Pacific Tower Blog http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

Pacific Tower FAQs 

 Dear Boardie, I forgot – what does FAQs mean?

A. Frequently Asked Questions. It’s impossible to know everything about the building, so here’s a handy updated list with new phone numbers and websites. Rules listed aren’t the ONLY rules, but these are the most often broken. Vendors and tradesmen listed are some we use but you are always free to choose your own.

Please visit our blog http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org for lots of helpful articles and downloads, including our Rules and Regulations and other forms. Please see, call or text on-site Building Manager Joseph Arellano, with any and all questions, no matter how trivial at 619.339.3490.

AFTER-HOURS BUILDING EMERGENCIES: Professional HOA Consultants - 619.430.0695

BALCONIES: No plants without plastic plates underneath them. No smoking, rugs, laundry/wetsuits, towels, storage, BBQs, decorative string lights.

CATWALK: No smoking, party-ing, loud yakking, running, noise, music, wet towels or doormats.

CONSTRUCTION: 8 AM to 5 PM Monday – Friday. Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM.

ELEVATOR RESERVATION FORM: Required for use of the elevator for delivery of furniture or removal of  remodeling debris etc. $50 per day.  Available on our blog, website or in the Lobby Office.

GARBAGE DISPOSALS: No Drano, Liquid Plumber, celery, artichokes, etc. Please use your common  sense or check the internet. And don’t forget to run lots of cold water while grinding.

HANDYMAN: West Coast Repairs (Doug Peters) 619.760.7975

KEYS: Your large square key opens the Front Lobby doors, Dumpster Room, Exterior stairway doors, Lower Garage Lobby Doors, Pool and Rec Room. You can get a second key for a deposit of $75. 

LOWER GARAGE GATE REMOTES are $35, available in the Lobby Office by check or money order.

LAUNDRY: You can use the machines on any floor.  Leave washer door open after using to prevent mold. Empty lint filter after using dryer. Do NOT prop open Laundry Room Doors by order of the Fire  Department.

LOBBY OFFICE HOURS: 8 AM to 5 PM weekdays. Call or text 619.339.3490.

LOCKSMITHS: IF the Lobby Office does NOT have your spare key you will need to call a locksmith. Never leave your spare key in your laundry room locker as they are easily broken into.

              Dup-a-Key 858.750.2224 (local in PB), Mike Grizzly Keys 858.444.0437.

MAID/CLEANING SERVICES: Please tell maids and cleaners not to throw boxes down the trash chute because boxes clog the chute.)

              Spanish: Por favor no tire cajas o bolletas por el ventedero dobasura.

              French: Ne pas jeter de boîtes dans la goulotte.

              *Please don’t shake mops or beat rugs on the catwalk or balconies.

              Spanish: No sacuda los trapeadores ni golpee las alfombras en la pasarela or balcones.

              French: Veuillez ne pas secouer les vadrouilles ni battre les tapis sur les podiums ou les balcons

              *Don’t dump water on or over the balcony.

              Spanish: No tirar el agua en el balcon.

              French: Ne jetez pas d’eau sur le balcon.

MOVING IN, OUT OR LARGE DELIVERIES: Absolutely forbidden on weekends and evenings.  The reason is because there is no staff here to unlock the lobby double doors or to lock down and pad the elevator. Violators may be fined $250, so please take a weekday off work for this purpose and always fill out an elevator reservation form.  For last-minute deliveries, text the office at 619.339.3490.

PARKING: You can rent out or swap your parking place only temporarily.  It is deeded to your unit.

PEST CONTROL: Dewey Pest 858.272.3611.

PETS: Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Anyone can download Pet Rules from               http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

PLUMBERS: Report any plumbing question (sink, toilet or water where it shouldn’t be or even the  sound of dripping) to the Building Manger so he can see the problem before it gets worse.

JC Plumbing 619.477.5001, Emory 858.483.6880,  Ramona Pacific 619.439.1830

POOL: Hours 8 AM to 10 PM.  Don’t dive, smoke, shout, play loud music or have glass bottles or food.

RECYCLING BINS: For paper, plastic and washed and dried cans. No garbage or containers with food particles on them or smelly cat food cans. Flatten all cardboard boxes. Really large boxes should       be flattened and left in the upper garage next to the Dumpster Room doors.

REMODELING: Architectural Rules and forms are available in the Lobby Office and for download at http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org. Know the limits and get written permission from the              Board before making any revisions to your unit.

STREET PARKING: No parking 1^St Wednesday of the month, Wilbur St. (North side) 10 AM to 2 PM and Cass Street (West side) 7 AM to 10 AM. No Parking, 1^St Thursday of the month, Wilbur St, (South side) 10 AM to 2 PM Cass St. (East side) 7 AM to 10 AM.

TRASH CHUTE: No cardboard boxes of any kind, EVER!  No glass. Put garbage in a sealed plastic bag.

TV/CABLE: Free basic cable plus SHOWTIME and INTERNET from Spectrum comes with your unit.  If  you want AT&T, premium channels or hi-speed, you will have to contact them and pay for it.

WIFI: In the gym/RecRoom. 

CONTACT INFO: On-Site Maintenance Office, Joseph Arellano Cell 619.339.3490.  Land.  858.272.0860   Joseph.PTCA@gmail.com

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) After- Hours 619.430.0695.

              PHOAC Daytime Non-emergency 619.229.0044

Community Association Manager (at PHOAC) Ryan Anaya 619.229.0044 Extension 20. Or Email ryan@phoac.com

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller, Edited by Trish Mylet

                                                                       

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC)-  619.229.0044

PHOAC Emergency After- Hours - 619.430.0695

Community Association Manager – Ryan Anaya 619.229.0044  ext. 20 Ryan@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

Love Your Plumbing

Thanks to longtime resident Azita Aparicio, here are some handy Internet tips on caring for your plumbing.

