Furnace Inspections and Outdoor Taps Shut-off Reminder

Submitted by Mollie Mithaug-Cook on behalf of the Buildings Committee

Dear Members,

We realize it's past due time for our regular furnace inspections. We have beenn unable to get a response on availability from Fagnans and have now reached out to ARPI's instead.

The furnace inspections will likely be pushed into the spring, since this is the busiest time of year and we have 66 units to inspect. However, if you have any immediate concerns with your furnace please let us know and we will have someone in to look at it right away.

Fall Reminders:

Fagnans has previously advised us to use the light duty furnace filters. Our older furnaces do not pack a lot of power for the thick hepa filters. So unfortunately these good quality filters only cause the blower to work harder and let less airflow through. It is recommended to change your filter every 1-3 months.

Homedepot has a 3 pack for $6 bucks, this can also come out of your unit fund:

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hdg-16-inch-x-25-inch-x-1-inch-fibreglass-furnace-air-filter-3-pack-/1000417261?rrec=true

Also, please remember to turn off your outdoor taps. If you haven't done this before or can't remember where your shut-off is, please reach out to Buildings and we will be happy to help.

1. Remove hose and any splitter off your outdoor faucets

2. Locate water shut-off valve(s) on ground level. Often they are located near the outdoor spigot on the interior wall, or sometimes they are placed near the water main. It typically looks like this:

3. Close the water shut off valve until it cannot turn any further.

4. Go back to the faucet outside and open it to let out any remaining water. Leave it open for a minute to be sure it's empty.

5. Now that the water between the shut off valve and the faucet is drained, you can go ahead and close the faucet and you're done!

This is supposedly going to be a cold winter so please ensure this is done ASAP.

Thank you for your patience, and see you at the AGM this Saturday!

Keeping Our Homes Well-ventilated During the Winter

Submitted by Heidi Mithaug-Cook on behalf of Buildings

Hi Sunnyhill!

In the cold winter months we want to keep the ventilation of our homes clean and operating smoothly. Here are a couple of important reminders:

Make sure you are changing out your furnace filter. This should be done every 3 months. This keeps your furnace in good working condition and eases stress on the motor.

Don't forget to empty the lint collector in your dryer before every use! This ensures lint build up in your dryer and dryer vent is kept to a minimum, reducing hazard and a cleaner exhaust.

Buildings Committee Update

Submitted by Heidi Mithaug-Cook on behalf of Buildings Committee

Hi Everyone,

A brief note from buildings this month.

Due to current COVID19 restrictions, only emergency-maintenance will be done in the units until further notice.

Andrea will be on holiday December 21st - December 28th.

Should you have any urgent concerns arise during that time, please refer to the emergency contacts:

i. Aurica Bondoc 403-401-4437

ii. Sabine Schlichting 403-862-7533

The buildings committee will reconvene in January.

Take care Sunnyhill.

-Your Buildings Committee

Buildings Committee Update

Submitted by Heidi Mithaug-Cook on behalf of Buildings Committee

Hello Sunnyhill!

A few updates of our current activities on the buildings committee:

The one-bedroom units have been inspected for mould, the results showing a few units with potential mould which will be tested and treated accordingly. In regards to the one-bedroom dryer vent installations, we are waiting for possible dates.

Please ensure you turn off your outdoor water faucet from inside the unit. Righty-tighty, Lefty-Loosey. To do this you open the outside faucet, then turn off the inside faucet, and then turn off the outside faucet. This allows all the water that is inside the line to drain and therefore not freeze in the lines.

Happy Halloween from Buildings!

Buildings Committee News

Submitted by Jacky Durrie-Building Committee chair.

Happy spring everyone! After a long cold winter and a late spring it is so great to see gardens growing and watching leaves on deciduous plants grow-I am looking forward to blossoming trees and shrubs. 

After volunteering at the Co-op and other organizations for the past 20 years it is time for me to take a break and I am stepping away from my commitments. The members of the Building Committee (including our office manager) have been a pleasure to work with and they will do a great job for the co-op. 

The Building Committee is looking for new members-anyone who thinks they might be interested in joining the Committee please contact Andrea or another member of the Building Committee. Our office manager is a member of the Building Committee and attends every meeting. The office manager’s role on the committee is to attend meetings, produce the minutes of the meeting, create the agenda, fully participates in the meeting as a non-voting member of the committee. The committee usually meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6pm either virtually or in the office. Everyone on the committee would be happy to answer questions.

The eavestroughs and downspouts and have now been cleaned and a few minor repairs were completed. If anyone sees something that may have been overlooked please contact the office.

Requests for maintenance and repairs continue to be limited to emergencies only due to Covid-19 physical distancing requirements. As a reminder, emergencies are defined as any condition that makes a member’s home unsafe or dangerous-such as a clogged toilet, uncontrolled plumbing leak, broken exterior door locks etc.

Have a great summer everyone!

