Maintenance

Drilling

The walls and horizontal slabs contain water pipes, sewer pipes, gas lines, ventilation ducts, electrical wiring, rebar and tensioning cables. Drilling into some of these can be life threatening and/or cause extensive damage. In particular, damaging a reinforcement component or a gas line can cause catastrophic damage and can kill you.

All in-suite alterations, including seemingly small projects like microwave oven replacement or mounting a TV, must be approved by the strata council. Contact the property manager for further information.

Humidity Management

Quantum is a newer building with tightly sealed suites designed to conserve energy. If a suite lacks proper mechanical and natural ventilation, excess water vapour accumulates, causing wet insulation, peeling paint, and mold. Ideal humidity levels should hover around 45%. Anything over 50% is too high.

Every suite has a timer-controlled anti-humidity fan located in one of the washrooms. The fan runs on a 6-hour cycle unless the switch is set to ‘permanently on.’ The timer may be located in a closet elsewhere in the suite.

Additional humidity management steps:

• Use exhaust fans while cooking and bathing or open a window for fresh drier air
• Reduce water introduced into the home by cooking with covered pots and taking cooler, shorter showers
• Do not seal the bottom of your suite door with weather-stripping, as this contributes to heavy condensation and interferes with the building fire control system
• After drying clothes, run the dryer for an additional 15 minutes to clear the air duct of moisture

Dryer Ducts

The Quantum Strata Corporation provides annual dryer duct cleaning free of charge. It is critically important that this maintenance be performed to prevent duct fires. If you miss the cleaning, you must arrange for duct cleaning yourself.

When operating your clothes dryer, always ensure the extraction fan is turned on. If your washer/dryer unit was installed properly, you should be able to leave the switch in the ON position at all times, with the fan activating automatically when the dryer starts.

If the fan does not operate when the dryer turns on, consult a qualified electrician.

Water Damage Prevention

The most common cause of insurance payouts in Condominium buildings is water damage.

Water damage prevention checklist

• Install leak detection sensors in washrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Our preferred vendor is Yolink
• Contact a professional when plumbing needs repair or replacement
• Avoid distractions to prevent water overflows
• Make sure washing machine is shut off when not in use and verify the discharge hose is fastened firmly
• Replace washing machine rubber hoses with steel braided hoses
• Do not turn on dishwasher and leave your unit while it runs
• Never dispose of waste such as kitty litter or grease in toilets
• Drop food colouring into the toilet tank to check for leaks — if colouring appears in the bowl, there’s a leak
• Ensure the toilet is not running when you leave home
• Shut off main water supply valves when vacationing (located in laundry room / pantry)
• Leave your key with the caretaker or ask a trusted neighbour to check your home every few days when away

In the event of a water leak

• When a leak or burst pipe occurs, quick response is essential. Call the emergency phone number immediately, even in the middle of the night, and have a professional contractor come in immediately
• Fast and proper water removal minimizes losses and prevents mold
• Do not touch electrical wires, appliances or devices
• Flood barriers are located in the stairwells. Use the barriers to direct water over the balconies or into the hallway stairwells. Do all you can to keep water from entering the elevator shaft

Garburator

Do not put fibrous or starchy items in the disposal, as these cause drain blockages and/or jam the motor. Do not put in:

• Banana peels
• Stringy vegetables
• Celery
• Potato peelings
• Corn husks
• Onion skins
• Egg shells
• Rice (cooked or uncooked)
• Flour
• Cornmeal
• Bread
• Pasta

Do not put anything hard in the garburator as this dulls the shredder. This includes:

• Large or heavy bones
• Shells from shrimps, crabs, and other shellfish
• Unpopped popcorn kernels

Additional garburator guidelines:

• Cut large items into smaller pieces
• Always have cold water running while the garburator is on
• Always run the garburator for at least 30 seconds

Oil and Grease Disposal

Do not pour grease or cooking oil down drains or toilets. These substances transform into a soap-like compound that accumulates in drain pipes and causes blockages.

• Store large amounts of leftover grease in a container and take it to the recycling depot
• Wipe greasy pans or dishes with a paper towel before washing

Smoke Alarms

Maintenance

While the Strata Council arranges for bulk replacement of smoke alarms at the end of their service life, it is ultimately the responsibility of owners to ensure alarms are tested frequently (at least once per month) and replaced if faulty. The Strata Council arranges for annual smoke alarm inspection. If you miss the inspection, it is critically important that you arrange for an inspection yourself. Contact the caretaker for details.

Nuisance alarms

The new smoke alarms recently installed are much less sensitive to cooking odors than previous alarms. If an alarm goes off without smoke presence, contact the property manager to arrange replacement.

If the alarm goes off because of cooking smoke:

• Turn off stove or appliance that is the smoke source
• Open all suite windows
• Turn on all exhaust fans
• Fan air in the direction of your smoke alarm

Sprinkler Heads