Contact info for Architect David Johnson
Shouldn’t take much to install it. Not sure what the relevance is between the window and the brick building… I would do it. Call me at 347-276-6528 Levi SoHoAppliances
levicapland
in Architecture 13 years and 11 months ago
2557
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2557 replies
BobMarvin | 12 years and 3 months ago
Whatever I might think about whether it’s ethical for the City to single out a specific insurance company, the insurance actually does seem worthwhile. I’ll look into enrolling.
elbow | 12 years and 3 months ago
Interesting. If you read on the service does seem to have been competively solicited: To help property owners better manage these risks and the high costs of service line breaks, the New York City Water Board issued a Request for Proposals from qualified providers for service line protection programs in 2012\. After a thorough review, AWR was awarded a contract to administer the service line protection programs for roughly 670,000 eligible properties in New York City.
owner12 | 12 years and 3 months ago
I have fujitsu units. We use it most for AC and the heat is used to augment our existing steam radiator system. In terms of heat we find it very limited. It barely warms a 12×12 room and I would not trust it as my only heat source in a place that gets as cold as NYC. just my 2 cents.
homebuyer | 12 years and 3 months ago
i spoke with the energy audit guy today and he suggested to place the mini split ceiling units that control upto 4-8 rooms and to get the heatpumps. Since this is a multifamily each family would get a separate outside unit. Currently we are running on oil and want to change to gas. Energy audit guy also recommended to get the tankless on demand heaters. what do you guys think?
kidbklyn | 12 years and 3 months ago
I went to the DEP website and the offer looks legitimate. With service lines coming into my house from a main that runs across the opposite side of the street, I’d be facing extemely costly repairs in fixing any of those problems. It’s something to think about.
argylerd | 12 years and 3 months ago
Depending on the age of you watermain an sewer it may be worthwhile considering the high cost of repair or replacement.. Here is the link for the fine print as to what is covered http://www.awrusa.com/american-water-resources/awr/page19281.html I’ll look over the details, probably call them with questions and give it consideration.
Bklnite | 12 years and 3 months ago
I thought it was a scam too, but then found this DEP press realease… http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/press_releases/13-004pr.shtml Still, I personally would pass.
BobMarvin | 12 years and 3 months ago
I have no information about this insurance, but I VERY strongly doubt that DEP, or any City agency would endorse any specific company which, I think, would be in violation of Chapter 68 of the City Charter, so the letter might well have been deceptive (or fraudulent if they actually spoofed DEP letterhead). That being said repairs to water mains and sewer lines cost thousands of dollars, so the insurance MIGHT be worthwhile IF you can determine that American Water Resources is a bona fide company offering real, usable, insurance.
Erstwhile | 12 years and 3 months ago
Another good option for the Unico system is using the coil kit piped off your boiler.
brucef | 12 years and 3 months ago
I would say that structural engineers recos are negotiable. Sometimes taking them out to lunch gets them away from their office and more reasonable.
daveinbedstuy | 12 years and 3 months ago
Thanks Bruce. Yes, the installer also said that you need to maximize the number of outlets based on the BTU of the Unico system as well in order to eliminate any noise.
brucef | 12 years and 3 months ago
Dave, There are couple suppliers with the branchable ceiling units. Fujitsu is the only one I’ve dealt with directly. It has two outlets onthe side that can go to adjacent rooms. I think you will be happy with Unico, they make a higher end product. Make sure you listen to all the ducts before they leave. There are special baffles they can install to reduce the high velocity noise. I ended up not liking the heat pump heat ,(no electric), because the air coming out felt cold to me. Now the gun proved it was actually warmer, but it didn’t feel that way to me. Maybe the resistant electric will be better. Bruce
daveinbedstuy | 12 years and 3 months ago
Seem expensive….but not what I’m looking for. Would be great for large open space http://www.pexsupply.com/LG-LCN246HV-24000-BTU-Ductless-Single-Zone-Ceiling-Cassette-Inverter-Heat-Pump-Air-Conditioner-Indoor-Unit?gclid=COvUwKLQlbUCFUqf4AodgVwAig
http://cdn.brownstoner.com/510bfab1a1b99-processed-lcn246hv-1.jpg
daveinbedstuy | 12 years and 3 months ago
cmu…never heard of the ductless ceiling units. Do you know the brand name??? I’m installing a Unico (mini ducts) system in PA that will have an auxiliary electric heat pump but i will only use the latter for when I arrive at the house and the heat has been turned down. I might want to use the ceiling system you mentioned somewhere else. Thanks
sethamin | 12 years and 3 months ago
We (briefly) looking into this, and one contractor told us that while it is possible, you need to insulate really, really well in order for the ductless units to be used as the primary heat source. Even then, they may not be able to keep up in a really cold snap. They’ll also be significantly more expensive since they’re electric. You get some benefit from the fact that they are zoned, but if it’s a multi-family building and all the rooms in the building are being heated, then that doesn’t really help any.
