QUESTION:
I am a newly elected board member to our property’s Strata Council and I believe in preventative maintenance. However, other members and owners are resistant to the idea of paying for maintenance. We will soon have our AGM. What should I suggest in regards to budgeting for maintenance for plumbing, heating and cooling?
ANSWER:
As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Ask a mechanic what he thinks about regular oil changes vs. the cost of rebuilding an engine. The Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Systems in a building are a complicated machine with many components that all work together. They are built to last and to be a minimum of hassle, if maintained. I strongly suggest a full mechanical audit of all your equipment and plumbing and a look into setting up a maintenance program.
PJB Mechanical does full mechanical audits for free and will provide you a full report and suggestions as well as a proposed maintenance contract.
A few things to consider are: Boilers and Hot Water Tanks, Drain Flushing, Parkade Fans, Air Intakes, PRV’s and Perimeter Drainage. Every building is different and should be assessed individually. A nice thing about maintenance programs for stratas is that it can be budgeted for and scheduled. Emergencies cannot. You are much better off budgeting for a couple thousand dollars a year to increase the lifespan of your tens of thousands of dollars in equipment. You will protect the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in your building. A year’s worth of maintenance costs can easily be surpassed by one unnecessary emergency call.
If you would like some help explaining this to your Strata Council, give us a call. We can help.