Fumigation: After-action review (Activity Report)

THIS IS A report on the tenting and fumigation project that took place during the last week of December (2025).

Below the jump, this post discusses three main aspects: the biggest challenges, what went well, and room for improvement.

Weighing the alternative to an elevator (Speculation)

ONE OF THE many reasons to provide wheelchair access to the basement is to achieve Mishkon’s own renovation priorities. Those priorities include the installation of proper HVAC systems in the basement (Social Hall and kitchen). It appears that according to the state building code’s Section 11B-202.4 (quite apart from the ADA), we will not be allowed to even start those projects unless we can show how someone in a wheelchair can travel to and from the basement.  

In order to provide such access, it appears that Mishkon has two options: 

• spend roughly $200K for an inclined platform lift in the east stairwell (as described here), or 
• spend roughly $400K for a small elevator (as discussed here and here).

Below the jump, this post briefly discusses the trade-offs involved in that big decision.

Wheelchair access to basement via the eastern stairwell (Speculation)

BEFORE WE COMMIT to a small elevator (or not), let’s consider one other way for a wheelchair user to get to the basement level: via the east stairwell that runs between the sanctuary building and the play yard. 

Few members even know of this stairwell’s existence, because Mishkon has long treated it as an emergency-only exit. It is located outdoors yet is covered by a shed roof and shielded from the play yard by opaque wooden fencing. 

For wheelchair access, when compared to the more familiar west (Main Street) stairwell, this east stairwell has two advantages: 

1. it offers a straight and uninterrupted route between ground level and the basement level; and 
2. its ground-level entry point would be close to the Hampton Drive street-level gate, and next to the planned ADA-accessible ramp into the sanctuary—meaning that someone who arrives in a wheelchair would already be in the vicinity. 

Could an inclined platform lift run along a track mounted in this stairwell?

Below the jump, this post explores the feasibility of that option for improved accessibility. It concludes with a ballpark cost estimate.…

A hidden shaft down to the basement (Background Report)

UNDER THE CONCRETE FLOOR of a storage closet that houses our sanctuary building’s electric meters, under the shed roof between the building and the play yard, is an opening to a vertical shaft.

Raised platform on floor of storage closet 
(marked by dotted red lines)

Below the jump, this post describes the shaft’s configuration, how it connects to the basement, its purpose, and its history—according to inferences drawn from my exploration of it this week.…

Water alarms installed in basement rooms (Activity Report)

BECAUSE OUR SANCTUARY BUILDING is empty most of the time, a sudden plumbling leak or backup might easily cause a lot of damage before anyone knows about it.

Happily, our synagogue’s insurance company (Church Mutual) has provided us—at no cost—with a small, continuous monitoring and alarm system. 

When one of its sensors detects wetness, the system not only beeps every second (much like a rather quiet smoke alarm), but also sends out an ALERT text message—to me, Fleming, and Ruben. That way, we have the opportunity to act quickly to prevent a small issue from becoming a big problem.

Below the jump, this post shows the location of the sensor units and the base station.…

Improving the safety of the furnace in our school building (Activity Report)

WHEN THE TECHNICIANS from the Gas Company came to restore service after the fumigation was completed, they red-tagged our school building’s furnace as having a safety issue, due to the closet that houses it. Namely, they perceived two ways that post-combustion exhaust gases from the furnace just might get sucked by the blower into the air that is circulated through the building, rather than being vented up above the roof.  

A gas company technician explains the problems.

Honestly, the hazard did seem pretty unlikely to me, given the configuration of equipment. Yet Fleming and I took the recommendations seriously, especially for the sake of our preschool. The resolution seemed simple if we could find the right person to handle it. So we made some inquiries—and within 6 working days the problems were fixed, for about $150. 

Below the jump, this post documents the two suspected problems, as well as their resolution. I created this post because given normal wear-and-tear, these apparent hazards will eventually appear again—and will need attention in the future. 

Sanctuary sewage pathway: schematic sketches (Background Report)

WHAT IS THE ROLE of the sewage pit and its vestigial plumbing? I’m glad you asked! Until this past month, I had only the vaguest idea. But now I can clue you in.

The covered sewage ejection pit

Below the jump are three schematic diagrams, along with brief annotations, that quickly explain the basics of our sanctuary building’s sewage system. Finally, it shows a detail from a revealing City diagram—as interpreted by the late Phil Raider (z"l) some 20 years ago—that provides a key clue.