housepoor | 12 years and 3 months ago
I wonder if the OP is thinking about using the ductless system for both heating and cooling — not going with individual boilers. I have been thinking about the same thing. Does anyone have experience with using the ductless systems for both a/c and heating? Are they economical/efficient? I have heard good things about the Mitsubishi units. Are there other manufacturers that the pros like? Thanks.
needmtg | 12 years and 3 months ago
If you use ductless, you won’t solve your heating issue. They are somewhat less efficient but can be individually controlled, a plus. And probably cheaper to install. And the piping, while much less intrusive than ducts, can be almost as much of a pain to conceal (unless you’re doing major reno.) You might also look into some “ductless” ceiling units, installed centrally, which have auxiliary ducts that can be run to nearby rooms. Why are you changing the heating? You’ll never recoup the investment in multiple furnaces and installation, and renters normally expect heat to be included in the rent.
jcarch | 12 years and 3 months ago
Use common sense – you’ll uncover a good number of joists, or at lease sections of joists, when they open things up for plumbing, hvac, and electrical work. If damaged joists are found, they need to be repaired. But short of opening up the ceilings, you want to include the sections of floor that are already sagging, and any other suspect areas. Are you putting a tub, or new partitions, in areas that didn’t have these loads before, you should probably sister some/all joists in those areas, as a 100+ year old piece of lumber plus a new load = potential problems. Are there areas where, if you jump on the floor it has too much bounce? Have the contractor do some surgical explorations to see if the joists are damaged and need sistering. Again, by having a cost per joist established before work starts, it’ll be much easier than debating the cost down the road. Remember, from the engineer’s viewpoint, there’s zero upside to being conservative in how many joists he calls out to be sistered. If he says “only sister the sagging area,” and after the work’s done, you say that the floors are too bouncy, he might be sued for negligence. So he’s going to protect himself – you would to in his shoes. jcarch ———————— James Cleary Architecture
jcarch | 12 years and 3 months ago
A couple of thoughts: For the sistering, are you removing the interior hallway partition that runs front to back in the building? If you are, then even if the joists run from side wall to side wall, the reality is that they’ve been bearing on that intermediate wall for 100 years, and will sag when you take them out. If this is the case, assuming that you’ll need extensive sistering is not unreasonable. If that wall is staying, then the scope of work you have is too vague, and the contractors are protecting themselves by assuming the worst – and charging you for it. Of course, too frequently if the worst does not happen, it’s hard to do the accounting for exactly how much should be backed out of the contract sum…how much was in the framing/sheetrocking/trim/rough carpentry numbers for that work? To avoid overpaying, I recommend that you specify which areas (the ones that are sagging) are to be repaired, and then get a ‘cost per joist’ for any work beyond that area – that number would include $ for patching, trim, etc. You and the bidders want to agree to the cost per joist before you sign up the contractor, so that you don’t find that you both have very different ideas about the costs when you’re 1/2 way through the job and have no leverage in negotiating the price. For the dunnage, you can run the beams above the roof, but have to provide a 6′ wide platform and two sets of 6′ wide steps so that FDNY can have their clear access from back to front of the building. In terms of the cost of the steel, it may be marginally more to do the dunnage with the steel, but the G.C.’s costs for carpentry, etc. would be much higher with the dunnage below the roof. The engineer may have had blinders on when doing this, only thinking of the steel costs, but not the other trades involved. Good luck with your project! jcarch ———————— James Cleary Architecture