Clean your drains once a month. However, some drains will need to be checked on more regularly, particularly bathtub or shower and bathroom sink drains because that's usually where hair becomes a problem. Hair loss while shampooing or shaving is a natural everyday occurrence, but it doesn't take much to block a drain pipe. When you add to that all of the soap and toothpaste you're using, it's easy to see why clogs can happen so quickly and be so stubborn.

About Once A Week
Lift up pop-up stoppers in the bathroom sink, remove any debris and put it in the trash, then rinse the stopper off and put it back in the drain.
Remove the drain cover from your shower or bathtub drain and use a bent wire or a hair catching brush to clear out any debris that has accumulated there.

About Once a Month
Clean your garbage disposal with a sturdy disposer brush or grind up a few cups of ice and some table salt. This helps to cut the grease and slime off the sides of the disposer. Then flush it out with cold water followed by half of a lemon or lime to deodorize.




The Big Giant List of All the Stuff You SHOULDN'T Put Down Your Drains...
Grease, fats, or oils from cooking - they congeal and cause other items to get stuck, creating clogs and massive blockages. This is a really broad category that includes meat fats, lard, vegetable oils, shortening, butter, margarine, and many dairy products.
Coffee grounds - they pretty much do the same thing grease does.
Meat, poultry, and fish bones, as well as egg shells - garbage disposals aren't meant to grind bones or egg shells, so the shards often go down the drain to form clumps with other items. The fat from any meat left on the bones only makes the clog worse.
Pasta, rice, and breads will expand with water causing blockages. And even if the water eventually drains, these foods are most likely still stuck to the inside of your pipes to cause another blockage next time.
Gum…it seems fairly obvious that something that is basically a sticky ball will get hung up somewhere.
Stickers - often people will pull the label stickers off fruits and veggies and simply toss them down the drain during washing. These can clump up with other things to cause clogs.
Hair. Human, pet, doll, fuzzy pillow, or stuffed animal hair - it doesn't matter - just try to keep it out of your drains.
Baby wipes, napkins, paper towels, and other paper products. Even some toilet papers just don't dissolve quickly or thoroughly enough to be handled by septic or sewage lines.
Tampons, maxi pads, other feminine hygiene products, including the packaging they come in.
Cotton balls, cotton swabs, cigarette butts, fabric softener/dryer sheets, or similar fibrous materials - including fibrous foods like celery, carrots, and potato peels which your garbage disposal cannot chew up.

Cat litter, even the flushable kind.

Other "flushable" products - including toddler wipes and sanitary products. Most often these things don't break down as well as the manufacturer claims, especially if you have a septic system.
Band-aids and dental floss – these both tangle up with small clogs to turn them into big clogs.
Razors, blades, syringes, needles, etc. – these can cause serious injury to municipal sewage/wastewater workers and to wildlife. Contact your local pharmacy or public health authority for safe ways to dispose of this type of item.
Condoms, balloons, or rubber gloves will inflate and can be a fairly destructive obstruction.
Prescription medications, lotions, and cosmetics. While anything that goes in or on your body might seem safe, these items can be potentially toxic to wildlife and/or leech into our drinking water. Many pharmacies will “take back” leftover medications, or check with your doctor or local public health authority for similar disposal programs.
Glue. Do we really need to explain why this is a bad idea?
Bottle caps, whether metal or plastic, will not only ruin your garbage disposal but can also get stuck in smaller pipes.
Toys are a common culprit of toilet clogs. Teach kids about what is and isn't okay to flush, and make sure they understand the toilet isn't a jacuzzi for Barbie and G.I. Joe.
Soap can clog drains faster than you might think - mostly when the residue builds up and catches other things. Try using less detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. when you can, and from personal experience we recommend trying to keep the kids from dropping a bar of it down the toilet...
Paint, paint solvents, nail polish, or nail polish remover harm our groundwater and in many places are illegal to put down drains. Check with your local paint or hardware store for information about how to dispose of these items properly.
Motor oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze, etc. Your local auto parts store can tell you how and where to dispose of these substances, and some even have programs to dispose of them for you.
Bleach and other anti-bacterial cleaners. This one is mostly for those who have a septic system since anti-bacterial agents can kill off the good bacteria that are keeping your septic system functioning, although there is mounting evidence that these cleaners are detrimental to municipal sewage systems as well.

How's Your Plumbing?

Here's a New Year's Resolution for 2016 you may have not thought of:

BE KIND TO YOUR SINK, YOUR TUB AND YOUR TOILET!

Thanks to longtime resident Azita Aparicio, here's a list of links to make your pipes sing!

- how to keep plumbing free of buildup with proper and regular maintenance (kitchen and bathroom):
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/how-to-prevent-clogged-drains.html

http://www.lnsturnkey.com/blog/plumbing-tip-keep-your-pipes-and-drains-clean.html

http://www.applewoodfixit.com/blog/2012/11/5-tips-for-keeping-kitchen-and-bathroom-sinks-clean-clear.html

- commercial plumbing cleaners that should NEVER be used (despite their claims of opening clogged drains):

http://www.thorntonandgrooms.com/media/entry/the-effects-of-caustic-drain-cleaners

This concludes Part One of your lesson for today. Part Two will include these topics:

- a list of items that are NOT allowed to be flushed down the toilet
- recommended detergents to use for laundry and bathtubs that are low sudsing
- actions to take and contact information if unit is flooded or if you have plumbing issues (both during and after business hours)