Effusive effluent: adventures in sewage management (Activity Report)

DURING ONE INTENSE WEEK last month, Fleming and I narrowly managed to avoid two near-catastrophes—namely a flood of sewage in the basement, not only during our main Hanukkah party, but also two days later during the big Hanukkah Happy Hour & Young Professionals Mingle. 

On 12/11, a normally empty 600-gallon sewage pit
in the basement was found to be nearly full.

If things had gone just a little differently, the results would not have been pretty! 😬 Below the jump, I outline the harrowing story, day by day.…

A flow alarm in our fire sprinkler system (Background Report)

OUR FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM includes an alarm to alert us in the event of unexpected water release. Normally we would not know that it even existed, let alone that it is always looking out for us. I still don’t know where exactly is located. Its measuring probe is just above the hatch in the ceiling of the fire sprinkler room (downstairs). 

The water flow sensor in our sprinkler system

Presumably the associated alarm is nearby—i.e., not far from the doorbell that is above the door to that same room.

The basic operation of such a flow detector is helpfully described on a vendor’s blog, which explains:

“[Such an alarm] signifies an activated fire sprinkler head or a leak in the system.”

The Fire Department requires that this alarm be inspected and tested every 5 years, as part of a regular overall check of our sprinkler system. Our most recent “Fire Protection Equipment Performance Report” (8/16/21) indeed noted that our water flow alarm device consists of a water-flow switch of the vane/paddle type, and that it produces a local alarm sound (as opposed to activating the building’s fire alarm, or being monitored by a supervising station). 

Our switch is meant to activate its alarm if a water flow of 4–10 gallons/minute continues to occur for 20 to 60 seconds anywhere within the downstream dedicated sprinkler lines. 

Nameplate on the water flow sensor

During the next test, which is slated to be conducted later this year, it would be prudent to find out where the alarm is housed and what it sounds like, so as to record both facts for future reference.

School water heater: Unfinished business? (Background Report)

WE WERE FORTUNATE to find a plumber who made sure to tell us what would need to be done in order to meet the current building code requirements, when our water heater recently failed. That prompted us to consider measures that we were not previously aware of. Out of the four items that he informed us about, we agreed to implement two of them, as described HERE. 

However, we opted to defer the other two items, for three reasons: they would be very costly; they would be needed only in very extreme circumstances that were unlikely in a brand-new system; and we could have them done later for the same price. 

On his written estimate, the plumber then noted the two deferred items explicitly:

Customer understands and agrees that the following items are not included in this estimate and will be completed at a later date under a separate quote/authorization:
• Run T&P (temperature & pressure relief) discharge line to the exterior
• Run drain pan discharge line to the exterior

What I have since learned, however, seems to support our decision not to pay for those two recommended changes.

Below the jump, this post describes those lingering items and their status, in more detail.…

Capital improvements accompany new water heater (Background Report)

TODAY’S REPLACEMENT of our school building’s water heater includes the installation of two new items that are required by the current building code—and for good reason. Both of them are designed not only to improve safety, but also to lengthen the life of the plumbing and of the water heater. Namely, a sediment trap (commonly called a “drip leg”) in the gas supply line, and an expansion tank in the water line. 

The rooftop vents for our school’s water heater
(Two square inlets on the left;
one round exhaust on the right.

You see that rusting cap that’s visible atop the exhaust vent? It is being replaced today, to prevent rust flakes from harming the burners down below them. Yet important as that is, it is mere maintenance. Metaphorically speaking, it’s the new capital improvements that will truly “cap off” today’s changes!

Because these small capital improvements are new to Mishkon, let me introduce them to you. Below the jump, I describe their respective functions and maintenance needs.…

New water heater in school building (Activity Report)

WHEN THE GAS COMPANY technicians came to restore service immediately after the termite fumigation, they noticed that the water heater in the school building was not working properly: its burner jets were producing luminous yellow flames. They said that for them to relight the water heater’s pilot light would be unsafe, and therefore against company policy. So they slapped on red tags instead.

Red “danger” tags at our old water heater

Happily, on the next work day a plumber came to diagnose the problem. The prognosis: after 24 years of faithful service, our water heater had reached the end of its useful life. Repairing it would cost almost as much as replacing it.

As I write this, the water heater is being replaced with a far more efficient unit. According to my previous calculations, the new unit should use almost half as much energy to heat the water that our building needs. (By law, new units are more energy efficient than they were 24 years ago; and the new 30-gal tank better fits our limited hot water use than the previous 50-gal tank.) Which means that it will mostly pay for itself if it lasts for its predicted lifetime. 

Below the jump are before-and-after photos.…