Version3

I should add that my dad has been in multi-family management and construction/rehab for the last 3 decades... I'll give him a call in a bit to see if he has any direct advice. Can you PM me the name of the apt complex/management co? He may know someone and have a bit more specific advice as a result.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

thanks for the help.

Version3

Sorry it's not more help...

He said exactly what I figured would be the answer. A climate system like that, is only spec'd to cool 20 degrees below ambient temp. So, if it's 100 and it can keep it 80 degrees in your apartment (even if it has to run nonstop to do it) then it "works", and wouldn't be enforceable at all. So there, you are stuck with a working (albeit shitty) system.

He went on to say, that if you had a tech review it, and it needs the coil clean only, then it may very well get you down to a reasonable temp. I'm sure you know that it will run hard during the heat of the day, but this 24hr crap is BS. The reason it's running that long (likely) is that with a dirty coil (or low freon) the coil and/or the lines to the compressor will freeze (visible ice) and the system can't do any cooling at all. If this thing is running all night, then it's very likely freezing in the afternoon, and is not being given a chance to melt before the some conditions return.

So, paying for a coil clean out of pocket will be likely cheaper than your next bill will be without it. I'd go that route first of all. Be aware though, you'll likely never get your money out of the apartments, or the management company. If they aren't willing to do it now (when a tech was already there even), then they aren't paying for it later either. You won't be able to deduct from rent, they'll just penalize you for the balance and add late fees. IF you ever get money out of them for it, it will likely be after the summer is over, and as part of you negotiating for a new lease. Though, apartments are doing well enough now, that it's not likely either.

He did say this too... since "working" is being met even in these crappy conditions, there really isn't much a legal foothold to make them do anything. So bad press and negative attention is about all they are concerned about. If you want to sweat it out a bit and get another big bill, the consumer reporter guys at Fox 4 actually do get results from time to time. This would be the way to go if you didn't have the means to get it fixed yourself, or you really just want to try and 'win'.



Sorry I didn't have better answers for you, I was hoping he was gonna say "oh, let me call so and so and see what they know about it"... instead I said the name of the management company and got a "oh... them." kinda response.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for teh advice, this is pretty much my interpretation of my options too. the great part is that I get to live in this all summer and bleed money everywhere. I'm starting the house hunt now.

curly

iTrader: (25)

Are window unit available? I bought an $80 unit from HD that kept my room in the low 70's during 100* weather and it wasn't even on full time. Might be worth it to just camp out in your room if you can at least stay cool.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

turn the a/c off and leave for a week in 100+ degree weather. Then complain that the paint on the walls melted.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

i still think leaving a cadaver in the room would add benefit to your side of this issue.

ScottFW

iTrader: (4)

And you think you're bleeding money now? But yeah, it beats being somebody's bitch and paying their mortgage with your rent.

In the mean time I'd go with a window unit. Then when you move out, you can take it with you, and you won't have paid to clean the goddamn coils or whatever else the management should be paying for to fix their own neglected ****. That should strike a balance between money and "winning."

This reminds me of the summer in college when I rented a room in a house just off campus that met the legal definition of a brothel. It was old enough that it had no central air at all. In North Carolina. There was one A/C window unit in the living room. Guess which room the 8 of us used for our drunken, pot-fueled orgies? I guess my point is, a window unit will do a decent job of cooling off a few sweaty bodies in a medium sized space.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

lol @ brothel

Blaize

I have been down this road a few years back in New Orleans. I am late to the conversation here but up to this point everyone has been about right. Trying to fight them is just pissing into the wind. You may as well do it yourself. It cant be THAT hard. Find the coils and vacuum them out?

hustler

iTrader: (6)

The assembly is over the bathtub...so I can pull the blower, plastic off everything, then start spraying I guess.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

Window unit is pretty much the only way I can see "fixing" this problem that doesn't involve my right fist.

That or pay to fix it, and ask for reimbursement. I've always found in these circumstances that it's best to take care of things as if they were yours, then sort it out afterwards. **** waiting for someone to take care of me.

Version3

If you do go the window unit route, make sure you that you don't call attention to your solution by fighting with them, or putting it in the most prominent window. I'd bet that your lease doesn't allow them. It's a good cheap solution though, and some of those damn things will get really cold. I had a Fridgedaire that cooled more than just the room it was in. I think I paid about $200 for it at Home Depot. If you can get your temp down to at/near your central thermostat setting, you'll get the added benefit of recirculating cooler air through the central system without adding long run times or frozen coil/lines to the equation. Could work well, but I wouldn't do it while continuing to fight with those asshats.

-unless of course you can verify that you aren't breaking any rules/lease terms... then **** 'em!

ScottFW

iTrader: (4)

My condo in Houston had a similar setup. About a month after I bought & moved in, we had a heat wave with 3 straight days of over 105* temps (no kidding, not heat indexed BS either) and apparently that caused the condenser motor to burn up because the system was inefficient and running 100% of the time. It was only getting down to upper 80s at night so I crashed elsewhere for a few days until it was fixed. Then when the condenser outside was replaced with a nice modern one, evidently that was too robust for the old evaporator (in the ceiling above the bathtub) which promptly failed and also had to be replaced. My checkbook pretty much got gang banged that week.

Anyway, google how to clean evaporator coils. You can try a hose I guess but there are some specialized products for it, foams and sprays and whatnot that will get all up in the coils' business, that can be used to clean the unit in place.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

If you want to be really ******* quick and cheap about cleaning the evap coils...I use a ******* little dog brush, the metal wire ones made for your faggy Pomeranian. It works.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

I will use the wire brush that I used to clean your GF before showing her what it was like to be with a man for the first time in her life.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Six bucks at Home Depot:

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

Hustler fyi; we use this kind of a/c down here. It's much more efficient than the classic window one and doesn't need any ducting: http://www.minisplitsystems.com/

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

Something like this would be perfect for a single room: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Sove...0-BTU/10983098

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

This brand is Chinese but has sold a lot of units locally and they work: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-14-0...EMOTE/13423094