Yeah, that's the guy. He was great. I will say that he only did the fix, not the original installation (a much bigger project involving lots of different people). But he definitely was very reliable, pleasant, and came highly recommended by the Keyspan folks.

Also, if you are doing the Keyspan free boiler program, and you do have any problems with whoever installs it, you should call their customer service for that specific program. There were at least 2 incredibly responsive Keyspan representatives who actually understood our problem, arranged to get it fixed, etc. without having us jump through hoops. I am still amazed that Aurora did all the work to fix the installation and we never saw a bill from him -- I guess Keyspan took care of it all. When I was having such a horrible time with the original contractors, it didn't occur to me right away to just call Keyspan and have them as intermediaries to make sure the work was done properly. So, hopefully you won't need to, but if you have problems, call Keyspan. (This was specifically for their conversion program, don't know if their "regular" representatives would have been so helpful). Good luck.

Posted by: cger at September 8, 2006 1:05 PM in response to Experience with Aurora Plumbing

I wish I could find an old file to confirm this, but I am pretty sure that Aurora Plumbing fixed a new gas boiler installation that was originally installed by another company recommended by Keyspan. The original company seemed to do an ok job, but their customer service was appalling, and they were over the top angry when we asked them to fix a problem (basically accused us of intentionally sabotaging some part). Turned out the installation never passed the city plumbing inspection, and to their credit, the Keyspan people who had originally recommended that first company had me call Aurora (I think) to fix it, and Keyspan paid Aurora directly for the work. The Aurora guy was completely professional, immediately noticed the substandard way the boiler had been wired (which had been creating the problem). His comment was that it was perhaps "acceptable" work, but he himself would be embarrassed to present such quality as his own. He took care of all the problems professionally and courteously, which was a huge relief after our first experience. If you remember the name of the guy there (I believe Aurora is simply that one person) I can probably confirm 100% that it was him, but my recollection is that his company's name was Aurora.

Posted by: cger at September 7, 2006 7:10 PM in response to Experience with Aurora Plumbing

Parkblocker, I'm glad someone finally followed up on my comment about the bathrooms. I was wondering, looking at the floorplan, how easy it actually is to build another (or 2) bathrooms. It seems as if you'd definitely want at least 2 on the 2 bedroom floors (that is, another one on the top floor), but the plumbing line seems to be in the extension. Would you have to bring plumbing all the way up to the top floor, and would that be difficult/expensive? Putting a powder room on either the ground or parlor floor (where you'd likely also want another one) seems easier and cheaper to do. Does anyone with more expertise know how simple all of this is? And does it mean you can't live in the house for a while after purchase?

Posted by: cger at July 20, 2006 11:16 AM in response to House of the Day: 1252 Dean Street

Nice, but on the floor plan I only see 1 bathroom. Am I missing something? If so, that's alot to pay -- I can't imagine someone not wanting a 2nd in a house that size.

Posted by: cger at July 19, 2006 5:16 PM in response to House of the Day: 1252 Dean Street

We may have a Carroll Gardens apartment for you -- a large floor through apartment in brownstone. If you post a way to contact you, I can give you more details.

Posted by: cger at July 11, 2006 10:42 PM in response to Finding a sublet during renovation

Thanks for all of the feedback. Anyone who has any leads or ideas can call me at 212-373-3710. Thanks--Darren.

Posted by: DarrenWJohnson at July 12, 2006 10:33 AM in response to Finding a sublet during renovation

Thanks for the feedback. The guy's name is Carlo Popolano. Is this the guy you remember?

Posted by: anon at September 8, 2006 12:09 PM in response to Experience with Aurora Plumbing

Yeah, that's the guy. He was great. I will say that he only did the fix, not the original installation (a much bigger project involving lots of different people). But he definitely was very reliable, pleasant, and came highly recommended by the Keyspan folks.

Also, if you are doing the Keyspan free boiler program, and you do have any problems with whoever installs it, you should call their customer service for that specific program. There were at least 2 incredibly responsive Keyspan representatives who actually understood our problem, arranged to get it fixed, etc. without having us jump through hoops. I am still amazed that Aurora did all the work to fix the installation and we never saw a bill from him -- I guess Keyspan took care of it all. When I was having such a horrible time with the original contractors, it didn't occur to me right away to just call Keyspan and have them as intermediaries to make sure the work was done properly. So, hopefully you won't need to, but if you have problems, call Keyspan. (This was specifically for their conversion program, don't know if their "regular" representatives would have been so helpful). Good luck.

Posted by: cger at September 8, 2006 1:05 PM in response to Experience with Aurora Plumbing

thanks for the tips, this is a conversion so hopefully they will be as helpfull should a problem arise.

Posted by: anon at September 8, 2006 1:26 PM in response to Experience with Aurora Plumbing

I have a 50 year old cold boiler which heat the house with those big radiators which I don't mind. The pump has gone bad and I am looking at my options: get a new pump or inquire about a new cold boiler sysytem that is more heat efficient.
What do you recommend?
B. K.

Posted by: B.Kelsey at September 22, 2006 1:27 PM in response to Experience with Aurora Plumbing