Complaint Investigation Report

Allegation: Licensee did not ensure hot water is available to residents.

Facility staff did not ensure hot water is between 105 and 120 degrees for resident use.

The details of the complaint stated the facility did not have hot water for three weeks. The complainant reported that resident #1 (R1) only had lukewarm water even when water heaters were fixed after 11/14/22, and still did not produce hot water. The Department reached out to the complainant and was not able to obtain additional information.

The Department interviewed staff #1 (S1) who admitted there have been some issues with the facility water heater and water temperature. (S1) stated on 10/31/22 a “Notice to All Residents” was posted throughout the facility to inform residents of ongoing repairs with the water heaters are being serviced by the maintenance staff in lieu of a work order made by resident #2 (R2). On 11/09/22 the facility contracted M.R.S. Plumbing Inc. to replace two (2) defective 100-gallon water heaters with four (4) new Navien (NPE-240a2) tankless water heaters. According to maintenance staff supervisor staff #2 (S2), the service took a few days to repair/replace the water heaters from 11/09/22 through 11/17/22. During that period, the water heaters were replaced in stages taking one defective heater and replaced with two new tankless heaters. (S2) stated it was the same process until the work was completed on 11/17/22. On 11/13/22, (R2) placed another work order requesting to have the water temperature inspected as there is no hot water even after the new water heaters were installed. Despite installing new tankless water heaters and replacing defective heaters, (S1-S2) reported that the issue of no hot water persisted. The facility did not have a backup plan for resolving the recurring problem.

The Department inspected the following rooms for water temperature: #206 (88.6) F; #207 (87.1) F; #205 (88.0) F; #208 (123.4) F: #202 (87.3) F; #209 (121.9) F; #108 (119.6) F; #107 (117.9) F; #109 (117.1) F; #110 (90.7.) F; and #114 (90.1) F. Eight of the eleven were found to be out of compliance with Title 22. For residents, hot water temperatures were not between 105 and 120-degrees Fahrenheit. A comment could not be obtained from resident #1 (R1).