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Old 07-05-2011, 07:03 PM
 
5 posts, read 85,323 times
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I live in a highrise condo building. Suddenl;y, my a/c has stopped working. It was turned off last night and this morning would not turn back on. I'm not sure how this works... the building has control over a/c or heat being supplied, but the individual apts. have thermostat controls so you can regulate how hot or cold you like it. There is a thing that sits inside a wall and is covered up with the vent. I think it's called a compressor? My question is "Why did it stop working?" and "how much to replace it"?
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Old 07-05-2011, 07:28 PM
 
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what'd the building say??
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Old 07-05-2011, 07:50 PM
 
Location: River North, Chicago, Illinois
4,619 posts, read 8,165,755 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bellarina21 View Post
I live in a highrise condo building. Suddenl;y, my a/c has stopped working. It was turned off last night and this morning would not turn back on. I'm not sure how this works... the building has control over a/c or heat being supplied, but the individual apts. have thermostat controls so you can regulate how hot or cold you like it. There is a thing that sits inside a wall and is covered up with the vent. I think it's called a compressor? My question is "Why did it stop working?" and "how much to replace it"?
If you own the condo, contact the management company.

If you rent from the unit owner, contact him or her.

There are too many variables for any of us to be of any real use.
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Old 07-05-2011, 08:02 PM
 
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Mgmt. could not tell me anything except they will put in a work order for me. They will take a look maybe sometrime 2mrw. I own the condo and kinda worried what this could cost?!
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Old 07-05-2011, 08:38 PM
 
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You can check your by-laws to see if the HVAC units are considered limited common elements - if so, unless it was your negligence that caused the unit to break , the association will probably pay to have it fixed .. Is the fan not working, or not blowing cold air ?? 'Your negligence' could include not checking and changing the filters ( or letting the building do it ) ..this can cause problems with this type of heater/air unit .. You'll need to wait until they check it out ..
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Old 07-06-2011, 05:43 AM
 
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Fan is not working. It does nothing... filters are changed regularly by the building. I should have some news when I get home this evening. Thank you all!
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Old 07-06-2011, 07:16 AM
 
Location: Tower Grove East, St. Louis, MO
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This is just a guess but the building appears to be responsible for the maintenance (changing the filters) so I imagine they're also responsible for repairs.
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Old 07-06-2011, 09:00 PM
 
5 posts, read 85,323 times
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It was the motor. Maintanance was kind enough to replace it quickly and is working fine now. Cost was $180.00 for new motor & labor & tip! Thank you all so much!
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Old 07-10-2011, 10:24 PM
 
Location: the Great Lakes states
801 posts, read 2,565,130 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bellarina21 View Post
I live in a highrise condo building. Suddenl;y, my a/c has stopped working. It was turned off last night and this morning would not turn back on. I'm not sure how this works... the building has control over a/c or heat being supplied, but the individual apts. have thermostat controls so you can regulate how hot or cold you like it. There is a thing that sits inside a wall and is covered up with the vent. I think it's called a compressor? My question is "Why did it stop working?" and "how much to replace it"?
I can appreciate this question because I always wondered how those things work. I guess the building would have large units/compressors outside and then they feed the cold air to individual apartment units that each have a damper (thermostat) and a motorized fan?

In those kind of buildings, do the outdoor units constantly run in the anticipation that everyone in the building will want maximum cooling, or do they know (through computers/circuitry) how much to run?

Just curious in case any HVAC knowledgeable readers are around.
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Old 07-11-2011, 11:52 AM
 
968 posts, read 2,664,621 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by summer22 View Post
I can appreciate this question because I always wondered how those things work. I guess the building would have large units/compressors outside and then they feed the cold air to individual apartment units that each have a damper (thermostat) and a motorized fan?

In those kind of buildings, do the outdoor units constantly run in the anticipation that everyone in the building will want maximum cooling, or do they know (through computers/circuitry) how much to run?

Just curious in case any HVAC knowledgeable readers are around.
Not an expert, but from the little I've learned ( from being a high rise dweller work and home for > 20 years..) ... High Rise Air Conditioning is based on chilled water circulation, which is fundamentally different than the smaller buildings/ central air for houses ..the individual units can control, to some extent , the temperature and on/off ..But the buildings will typically turn it on or off for the season .. You'll hear the term 'three pipe' system , which allows hot water ( heat) and chilled water ( air) operating simultaneously .. Some buildings can't operate both simultaneously even with a three pipe system because of the requirement to protect the chilled water from freezing .. It's a good question to ask if one is ever renting or buying in a high rise .. could impact your comfort during Spring and Fall ..
I believe some buildings in the Loop are on a centralized hot/chilled water network ..
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