Insights
Our blog on how community owners and operators can protect value and resident health with pipe replacement.
Is Your Property’s Reputation Being Flushed Down the Drain?
In the age of ‘everything online, all the time’, bad news spreads quickly; and residents are leveraging various online channels (Condo.com, ApartmentRatings.com, BBB, Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook, and others) to communicate their displeasure and frustration with property issues – particularly when it comes to plumbing.
Reflections from Apartmentalize 2018
As the lone representative in the industry to attend the National Apartment Association’s (NAA) Apartmentalize conference in San Diego this month, we’re excited to share the top three insights we gathered from networking with property managers and owners on the tradeshow floor. 1. The problems with epoxy are real....
Prevent Maintenance Malaise
We all know the typical role of a multi-family residential maintenance manager: Handle calls for repairs from residents Perform maintenance on everything from appliances and electrical to plumbing and HVAC systems Perform repairs required to make apartments ready for occupancy between rentals (drywall/paint, carpentry, tile, flooring, etc.) Manage service...
What’s that Awful Smell?
Sometimes, you just need to follow your nose. When sewer odors creep up from your drains or out through your walls, chances are, you have a significant plumbing problem. This was just the case at a Washington D.C. Area apartment complex. Built in the early 1960’s, this 8-story complex...
Four Reasons Why Repiping is the Proven Solution for Aging Properties
The art of the modern multi-family repipe (the installation of new pipe to replace old or defective piping) has been around for over 30 years. As buildings begin to show their age, little thought is paid to the reality that aging is more than skin deep. Lurking behind the...
The Epoxy Paradox: Problems with Epoxy Pipe Lining
When apartment and condominium communities experience systemic pipe problems that require more than just a repair, they will find there are two options currently being marketed as a solution: pipe replacement (installation of new piping to replace old or defective piping) and epoxy lining (coating the pipes from the...
Case Study: The Financial Benefits of Pipe Replacement
The owner of a 216-unit apartment community in Abeline, Texas analyzed the economic impact of a SageWater piping replacement project. The community had been suffering from frequent leaks in the interior water piping. The maintenance staff was stretched thin repairing leaks and water damage, while on-site managers were busy...
Case Study: The Financial Benefits of Boiler Conversions
Northwest Park, an 876-unit apartment community in the Mid-Atlantic region, was suffering from severe leaks in the potable water piping system. The owner had concluded that the system required replacement and was searching for the most cost-effective solution. SageWater was asked to offer suggestions on how best to proceed....
The Double Threat of Polybutylene
The longer polybutylene is in use, the greater the risk of serious complications and catastrophic failure. Between 1978 and 1995, this gray plastic resin (also known as “poly” or “poly-b” for short) was used in the manufacture of pipes and fittings that were installed in close to 10 million...
Six Signs You Have Potential Pipe Problems
You know the saying “out of sight, out of mind”? Unfortunately, it often rings true for many properties when it comes to their plumbing systems. Since most of your piping is hidden behind walls, it’s all too easy to disregard the warning signs and symptoms of an impending problem...