Before You Call: Quick Fixes for Common Problems

DISHWASHER

Run your garbage disposal.

The drain hose from your dishwasher empties into the garbage disposal drain. If the disposal unit contains unground food, or if food sludge settles in the drainpipe below the disposal, it can prevent the dishwasher from draining properly. Sometimes, just running the disposal is all it takes to get the dishwasher draining again.

In fact, get in the habit of leaving the water on and letting your garbage disposal run an additional 15 seconds after the food is gone. This clears all remaining food that might otherwise remain in the P-trap drain beneath the disposal.

Clean your sink’s air gap.

When a dishwasher hose connects to a sink without a garbage disposal, an air gap—a small, slotted cylinder (often made of stainless steel)—is installed on the top of the sink, right by the faucet. A small hose from the air gap connects to the dishwasher’s drain hose. This acts as a vent to prevent an air lock from forming in the drain hose, but occasionally, the air gap can become clogged with debris. To investigate, twist the air gap counterclockwise to remove it, and check it for gunk. Clean the air gap with water and a stiff brush, replace it, and run the dishwasher cycle again.

Remove standing water.

If running the disposal doesn’t help (or if you don’t have one), it’s time to drain the water to allow a closer look at possible culprits. Place absorbent towels around the base of the dishwasher and then remove the bottom dish tray by simply sliding it out. With the tray out of the way, use a plastic cup to scoop the dirty water into a bucket for disposal. When the water level is too low to scoop, use towels to sop up the last bit in the bottom of the machine.

Suds leaking out from door / Clear up detergent mishaps.

Dishwashers are designed for use with automatic dishwasher detergents that clean without producing suds. In the course of a hectic day, it’s easy to accidentally squirt regular dishwashing liquid into the unit, which can easily create enough suds to prevent proper draining. The same problem can occur if you run out of automatic dishwasher detergent and substitute laundry detergent in a pinch. Guilty as charged? Simply bail out the tub as described above, and run the cycle again, this time using the correct detergent.

De-gunk the drain basket.

The drain basket is found at the bottom of your dishwasher’s interior. Its cover often resembles an upside-down basket, which either snaps off or is held in place by one or two screws. (If the bottom of your machine doesn’t look like this, consult your owner’s manual—which you can often download from the manufacturer’s website). Remove the cover, and check for food buildup in the basket beneath. Use your hand or a spoon to remove any debris, replace the cover, and run the dishwashing cycle again.

Note: If you find a lot of food debris in the drain basket, prevent future clogs by pre-rinsing your dishes. Most dishwashers manufactured today feature macerators that grind bits of soft wet food, but they don’t have nearly the power of a garbage disposal. So even if your machine says you needn’t pre-rinse the dishes, do so anyway to avoid repeatedly cleaning the drain basket.

ELECTRICIAL

Reset a tripped circuit breaker.

A circuit breaker is a safety device in your electrical panel that automatically shuts off power when it detects an overload, short circuit, or ground fault.

• Locate the Electrical Panel
• Find the main electrical panel (breaker box).
• Open the panel door.
• Look for a breaker that is: In the middle position, or Clearly marked as OFF while others are ON. It helps to wiggle the breaker and feel for a lack of tension or 'soft' breaker.
  
• Reset the Breaker
• Move the breaker fully to the OFF position.
• Wait 5-10 seconds.
• Move the breaker firmly back to the ON position.

Reset a GFCI Outlet.

A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlet protects people from electric shock. It is commonly installed in: Bathrooms, Kitchens, Garages, Laundry rooms, Basements, and Outdoor locations. A GFCI outlet has two buttons: RESET (usually red or black) and TEST.

• Locate the Tripped GFCI. Check nearby areas because one GFCI often protects several outlets.
• Reset the GFCI by pressing the RESET button firmly. Listen for a click.
• Verify power has been restored.

GARAGE DOOR

Check the Sensors.

If your garage door won’t close all the way, it’s probably an issue with your sensors. Garage door openers have safety lasers mounted near the floor by the tracks. These sensors detect when small children, pets, or obstructions block the garage door’s path,

helping to keep everyone safe.

The lenses on these sensors can get dirty, causing them to send a false signal to the opener’s control board. Often, wiping them clean with a soft cloth will take care of the issue.

If the sensors themselves are blinking, they might need aligning, as they need to “see” each other clearly. Simply loosen one of the sensors, adjust it until the small light stays steady, and tighten in place.

Check the Tracks and Rollers.

