[Point Brittany Building 3]
Closing Your Unit for the Summer
If you leave your condo for an extended period, take action before you depart to reduce
the risk of damage from water, mold and other hazards.
Our neighbor Sue Tuccillo prepared a
"checklist for closing condo"
with a list of recommended steps to take when
you leave your condo for an extended period of time. She also authored a convenient
"notice of absence" form to notify the office of the dates of your absence
and to provide your contact information.
Here is a poster that was furnished by USI Insurance Services LLC with helpful tips
for preparing your condo to be unoccupied:
Water damage
Water from your air conditioner, from your plumbing, or from the outside can
damage your condo and the condos below you.
Air conditioner
When your air conditioner cools the air, it also condenses water out of the air which
drips down into a pan at the bottom
of the air handler (which is located in the closet near your front door). Normally, the water flows out of the pan and
into a drain pipe. Unfortunately, mold grows in the wet environment of the drain pipe and
clogs it. When the pipe is clogged, the water overflows onto the floor and will damage your
walls and flooring. It also will run down into the units below.
There is a float switch in the drain line that is designed to shut off the air conditioner
if the drain line is clogged. However, there have been repeated incidents at Building 3
where the switch
failed, the drain pipe became clogged and water overflowed onto the floor and into the
condo below.
Periodic maintenance of the drain line is required. Our neighbors Glenn Ball and
Richard Warshof wrote instructions
on how to pour white vinegar or Nu Line into the drain pipe
to retard the growth of mold and also to recommend
water leak detectors to alert you if there is water on the floor.
Plumbing
Turn off the water supply valves to your toilets, sinks, and ice maker to prevent a fault
in the plumbing from causing extensive damage. Also, turn off the circuit breaker (or switch,
if you have one) that supplies electricity to your water heater and turn off the water supply
valve in the pipe above the water heater.
Windows
Close and lock your windows. If you have double-hung windows, check the top of the
upper half of each window to make sure it is fully closed.
Mold damage
Set your thermostat to 78 or 79 degrees while you're away. Running the air conditioner
will remove humidity from the air. To keep mold from growing in your condo, the
relative
humidity (RH) should be kept below 60 percent -- ideally between
30 percent and 50 percent.
Page author: John Neuhaus;
Last modified:
