Sometimes what seems like a communication problem with new immigrant tenants can turn out to be a real plumbing problem with wider implications. As this story from Glenn Morris shows…
I thought a strange story about a plumbing problem might be a light relief from bad tenant stories. I have some lovely refugees in a house. Good people who keep the place clean and tidy. This lot comes with a nice support person who one can have a good natter to.
Well the support person rings and informs me of a leaking header tank. I carry spare ball cocks in my truck all the time and in no time flat have it changed. About a month goes by and I get a repeat call. When I arrived the overflow pipe was not leaking and the tray under the tank was bone dry.
I wonder if we have a language or culture problem here. Who knows, perhaps the first unit was faulty so I change it again this time using a different, more expensive model. I tackle the support person and he also has his doubts.
Then would you believe it, next week another call comes in. I am getting desperate. Most people at this stage would admit defeat and call a plumber but after expending so much time on the mystery, I was not about to turn back. I crawled up into the ceiling again (just as well I am the right size for this sort of work) and had a good look at things. I have seen them stick sometimes if installed on a funny angle but no, all was well.
Then I noticed the water in the header tank was hot. Funny I think. Trying to talk to the tenants in English is a “mission impossible” so I look here and there.
No, it does not have a tempering valve to go faulty. No, the hot tap is turned off permanently on the washing machine. Then I get a divine inspiration. It has a mixer lever tap over the kitchen sink with a filter on the nozzle. I unscrewed the nozzel and the little filter was blocked. Every time the tenants used the tap (in their culture they wash dishes under running water) the cold supply was flowing back up the hot pipe and hot water was being pushed back via the hot water cylinder and into the header tank which overflowed occasionally.
Now I wonder how many people are wasting precious hot water or electricity with blocked filters on those new fancy taps. I suggest you have a look at yours. Leaving the filter off does not seem to be a problem.
Glenn Morris is the owner of Nelson property management company, “Glenn’s Vacancies”, managing residential and commercial investments. He is the current secretary of the Nelson Property Investors Association. He was active in the review of the RTA and is a well-known figure in the property investment community. He has a reputation for effectively managing difficult tenancies.”