If your sensors are functional but the garage door still won’t close past a certain point, check the tracks to ensure there aren’t any obstructions blocking progress.

A bent track or damaged roller can have the same effect. Inspect both tracks to ensure there aren’t any signs of damage. If you find a damaged section, you can often bend it back to position with clamps or carefully placed hammer strikes.

Be sure to check the overhead track coming from the garage door opener as well. This is a good time to check the rollers and grease them with white lithium or silicone based grease. Several stuck rollers can trick a garage door opening into thinking the door is hitting something.

Check the Trolley.

The mechanism that connects the garage door to the opener is called the trolley. You can identify this part as it usually has a rope hanging from it. The rope engages and disengages the door from the chain-driven by the garage door opener.

If your garage door is moving freely by hand, the trolley might be in bypass mode. Pull the rope toward the door to take the trolley latch out of bypass mode. Once you activate the garage door opener, the trolley will latch back onto the chain and work properly.

Check Your Remote.

If your garage door won’t close with the remote, the batteries are likely dead. But there is a chance that a power surge could’ve wiped your garage door opener’s memory clean. If you replace the batteries and the remote still doesn’t work, you might need to

reprogram your remote.

From a ladder, open the rear flap or remove the light cover on your garage door opener. You’ll see a large “learn” button. Simply press that button until a light flashes. Once the light flashes, press a button on your remote. Your remote should now work.

Adjust the Limit Screws.

If your garage door won’t close all the way but will stop without retracting, you might need to adjust the limit screws. These screws have contacts that tell the garage door opener how far to open or close and adjusting them is easy.

From a ladder, open the rear flap or remove the light cover on your garage door opener. You’ll see two plastic adjustment screws labeled “up” and “down.” Using a flat screwdriver, twist the “down” screw in quarter-turn increments, checking how your garage door operates between adjustments. Adjust it until the door closes all the way and compresses the rubber seal slightly. If the door closes and bounces back open, back the “down” adjustment off.

Manually Open / Close Your Garage Door.

If you’re unable to fix the door by yourself, notify our office so we can send a technician.

While you wait, secure your garage by tugging down on the bypass rope. You should be able to open and close your door with the trolley disengaged.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL

Press the reset button.

You will find this small, red button on the bottom of the garbage disposal unit. Press the button back in if it appears to stick out.

Turn on the faucet. Run the water down the drain, into the garbage disposal, for about sixty seconds.

Turn on the garbage disposal. If the blades are not spinning, then you should move onto another method. If the motor is humming, then it’s clear that the problem is indeed a blockage.

Rotate the blades with a 1/4-inch Allen wrench.

Unplug the garbage disposal. Find a properly sized Allen wrench. The garbage disposal unit should have come with an Allen wrench. However, if you can’t find it, you will likely find success with a 1/4-inch Allen wrench from your toolbox.

Insert the Allen wrench into the hexagonal-shaped hole under the unit. Look under the garbage disposal unit to find the hole, located in the center.

Insert the Allen wrench. Turn the motor shaft by cranking the wrench. You should crank the wrench in both directions in order to loosen the blades. Turn counterclockwise until the motor shaft

can’t turn any more, then switch to clockwise. The goal is to free up the clog so crank the Allen wrench back and forth until it can twist freely in a full circle. When you are done, remove the wrench.

Turn on the faucet. Run the water down the drain, into the garbage disposal, to free up any blockages within the blades.

Turn on the garbage disposal. The blades should spin freely again.

Remove the blockage.

Unplug the garbage disposal. Shine a flashlight down the sink drain to hunt for blockages. It’s time to do some searching. Using a flashlight, peer into the sink drain and examine the garbage

disposals blades. Obstructions are common on the perimeter of the unit.

Use pliers (or tongs) to manually remove blockages. Note that this step requires a tool that keeps your hands out of harm’s way. Pliers or tongs will be long enough to reach into the drain and free up the blades from any visible blockages.

You can now plug the unit back in and flip on the switch.

PLUMBING

Know where your shut-off valves are before you need them. Every toilet and sink has a small oval valve on the wall or floor behind or below it; turn it clockwise to stop water to that fixture. To find the main shut-off for your home, see your Property Report.

Clogged toilet.

• If the bowl is close to overflowing, lift the tank lid and push the rubber flapper down to stop the water, or turn off the valve behind the toilet.
• Use a flange plunger (the kind with a rubber sleeve on the bottom). Seat it fully over the drain hole so it seals.
• Push down gently first, then plunge firmly 10 to 15 times without breaking the seal.
• Flush once to test. Repeat if needed.

