo: Well-weathered street art on Finchley Road.)
Leakage and venting, so annoying. And neighbor conflicts. Glad you refuse to get sucked into the conflict, although I do feel for your upstairs neighbors. That would make it difficult to enjoy their terrace. It the situation were reversed, I’ll bet Mrs. Kravitz would have already filed a legal complaint.
ReplyDeleteOh, she'd be on a rampage, for sure!
DeleteI watched "Downfall. The Case Against Boeing" a few weeks ago and recommended it on my blog. It is an amazing insight into big business and the rather sad story of the downfall of Boeing in the name of profit.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I think this idea that corporations work for no one but their shareholders is flawed and dangerous.
DeleteI might never fly again if I watch the doco about Boeing.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a simple blocked drain. Anyone experienced with drains, not particularly a plumber, could clear it in a flash. If the dishwasher makes the drain water to rise to spilling over level, it must be very blocked.
Exactly! It's an easy job! I don't get why it's such an issue for the property managers.
DeleteProperty managers usually need to get approval from property owners who are often reluctant to part with the necessary cash.
DeleteIn my previous home, my manager had approval from the owner to do what was necessary and I was so grateful, especially when the water heater failed when the bottom rusted out. On the other hand, my brother spent three years in a seventh floor apartment where one window leaked during the rain, the carpet was damaged and everyone else on that side of the building had a similar problem due to some construction fault, but because some of the rented apartments had different owners, no one could agree on the terms of getting the problem fixed.
I see the problem with the exhaust fan, with the vent facing Mrs Russia's terrace, she gets the full sound effect, unlike you who aren't in direct line with it. And the older models are noisier. But then a new one would be in the same position, so would still be heard, unless it can be positioned to vent in a different direction.
ReplyDeleteBuy the Drano and don't worry about the pipes. It shouldn't have a bad effect if you don't use Drano every week. If the outlet drain continues to leak/overflow the problem may be further down the pipe and a plumber is needed.
Apparently there are sound shields that can be installed around devices like this fan, and the hope is that we can urge the Kravitzes to do so.
DeleteThat seems a good idea. I hadn't heard of sound shields.
DeleteHaving someone at your beck and call to fix all the problems was definitely nice but I don’t miss living in multi unit housing. There was always drama going on.
ReplyDeleteIt's only nice if they actually respond and fix the problem!
DeleteEveryone thinks that the gays love a drama
ReplyDeleteDon't we?!
DeleteI'm glad we have a nice sized piece of property so our neighbors are just a glint in the distance!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that would be nice. I am jealous!
DeleteAs you know, I hate drama - so I am 100% in favor of you staying out of the vent kerfuffle. And Mr. Amor up there looks a little bit like a penguin!
ReplyDeleteKerfuffle. What a great word!
DeleteKerfuffle IS a great word.
DeleteI was using it with my boss yesterday & she said that she was going to start using it, but instead she'll say kerfuckle & now you know why I'll miss her when she retires at the end of next week. Ha!
DeleteOoh boy. You can't have your appliances leaking. Can you call the plumber back and tell him that the problem is not fixed and that he needs to come and fix it? The leak will absolutely wreak havoc on the floors.
ReplyDeleteYou know all of this.
Is this suddenly a new problem for your upstairs neighbor? I don't understand.
I don't know what's caused her to focus on the vent all of a sudden. I suppose the weather is warming up so she wants to be able to use the terrace.
DeleteI had the plumber last week for a blocked drain. They had to rout out the main drain down in the basement and found a blockage 50 feet from the house leading to the water main across the street. It cost me $450 but I am glad it is fixed. My clogged drain was from toilet flushing and you don't want that leaking ANYWHERE! Good luck and hope you find a simple fix!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for getting that fixed! What a relief!
DeletePerhaps you could helpfully point out to Mrs. Kravitz that you are not a fan of HER venting, that it seems unnecessarily loud and runs on for far longer than needed.
ReplyDeleteUnless, of course, you think it would not help the situation.
I would get the drano, personally. Follow the directions carefully, and flush the lines with plenty of water. We have a lot of pipes in 8 houses, and we use the product. It is not a substitute when you have a serious issue where the problem is not resolved by the drano. That requires a plumber with a rotorooter, or some actual replumbing, but using drano once is not going to destroy your pipes.
OK, good to know. I may try the Drano. As for Mrs. Kravitz, my goal is to talk to her as little as possible. :)
DeleteI hope you get that leak worked out. I'm surprised the landlords aren't more concerned about that. When Roger was managing a real estate rental office years ago, the owner of the business would say quite often, "Water is the bane of my existence."
ReplyDeleteI think staying out of the Kravitz kerfuffle is a good idea. Who needs more drama these days?
I've always heard that water is such a destructive force for properties. I'm also surprised they're moving so slowly.
