Columbia Village requires that all maintenance requests be made in writing. Management has a form specifically for this purpose. This helps prevent misunderstandings about the nature of the problems and gives maintenance personnel legal permission to enter an apartment home to make the necessary repairs. Management keeps every request and log of repairs on file permanently. Residents' maintenance needs are of primary importance to our staff and will be taken care of promptly and professionally. Below we have listed some common maintenance problems and some quick tips of how to remedy them. As always, feel free to come fill out a maintenance request form and our maintenance personnel will gladly take care of the problems.

Tips:

• Automatic Dishwasher: Regular dishwashing liquid doesn't work in automatic dishwashers! Automatic dishwashers require a low suds detergent that is clearly labeled 'automatic dishwasher detergent.'
• Disposal: *Keep hands and fingers out of disposal at all times. Turn cold water on all the way when putting food waste in the disposal. Put items in slowly and make sure the disposal clears before putting more in. Some common items that clog the drains are spaghetti, pasta, rice and potato peels. Artichoke leaves shouldn't be put into the disposal. Fish tanks shouldn't be cleaned in the kitchen sink because the rocks will freeze the disposal motor. Nothing with pits should be put into the disposal, like cherries, avocados, some grapes, etc. If your disposal motor freezes and the motor doesn't buzz, there is a small, red button underneath on the disposal bottom that you would press to reset. If that doesn't make the disposal run, contact management to repair. To freshen the disposal, run citrus peels through it. To sharpen the disposal blades, throw a few ice cubes into it.
• Smoke Alarms: Smoke alarms are electric with a 9 Volt battery backup. Smoke alarm should be tested every six months. When the battery charge is low, the smoke alarm will chirp once every 2 minutes. That let's you know it's time to change the battery. Turn the smoke alarm slightly counter-clockwise to remove from ceiling. Unplug the electric connector and pry up the battery lid with a small screwdriver, butter knife or your thumbnail. Put a new 9 Volt battery in, close the lid, re-attach the electric plug and reinstall it up on the ceiling with a slightly clockwise turn. Contact management should you have any problems doing this. We would be happy to take care of it for you.
• Range: Some residents have pulled the oven door off when cleaning it and can't put it back on. Lay the oven door on the carpet with the hinges facing up. Pry open one of the spring-loaded hinges and insert a small screw or nail into the hole that will hold the hinge open. Repeat for other hinge. Lift door into place on the oven so that the hinges slide into slots. Then open the door all the way and remove the screws or nails.
• Bathtub Drain: When your drain is running slowly because of a buildup of hair, it needs to be cleaned out. Hold the base of the drain plug and unscrew the top cap and remove it. Then unscrew the main drain plug shaft with a flat screwdriver. Once the plug is out, a pair of needle-nose pliers is necessary to grab the hair clog and pull it out. It's usually necessary to get the needle-nose pliers way down into the space between the drain grid to grab the hair clog.
• Toilet: First of all, you have to have the right kind of plunger. The cup kind is a sink plunger. It is not effective at plunging a toilet. Make sure you get a plunger that is made for a toilet. If the clogged toilet water does not fill the toilet bowl all the way, carefully slightly depress the toilet handle until the water is fairly high in the bowl. Put the plunger into the water and tilt the handle all the way towards the front of the bowl to fill the plunger cone with water. You fill the plunger cone with water because when you plunge, water has a much greater force than just air. Push the plunger down into the toilet drain and slowly plunge down and up several times. Lift the plunger and see if the water goes down. If not, repeat.
• GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter): There are 2 GFCIs in an apartment. One protects the kitchen outlets, another protects the bathroom outlet. If you find you have no power to outlets above the sink area in either the kitchen or the bathroom, the GFCI is probably tripped. In the kitchen, the GFCI plug is right next to the refrigerator. The red button on the GFCI will reset it if it is tripped.
• Tripped Breaker in panel: To reset a breaker in the breaker panel box located in the hall, it must be turned all the way off and then turned on again.
• Countertops: Occasionally the laminate countertops or the stainless steel sink will get discolored. Use Softscrub or Liquid Comet and a nylon scratch pad to clean them up. These products contain a light abrasive and bleach, it works wonders.They also do a great job on the white cabinet doors. Don't drip any of it on the carpet, the bleach will discolor the carpet.
• Fluorescent Kitchen Lights: When the kitchen light won't come on every time the switch is flipped, the self-starting tube bulbs need replaced.
• Heater Grills: Every year before it gets cold enough to use the heaters they need to be cleaned out. Remove the grill cover and use a vacuum hose to suck any dust and debris out. To put the grill back on, it's easiest to start the bottom screw in, then put the top one in and tighten both all the way up.
• Carpet Maintenance: If you wish to have your carpet cleaned, we would recommend using one of our approved vendors. Clint's Mr. Color, 503-363-2142, does carpet cleaning, and specializes in spot recoloring and carpet repair. Abbey Carpet Care, 503-585-3386, also does carpet cleaning. Both of these companies provide exceptional service at a great price.