Ten Tools Day 4 (about 3 weeks late!)

Sorry this is so late but we are going to pick up where we left off.  My fourth out of ten tools we all need in our bag is a cordless screwgun.  This could be the most valuable item in my bag.  I started out with a 12v Dewalt that worked well but sometimes just didn't have the power I wanted so I upgraged to an 18v Dewalt.  I stuck with the NiCad batteries for both.  I also got the Dewalt 18v impact driver which I love.  It is smaller and has more torque than a regular drill driver.

I have recently got on the smaller is better kick.  We carry our tools all over our properties every day and, frankly, I am tired of breathing hard when I get to that third floor apartment.  So I switched to a smaller tool bag, smaller hammer, smaller tape measure, and a smaller drill.

 Just this week I got a Rockwell RK2510K2.1 12v drill.  This is what I would call a "pocket driver" although it may be just a little too big for that category but it is still many times smaller and LIGHTER than Dewalts that I used before.  I am very impressed with this drill, it has no problem driving 3" screws, drilling countersunk holes, pretty much anything I need from it.  I don't know if it would put some 3/8" lags into a deck but short of anything heavy duty like that it is awsome.

                                                 

I think every maintenace tech should have a drill/driver in their tool bag.  There are many things you just can't do without them and cordless is the way to go.  Be sure to look carefully at the jobs you do and be sure you find the right tool.  There is nothing more disapointing that spending big money on a tool and find it won't do everything you need.  I think you need to seriously consider a name brand, contractor grade drill for this purchase.  I have owned Harbor Freight and Menards specials (not to say anything bad about the store they sell the Rockwell drill I am so excited about!) and they just don't handle the abuse for very long, they don't have the power of a heavy duty drill, and the batteries don't last near as long.  If all you have is enough for an off brand don't hesitate to get it but, if you can, save a couple weeks and get a Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman, Rockwell, or any of the other name brands you won't regret it.

I would also like to put a link to a website I used to find this drill.  The website is called Tool Select.com and offers real world reviews of different tools.  I have been using this site for about two months now and have found it very helpful.  It allows you to compair tools and review them.   Its nice because all the tools are right there instead of having to search a few different web sites.  While their database is far from complete they add new stuff pretty often.  Also, for every tool you review you earn points toward a host of things in their store and its free!  They also have a great discussion board that covers everything from electrical to plumbing to fun tool talk.   Check it out!

Updated 11/3/2013:  Toolselect.com is no longer running.  I believe their website is still active but I don't know for how long.  I will be doing some research over the next couple weeks to try and find a new source for unbiased tool reviews, until then make sure you read customer reviews before you buy your tool, or post a comment below and I will let you know if I've used the tool or not.

Picking Up the Peices

I would like to apologize for my long absence and not finishing my tool countdown.  I got really busy at work and home.  It was the holidays and people are all of a sudden putting in work orders like mad and the weeks are short, not to mention the things that need to be done at home.  With everything going on I had to prioritize and, unfortunately, the blog had to wait.

So, we are finished cleaning up the wrapping paper (by the way my daughter had her first birthday on the 6th!), taking down the decorations, we took back the bottles and cans from the New Years party, and everything at work is caught up.  Looking back now I have to say that things got pretty hectic and stressful during that busy time but I am glad that it happened.  We learn from every experience we go through and it makes us better.  Every holiday season that goes by we get better at keeping up with the influx of work orders and the make readies that have to be done; all shorthanded as people take vacations and we deal with shortened hours and days off.

So I am going to sidetrack from my tool blog again and concentrate on something I learned from this holiday season; how to pick up the pieces!  During the three weeks that constitute our holiday season (week before Christmas, week of New Years, and week after New Years) we lost approximately 144 man hours.  We also took around 50 more work orders per week than we normally would and had six apartments to get ready.  We got all this done and even a little more but certain areas suffered.  Our grounds received little attention, the shop looked like a tornado went through it, and we had lots of bulbs burned out on the property. Even though the ball was dropped on those few things I am very proud of all that was taken care of. We handled all the residents issues and had work orders completed within 12 hours, we turned out some great looking apartments, the property was decorated for Christmas, we had a balcony decoration contest that was a huge success, and we were even able to join our sister property for a holiday dinner. 

The last two weeks have been catching up on all those neglected items.  Sometimes it seems like it takes much longer to do projects when they have been neglected.  We spent a total of 24 man hours just replacing common area light bulbs!  During this time it is easy to look at the work load and get overwhelmed.  Take things one thing at a time, writing them down so we don't forget, and prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.  The priorities might have to be revisited every day to keep up with the changes our business presents.  Make sure you are easy going with your co-workers (there is enough stress, you don't need to bring in more!), and don't rush through projects (your bound to spend more time fixing stupid mistakes!).  Take each item, each hour, each screw, nail, light bulb at a time and don't get ahead of yourself.  It may seem like you are neglecting other things but as long as your priority list is in order you can be sure you are working on just what needs to be done at that time.  Most of all, be sure to have fun!  No matter what is going on you can always find some fun in what your doing.

Good luck picking up the pieces!

