Dear Maintenance Men

Dear Maintenance Men: I understand why it is bad to put banana peels, celery and potato skins down the garbage disposal as they are fibrous or prone to compression. However, why are coffee grounds also bad put down the disposal unit? The grains are small enough to pass right through. Michael

Dear Michael: We find most people put too much in the disposal and don’t use enough water. What happens with the coffee grounds, especially with back-to-back drains, is that the coffee grounds tend to pile up in the pipe as it goes through the wall. Over time it will pack the pipe completely. The garbage disposal does not have trouble with the grounds themselves, it is what happens after they leave the disposer. Again, if the coffee grounds are fed slowly into the disposal with plenty of water running, the grounds will disperse and not compact in the drain line. However, it is best not to dump them in the sink in the first place.

Dear Maintenance Men: I have a rental complex that is rented with all utilities paid. What is the best and most economical way to save on the utility costs. Marvin

Dear Marvin: Blown in attic insulation is the best bang for the buck when it comes to cutting down on heating and cooling. It is very quick and easy and economical. Blown in insulation is easy enough for a DIY, yet cheap enough to have a professional do the work. We also recommend replacing all of the incandescent light bulbs with LED light bulbs. This is as easy as unscrewing one energy hog bulb and replacing it with another ultra-efficient bulb. The LED bulbs offer far more light at a fraction of the cost. If you replace both the exterior house lights and the interior lights, you should see a substantial reduction in your utility bill. LED bulbs and light fixtures have a very long service life and will save money in the long run. You may want to check with your city or utility supplier; they often have low cost energy saving programs, or rebates.

Dear Maintenance Men: I am planning to install a new sprinkler system in the lawn area of my apartment building. How do I estimate the

Dear John: First, get an accurate measurement of the area you want to install the sprinkler system. Transfer the measurements to graph paper. Decide on a scale such as one square of the graph paper equals one foot or maybe if you have a large area, one square equals five or ten feet. Draw the dimensions of the area you are planning to irrigate. Next decide what type of sprinkler head you will be using such as impact sprinkler (Rainbird type), brass heads or pop up, or rotary heads. The manufacturer will list the water spray radius. If you want the diameter the head will cover, multiply by two. But, knowing the radius should be enough for this purpose. The spray coverage should overlap each head between 80 and 100 percent. What this means is; if the sprinkler head has a spray radius of 10 feet. Each sprinkler head should be spaced 10 feet apart. That is called head to head spacing. If you deviate greater than 80 percent, you may get dry spots at the times you need the water the most; such as during summer heat and windy conditions. Stated another way, sprinkler “A” should wet sprinkler “B” and so on. On the graph paper grid the circles should intersect and touch each sprinkler head. Don’t forget the more sprinkler heads you have the more you will need to pay attention to both gallons per minute (GPM) and water pressure supplying your sprinkler system. The sprinkler manufacture should have a chart showing how many sprinkler heads can be controlled by one valve depending the GPM at a certain water pressure. Recommended reading: http://www.irrigationtutorials.com

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Bio: If you need maintenance work or consultation for your building or project, please feel free to contact us. We are available throughout Southern California. For an appointment please call Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. at 714 956-8371 Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and coowner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 30 years. Frankie is President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and a lecturer, educational instructor and Chair of the Education Committee of the AAOC. He is also Chairman of the Product Service Counsel. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com Jerry L’Ecuyer is a real estate broker. He is currently a Director Emeritus and Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and past Chairman of the association’s Education Committee. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.