Residential leaks are anything in the unit that leaks – refrigerators, sinks, toilets, etc.  These are often not caught until other units have reported damage.  Leaks in residential units are the unit owner’s responsibility, and even with insurance, the deductibles can be high.  Total costs of multi-unit damage run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars – all of which drives up our association’s insurance rates.

Leak Sources

• Refrigerators
  • Several of the Sub-Zero refrigerators have had leaks recently which caused damage to multiple units.  Repair folks have commented that these model-years were prone to such problems.
  • The problem part seems to be a valve which is mounted in the wall of the unit.  The part can be replaced, but Sub-Zero requires a certified technician to do the removal/installation (~$350).
  • Refrigerators do not (generally) have their own shutoff – you must turn off the water to the entire unit to stop a refrigerator leak.
    • Oddly, several units do have shutoffs for the refrigerator – if so, it’s under the kitchen sink, and split off of the dishwasher line.  For the extra $10 or so in parts, this is how every unit should have been plumbed.  If you’re getting any kitchen plumbing work done, you might consider doing this.  It can save you a lot of hassle later on.
• Washing Machines
  • Washing machines have their own manual shutoffs, so if they leak you can turn off their water without losing water to your whole unit
• Dishwashers
  • So far, dishwashers have not been a problem.
• Sinks
  • Overflows
    • Folks sometimes start to fill their sink, and then get sidetracked and forget they have the water running.
  • Backups
    • Several units have had their kitchen sink back up from a sewer line clog, and at least one unit has replaced their hardwood floors due to this.  Since there was no damage to other units, the association was not aware of this.  Other overflows have happened, but did not affect other units.
    • In this case, shutting off the water does nothing, as it’s not coming from your unit.  However, placing a sensor in the sink if you’re going to be away is a good idea, as you can call the concierge and get someone to check it out before damage occurs.
    • The COA is investigating several ways of cleaning the buildings sewer lines to prevent sink backups.
• Toilets
  • Overflows – this has happened at least once that we know of.  Multiple units were affected by 40 minutes of running water leaking into the building.
  • Wax ring failures – Instead of “clean” water, toilet effluent leaks – this is as gross as it sounds.

Water leak issues summary