Running toilet.

• Lift the tank lid. Jiggle the handle or press the flapper down to reseat it.
• Check the chain between the handle and the flapper. It should have a little slack, not tight and not tangled under the flapper.
• If water is spilling into the open overflow tube, the fill level is too high; submit a request.

Slow or clogged sink or tub.

• Remove the stopper and clear hair by hand or with a plastic drain snake (about $3 at any hardware store).
• Run hot tap water for a minute.
• Please do not use chemical drain cleaners like Drano. They damage pipes and are dangerous for the plumber who comes next.

No hot water.

• If more than one fixture has no hot water, check the breaker labeled Water Heater and reset it if tripped.
• For a gas water heater, check that the gas valve is ON and see if the small viewing window shows a flame.
• Check the temperature setting to ensure it is high enough.
  

HEATING & COOLING

No heat or no cooling.

• Check the thermostat. Set it to HEAT (or COOL), and set the temperature at least 3 degrees above (or below) the current room temperature.
• If the screen is blank, replace the batteries (usually AA or AAA; pull the faceplate straight off the wall).
• Check the furnace power switch. It looks like a light switch on or near the furnace and is sometimes mistaken for a hall light. It should be ON.
• Check the breaker labeled Furnace, Heat Pump, or Air Handler.
• Make sure the furnace door is fully closed. Many furnaces won't run if the door is loose.
• Wait 5 to 10 minutes. Many systems have a built-in delay after a reset.

Weak airflow or the system runs constantly.

• Check the air filter. A clogged filter is the most common cause. Filters are usually in a slot at the furnace or behind a return-air grille in a wall or ceiling. Match the size printed on the old filter's edge and point the arrow toward the furnace.
• Make sure vents and return grilles aren't blocked by furniture or rugs.

Heat pump steaming or making a whooshing noise in cold weather.

This is normal. In cold, damp weather the outdoor unit goes into defrost mode for a few minutes to melt ice off its coils, which releases steam. Keep snow and leaves cleared 2 feet around the outdoor unit. If the unit stays encased in ice for more than a few hours, submit a request.

SMOKE DETECTORS & CO ALARMS

Single chirp every 30 to 60 seconds.

This means the battery is low or the alarm has reached end of life.

• Find which alarm is chirping. Stand under each one and wait for the chirp.
• Twist the alarm counterclockwise off its base. Hard-wired alarms have a backup battery; you can unplug the wire connector if needed.
• Replace the battery (usually 9-volt or AA; it's printed inside the battery door).
• Press and hold the TEST button for 15 to 20 seconds to clear the alarm's memory, then reinstall.
• If it still chirps, check the date on the back. Alarms older than 10 years must be replaced; submit a request.

Please never remove or disable an alarm. Washington law requires working smoke alarms, and tenants are responsible for keeping batteries in them. If cooking sets off an alarm, open a window and use the vent fan or the alarm's HUSH button.

APPLIANCES

Washer won't start, drain, or spin.

• Make sure the lid or door is fully closed. Most washers won't spin with the lid open.
• Redistribute the load if it's lopsided. One heavy item (a rug or comforter) can stop the spin.
• Check that the drain hose behind the washer isn't kinked.
• Front loaders: use only HE detergent. Too much soap causes drain and odor problems.

Dryer takes too long or doesn't dry.

• Clean the lint screen before every load.
• Check the outside vent flap. It should open when the dryer runs. Clear lint or bird nests you can reach from outside.
• Make sure the flexible duct behind the dryer isn't crushed.
• Electric dryers need both halves of a double breaker ON. A dryer that tumbles but makes no heat may have one side tripped.

Refrigerator not cold enough.

• Check the temperature setting: 37°F for the fridge, 0°F for the freezer.
• Don't overfill. Keep the vents inside (usually on the back wall) clear of food.
• Check the door seals: close the door on a dollar bill. If it slides out easily, submit a request.
• Vacuum the coils at the bottom front grille or on the back.

Ice maker not making ice.

• Make sure the wire arm or on/off switch is in the ON (down) position.
• New or reset ice makers take 24 hours to make the first batch.
• Break up any ice clumped in the bin.

Oven or stove won't heat.

• Check whether Control Lock, Sabbath mode, or a delay/timed-bake setting is on.
• Electric: check the Range breaker. Gas: make sure the stove is plugged in (the igniter needs power).
• If you smell gas, turn off the burners and call your local natural gas provider.