DeleteLandlords are like Boeing. they don't really care what gets trashed along the way to making money.
ReplyDeleteThis is ultimately going to COST money, though, if they don't get it fixed!
DeleteWe really stress to tenants that we want to know about the tiniest of leaks. Water damage is more expensive to repair the longer you ignore it.
DeleteThat leak situation is annoying for sure. I hope you are able to get it fixed soon. I don't really like having the maintenance guy crawling around in my apartment so I tend to let things go until there is areal problem. My bad!
ReplyDeleteIt drives me crazy when I alert someone to a problem and nothing gets done. I don't get the lack of urgency.
DeleteWhat a mess. You can't have water on the floor all the time! I hope they come soon but if they don't go with the drano foam. Actually, my septic tank guy at the lake recommended that for our kitchen sink there where water going down one side comes up the left if in any quantity. I don't know what it did to the pipes but it still works... And if it busts through the pipe then they'll probably come sooner! Just keep anything valuable off the floor.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's true -- a rupture in the pipe would bring them pretty fast, I suspect!
DeleteTook me a minute to figure out what I was looking at in the top photo. I'm not really feeling the love.
ReplyDeleteHa! To each his own, I guess. :)
DeleteNo. No, apparently we CAN'T just get along. LOL! People...sheeesh!!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the leak and the nonchalant attitude of the maintenance people. That's super annoying and you shouldn't have to put up with it. So few people do quality work and stand behind it these days, or so it seems.
Honestly, it's like people don't even try anymore.
DeleteYou would think that a report of warping wood would bring the plumber out quickly.
ReplyDeleteRight?! I sent another e-mail this morning. We'll see if it's effective.
DeleteI hate leaky anything and water where it's not supposed to be drives me bonkers. Best to stay out of the drama if possible. No matter how you handle it, you'll anger someone. Not too long after the 737-Max accidents, I sold all my Boeing stock. (over 900 shares, so a substantial amount) Ex and current boyfriend worked their whole careers for Boeing, although on the military and not the commercial side.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of stock! Even after 20 years with the NYT company I only have about a tenth that much stock, I think. (And NYT stock is, sadly, much less valuable than Boeing.)
DeleteYeah, it is. I took a real hit on taxes that year due to capital gain. Not complaining though because I deserved to pay.
DeleteHow interesting on the documentaries. I will have to add both to my list to watch. I would rather watch that than a movie at times. Right now, I am hooked on a few Anime programs. I am almost finished with one season and was looking forward to the next only to find that it was not picked up for season 2. It really bummed me out and my son Jonathan told me that is happening to several that he has been watching and he is taking a break and listening to an audible.
ReplyDeleteI watched this great documentary right before the Corona virus pandemic that was called Pandemic ironically. It dealt with the Flu and how it is transmitted. I tried to get my family to watch it but no one was interested. The main man had retired just after the documentary and he had said It isn't a question of if we have another pandemic but when... Sad that he missed this horrid pandemic. The flu is actually spread through, chickens, ducks, etc... they migrate and drop the flu virus in their droppings, people, especially in the chicken houses and etc step in it and bring it into their homes etc... so they have all of these field agents testing these birds and tracking them after they give them some kind of vaccine.
I have been on the phone for the last hour. Wal-Mart.com has said that they delivered my packages that I ordered at my door. Obviously they delivered them some place else. They are going to replace my order or refund my account but I have to wait 24 more hours to put in the claim in case it is delivered today. My response is... why can't you just fix it now? UGHHH.
Have a great day and I hope that you get the drain un-clogged. xxx
How strange! I wonder where your packages went?! Or maybe someone stole them?
DeleteHousehold issues are so draining, no pun intended. I hope your landlord makes the simple fix soon.
ReplyDeleteThey ARE draining -- the perfect word!
DeleteWe have both Amazon Prime and Netflix and it's been forever since we've watched either of them. I think the war in Ukraine has got us totally turned off of watching television.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched TV news in forever. Like, months and months. I stick to print.
DeleteHi Steve, miss Olga and Dave. Steve, I wasn't planning on buying another home because my one child is grown but i was tired of apartments and townhouses. Whenever they did send someone to fix something it wasn't fixed. I feel better for being responsible to fix things myself in my own home. The problem with that situation .....you can't hire anyone to fix it right. I hired this guy to rebuild my fence and when he left I notice the boards were 3rd grade quality. I had a few pickets at the back of the yard and he stole them and my tomato cages.I won't hire carpet cleaners but bought one and do it myself. I can't do the things I use to do but I do manage to get things done. It might take me a little longer than it use to but I do things around the house myself. Even power washing.(lol)
ReplyDeleteWell, there's something to be said for doing things yourself -- you know it gets done right! In this case, though, we're paying so much rent that I really feel they need to solve the problem.
Delete