Water shut off photo contest

Dear members,

The Buildings Committee asks that members do a little bit of homework and know where the water shut off is in their unit. When a leaking pipe in your unit occurs often the best way to prevent further water problems is to shut off the water supply in your unit until the leak can be repaired. To encourage members, the Buildings Committee would like to invite households to send a photo of their water main shut off (similar to the photo shown here) to the office. For every photo submitted members will be eligible for a $5.00 Time Horton’s gift card. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2020.

Sincerely,

Jacky Durrie

for the Buildings Committee

CHF Canada e-news

Submitted by Jacky Durrie

Buildings Committee Information on home maintenance

Submitted by Jacky Durrie

Do you know where your main water shut off is? Every unit has one and it is important for you, other residents and house sitters to know where it is. Almost without exception you will find something like this inside the utility area of the basement. It will be close to the breaker panel, and washer/dryer hook ups. If you can’t find it, it may be behind some boxes or appliances. Make sure the water shut off is accessible in an emergency and that members of your household know where it is.

How to clean hair from your bathtub drain. This is handy to know about if your bathtub drain is a little slow. This is one quick fix that anybody can do and it saves the co-op the cost of having a plumber come to do this.

1) Gather your supplies, Lots of paper towel, a slot screw driver and needle nose pliers. Do not use tweezers for this job because if you drop them into the drain you’ll have to call the plumber.

2) Turn the knob counter clockwise until it comes off.

3) Use a slot screwdriver and turn counter clockwise to remove the stopper.
4) Your project should now look like this.

5) Use the pliers to grab the clog and repeat as often as needed to clear the drain.

6) Dispose of the fruits of your labour and repeat steps 2 and 3 in reverse order to re-assemble the bathtub stopper.

REMINDERS FROM THE BUILDINGS COMMITTEE

Submitted by Andrea Bergen

Please ensure that if you are having any electrical or plumbing work done in your unit that it must be done by a certified Electrician/Plumber.

Portable Space Heaters – Please ensure that if you are using these space heaters that you keep them away from any furniture, clothing, and bedding; and never leave them unattended.

Buildings Committee Update

Submitted  by Andrea Bergen

The Buildings Committee would like to welcome Nathan Erickson of #12 Sunnyhill Lane to the Committee, we are very glad to have him.

The Committee continues to meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Always looking for new Members to join the Committee.

The Buildings Committee has purchased 6 space heaters for use if Members have furnace issues that cannot be rectified immediately. These heaters are located in the garage. The Emergency Buildings Committee Member have a key to the garage and their contact information can be found on the phone list. Please also remember to never leave space heaters unattended.

Notes from the Building Committee

Submitted by Andrea Bergen

The Buildings Committee is aware that some of the eavestroughs have been failing lately however due to the weather there is not much that can be done until it warms up. There has been extra money added to the 2018 budget request to make the required repairs.

As a note: There are several containers around the co-op that contain gravel in them and can be used on the ice so that it’s not so slippery and dangerous.

The Buildings Committee is always looking for new Members to join us. If you are interested in attending a meeting to see if this Committee is the right one for you the next meeting is on February 21st at 6:00pm in the Sunnyhill office.

BUILDINGS COMMITTEE UPDATE

Submitted by Andrea Bergen for the Buildings Committee

October has once again been a busy month for the office and the Buildings Committee. Some of the highlights are:

• Motion sensor installation will start within the next few weeks.

• Outside faucets – now is the time to drain them:

I would like to remind everyone that it’s that time of year again where you need to make sure you shut off the water to your outside tap so it doesn’t freeze and cause damage to your unit.

The procedure to do this is:  leave the outside tap opened and then shut off the tap from the inside in order to drain the remaining water. Once all the water has stopped then close the outside faucet.

• Drafty windows have become an issue due to the cold weather approaching. The Building Committee suggests that Members can purchase window shrink film in order to keep the draft out. These can be purchased anywhere such as http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/bulk-window-shrink-film-0642605p.html.

Furnace troubleshooting tips: If you notice that you are having issues with your furnace please check the following troubleshooting tips before contacting the office or emergency buildings committee person:

• If your thermostat requires batteries, have they been changed recently?
• Is the switch that is located in the furnace room in the on position?
• Make sure your thermostat is switched to “heat”.

Buildings Committee Update

Submitted by Andrea Bergen on behalf of the Buildings Committee

The Buildings Committee continues to meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, in the Sunnyhill office.

August has been a busy month for the Buildings Committee. Some of the highlights are:

• Kieran Ward is no longer working for Sunnyhill. The new Handyman is Dale Platten. Dale comes to us with a vast knowledge of all things handyman and plumbing.

  • Pete the Plumber will still be used however Dale can be used as a backup plumber if needed as he is a ticketed plumber.

• Exterior motion sensors will be installed in the next few weeks.

• Furnace inspections are happening from September 11th – 27th. A notice has been sent out to each unit that contains the schedule. If you would like to switch your date please speak to Andrea at the office.

• Reminder to Members that it is very important to ensure that your dryer and furnace vents are cleaned on a regular basis as dirty vents are a fire hazard.

Cooperatively,

Buildings Committee