"Ten Tools" Day 3

 So day three brings a tool I think everybody has at least seen and most know how to use. Used right a multimeter can have more uses than a Swiss Army knife.  I use my meters almost every day.  If you don't know how to use one or don't own one I suggest you go out tomorrow and buy one and find somebody who can train you how to use it.  Avoid those cheap meters if you are not familiar with the tool and go with an more expensive auto-ranging meter, this should make learning how to use the tool much easier.  The following information is VERY basic, for more info I have included a few links at the bottom of the post. 

Multimeter

 
Every good maintenance man knows the value of a good multimeter.  We can use muti-meters to fix furnaces, air conditioners, stoves, refridgerators, and many more things in the apartments.  Mine is in some ways a lifeline I don't know what I would do without.  There are many out there with endless options and price points to choose from.  I have two meters; one being more portable than the other.  My first is the Craftsman pictured above.  In my opinion auto-ranging is really the only way to go.  This means you don't have to choose the range of power the meter is measuring, just switch to AC, DC, Mfd, or another of the settings, and go.  Also, be sure it has the ability to test mfd for capacitors and a k type slot to plug in a temperature probe or clamp for AC superheat and sub-cool measurements.  The only feature this meter didn't have was the clamp head..  For that I went with a UIE G2 Phoenix series clamp meter.  The clamp head will tell you how many amps a device such as a compressor is drawing.  This comes in handy when working on some of the older AC or refrigerator units some of our older, aging properties have.  I love the backlight/ worklight feature of this meter and the magnet on the back.  This also has the ability to test mfd and has the k type slot for temperature probes, of which one is included along with your electrical probe and alligator clip attachments.  It also has the ability to switch out heads for more flexibility.  All these options come with a much larger price tag but the ease of use makes up for it.  Check out the models carefully and be sure to get all the options you might want, you won't regret it.

If you have never been trained on how to use these tools you are probably missing out on how versatile they are.  I use mine to check compressors on refrigerators and AC units using the clamp head on my UIE.  I have a micro-amp head that I use to check flame sensors and my temperature probe to check the degrees Fahrenheit output of furnaces.  I can check fuses, ignitors, and many other parts using the continuity setting.  I have even checked parts on our golf cart using the DC function.  Dryers, washers, dishwashers, furnaces, refrigerators, stoves, even garbage disposals, outlets, switches, and anything else electrical can be tested in one way or another with the right multimeter.  All it takes is a little know how and the right tool.


LINKS FOR MORE INFO

Sparkfun- how to use a multi-meter:  This is a basic but still informative article


wikihow- how to use a multi-meter:  This is a pretty detailed and includes a link to a YouTube video

The Family Handyman:  One of my favorite magazines teaches how to use a multi-meter.

"Ten Tools" Day 2

OK, here is my day two post in my "Ten Tools You Need In Your Bag" series .  Kinda short but still informative I think.  I would highly recommend going to the web site at the end of the post.  The site offers some very good safety tips and an elaborate explanation of how the tools work.

  Volt Sensing Tools

 










Nothing is worse than getting a poke when working on an outlet, switch, ect.  No matter how careful you are about shutting down breakers at some point you are going to slip up and run into a live wire.  That is where volt sensing tools come into play.  You could buy a basic non-contact volt sensor or you could opt for tools with this feature built in.  Gardner Bender has a good selection of these tools, everything from screwdrivers, to pliers, to utility knifes, to wire strippers.  These tools basically detect the residual electricity that every electrical circuit gives off.  For more details on how to use these tools and how they work you can follow this link http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_know_capacitive_voltage/.  These tools may cost a little more than their plain Jane counterparts but the safety is definitely worth the money.

10 Tools You Need In Your Tool Bag

We all know there are countless tools that we can use to make our job easier.  Those tools can make a difficult job a breeze, a half hour job take ten minutes.  For the next 10 days I will be publishing what I believe to be ten of the most handy tools you could have in your tool box.  Some of these are very basic, others may be a little more out there.  Some are just a couple bucks, others maybe out of reach for the average maintenance technician.  If you can't afford to go out and buy one ask your company and explain the reason the tool would be so handy, direct them to this blog if it helps!  I am going to start with the best set of pliers I have ever used.

 KNIPEX COBRA PLIERS

  I learned about these pliers from my father-in-law who is a well driller.  He said he hardly ever has to use a pipe wrench anymore.  He even put some on his rigs for his guys to use.  After watching him use them and be able to store them in his back pocket while he worked around the house I decided I had to try them out.  I will NEVER buy another type of "groove lock" pliers again, even Channel Locks.  I put groove lock in parenthesis because they are not really groove lock, technically I should call them water pump pliers but people might not know what I'm talking about.  They adjust by a pressing in a button on the side of the pliers.  This is one of my favorite features of the pliers because once you get them into position they don't slip out and yet the button works so smoothly you can adjust with one hand with some practice.  These pliers come in 5 different sizes from a 1" capacity to 4-1/2" capacity.  I have a 6" pair that goes up to 1-1/4" capacity and a 10" pair that goes up to 2".  The pliers are super light weight and yet stonger than any other pliers I have used.  I can stick the 6" pair in my back pocket and not even know its there and yet put all my body weight on them and they won't break.  The  jaws are designed to compliment the push button feature and lock down onto whatever you are working on and the no-slip grip on the handles keep your hands from slipping also.  I have never had these pliers slip when used on the proper size material and my father-in-law was right when he said you wouldn't have to use pipe wrenches anymore.  I have taken off original 3/4" unions on the 40 year old pipes on my property with my 6" pliers.  Although they are not quite the right size they do work.  These pliers are well worth the money and can be bought from Lowes, Sears, and a variety of other sources.  This is the link to the Knipex website.

