DEAR MAINTENANCE MEN
B y J erry L’E cuyer & F rank A lvarez
making sure “good enough” is NOT good enough. Also, do not forgot the importance of being on time to — and cleaning up after — the job.
Dear Maintenance Men:
I am interested in becoming a maintenance mechanic or tech. What skills should I hone or include in my “Tool Box”? Robin
Dear Robin:
That is a very good question. The list below should be considered as the minimum needed to be a well-rounded maintenance technician who wants to be excellent at their job. 1. Have problem solving abilities. We believe a good maintenance mechanic needs a bit of “detective” in them. In other words, get to the root of the problem and don’t just fix the issue at hand. Find out what caused the issue in the first place. 2. Care about the details. The details can include anything from noticing something out of place to having the right tools for the job at hand. Detail oriented means having a keen eye on what is going on around you and
3. Technical aptitude or technical abilities. Learn the system you are working on. Become proficient by attending training programs and getting hands-on training on the systems with which you are unfamiliar. 4. Learn organizational skills. Being organized will save time, money and will create efficiency to get more out of each day. 5. Ability to work under pressure. In other words: get in, get out, and get the job done quickly and correctly, the first time. 6. Be versatile. Don’t be scared to try something new. Don’t get bogged down. Learn to think outside the box to find solutions. Not everything is black and white.
COIN-OP APARTMENT LAUNDRY SALES SERVICE REVENUE LEASE PARTS
High Quality Apartment Laundry Service ACE Commercial Laundry Equipment Inc
16
Apartment News
www.aaoc.com
Westminster, CA
acelaundry.com
December 2020
Dear Maintenance Men:
We tried to replace an angle stop valve under the kitchen sink but found a brass collar around the copper pipe, which traps the nut behind it. The new angle stop threads are incompatible with the old nut. What can I do? Also, how often should I routinely replace my under-sink water flex lines? Roland
Dear Roland:
On the first question, it is always best to remove the old collar, but that is easier said than done. You cannot pull off the collar with your fingers, it is too tight. Pliers will damage your soft copper pipe. Cutting the line behind the collar is o.k. IF you have enough pipe to spare. In most cases, however, space is limited and cutting the line won’t work. Thankfully, the hardware or plumbing store sells a compression “Sleeve Puller” (around $20) that is designed for this job and will not damage your pipe. You can now install your new angle stop valve. An alternative once you remove the collar is to solder a male or female ½” fitting to the end of the copper pipe. Install a male or female angle stop valve and never again deal with a stubborn brass collar. If you ever need to replace the valve, just twist it off and install a new one. On the second question about replacing under sink water lines, if any of your lines are the white plastic lines, replace them immediately as they are a flood waiting to happen. We like using Maintenance Men — continued on page 18
