OLD PIPES

I am glad you submitted the articles on appliance flooding. It's a real problem that effects many condominium associations and drags on for months after it happens.

I am a building manager for 9 properties in Chicago and I have a lot of experience with this situation. In my case, most of the buildings I manage are "vintage" meaning they have old galvanized pipes (average 35 years before needing replacement) that are 80-100 years old. These buildings were never intended to have washing machines, garbage disposals, or dishwashers hooked up to their plumbing.

For example if you have a washing machine, a designated drain pipe is supposed to be run from the washer to the ground. Many people get their "handyman" to hook up their washer to drain down the same pipe their kitchen sink drains down. The unit owners on the floors right below often get the soapy suds in their kitchen sink when the neighbors above are doing their laundry. Having all the kitchen lines cleaned out by a licensed plumber annually or bi-annually helps keep the pipes clearer, however this is not the drain a washing machine is supposed to be hooked up to.

Some of my vintage buildings have banned the use of garbage disposals, dish washers, and washing machines. The problems that have crept in over the years have been with condominium conversions in buildings that used to be rental buildings. The new owners coming in grew up in single family homes in the suburbs where all the conveniences mentioned were part of everyday living. When the apartments get rehabbed, the new conveniences are installed without any consideration that the appliances are being hooked up to very old plumbing.

Before the eventual flood takes place, before the insurance claims begin, condominium boards need to take preventative steps to write and enforce Rules & Regulations about what homeowners are allowed to have in the first place. Inviting a knowledgeable licensed plumbing contractor to a meeting to inform boards about what their building's pipes can handle has been educational and helpful in making rules that are necessary to avoid future plumbing floods. -Marcia Grubb, Grubb Property Management, Inc.

REPLACING OLD LINES

I manage a 35 year old, 3 story, wood frame condo. There were no washing machines before I arrived because the prior manager (and owner) would not allow them because of the old pipes. Typically a 35 year old, 1-1/2" diameter cast iron drain line was corroded to a diameter of 3/4" with associated reduced capacity.

Washing machines are a great asset. I encouraged the addition of washers and now 2/3rds of the owners have them. Eventually we will have 100% and eliminate the community laundry machines and have use of the laundry room [for other purposes].

The encouragement [that owners install washers] came with a caveat. The laundry drain had to drain into a larger line or new piping, properly sized for the number of fixtures it serves (per code). This prevents suds. Basically this meant upsizing the 1-1/2" old lines to 2". The condition of the common piping warranted replacement anyway, and the request for a washer was encouragement to perform the preventative maintenance.

I made the suggestion, and the Board agreed, that whenever there was a request for a washer, or a serious plumbing problem, we would solve the WHOLE problem by replacing the entire "stack" served by that line. Thus instead of waiting for the next disaster, we began a replacement program triggered by the request or a problem. After 8 years, all but one kitchen stack has been replaced and we sleep better at night. The majority of the piping cost was paid by the association. This approach solved the gridlock question of when and how and where should an association start a drain pipe replacement program.

We also use this strategy whenever there is a renovation: we will replace the common piping generally up and down from the unit being renovated. It will never be cheaper to do. -Michael Gruby, Association Manager

COMMENT: This is a good solution to a common problem. Other associations should consider adopting the same approach.

Updated 7/13/2008