I hope you give these pliers a try as I know you won't disappointed!  Tomorrow I will be discussing multimeters so I hope to see you back.  

Introduction

Remember the good 'ol days of the small town handyman?  You know, the jack of all trades who could fix everything from a leaking sink to the 40 year old freezer that stopped working after it made a loud "clunk".  He not only knew your name when he saw you on the street but also knew your kids, parents, and neighbors as well.  He always had just the right tool and just the right technique to get the job done.  Always pleasant and with a seemingly endless supply of knowledge he is the only person you even thought of calling when things went wrong with the house.
 
Whatever happened to those guys; those saints wielding screwdrivers, masters of the hammer, wrench turning geniuses?  i would like to argue they are present in every apartment community masquerading as maintenance men.  The people who residents can call at any time day or night to get their lives back on line, fixing everything from a plugged toilet to a broken furnace, all with a smile.  They know the residents better than most people know their own family.  Not only do they know our names but when and where we work and what type of car we drive.  We see them when we leave for work and when we get home, sometimes we even see them on the weekends and holidays as they diligently go about their duties.

Ok, I might be a little overindulgent when talking about maintenance men but I kinda favor them.  I am one.  My name is Darrin and I am a maintenance supervisor in Lansing, Michigan.  I know that in order to handle all these tasks; to be able to fix all the problems that could ever go wrong in someones home; we need to know our stuff.  We need to keep up on the latest methods and news in our trade, and yet be versed enough to diagnose and fix the relics that are limping by on some of our properties.  We need to know how to use the latest tools and materials to speed our work up to handle the ever increasing demand to be there "yesterday" whenever a call comes in.  We need knowledge in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and many other areas.  Even if we are not doing the work ourselves, such as pouring concrete for a sidewalk, we need to be able to recognize if the contractor we hired is doing his job right.

I have scoured the web looking for a site that provides this information, tailored to my industry.  I might not need all the technical mumbo jumbo when I read about a gas valve for a water heater or the frills in a sales ad for a double hung window.  In this industry we need to know a few very specific things when looking at these products, tools, processes, ect.  We need to know if it will be quick, easy, adaptable to our varying situations, and cost effective.  I have yet to find a site dedicated to apartment maintenance technicians so I decided to start this blog.  I hope this turns into more someday, I would like to see discussion boards and product reviews; a catalogue of information easily and quickly "searchable" and organized to meet our needs.  For now though, my hope is I can provide a great resource that work for the apartment maintenance field.

Before I get into the real fun I need to say the one thing everybody in our job should know.  The most important part of our job is customer service.  Our job is dependant on keeping residents happy and satisfied.  We come into contact with more residents than any of our co-workers and can be a huge part of leasing and renewals.  That said, I will not be discussing the customer service aspect of our job frequently.  I will not totally refrain from the topic but I have noticed in the conferences and training that I have attended focus mostly on the customer service aspect of our job.  I want to see more technical information, tips and tricks when dealing with the mechanics of our job, information that will help us perform well when working on the problem the resident has presented us. 

I will try posting a new blog once or twice a month.  Right now I have about a dozen ideas ranging from "The Basics of Fan Limit Switches: New and Old" to "10 Tools Essential to All Maintenance Men".  These articles will be researched but will by MY OPINION ONLY!  I am not licensed in any of these fields (unless you count my E.P.A. 608 Universal Technician Certification) so always consult with a licensed professional when needed.  I will be relying on my 6 years as an estimator and sales representative in the building materials industry, 3 years in residential remodeling, 2 years as a contractor account manager in a plumbing supply house, a year in residential framing, classes in architectural/ construction technology and business management at Baker College, and experience and training in masonry, light electrical, roofing, door and window installation, drywall, ceramic tile installation, carpet installation, finish trim, plumbing, HVAC, and countless others.  I started this list of experiences working alongside my mother and father in our family owned, small town hardware and, after they sold the business, learning from my dads experience as a maintenance supervisor in a state prison.

I used all this experience to get to where I am at today; a 264 unit property built in 1972 and poorly maintained for the past five or so years.  Sounds horrible, huh?  Actually I love it!  We are going to turn the property around and impress a lot of people doing it.  I have been fortunate to work alongside some very knowledgeable and talented people in this industry and have just the right people in place to get this monstrous job done.  Working alongside these people is my inspiration for this blog.  Without them I wouldn't be where I am today so I am hoping I can put their spirit of helping their fellow co-workers into this blog.  I hope I can help others the way they have helped me.