Boilers in the Bronx

Paul Pollets

I used to work for a firm on Gun Hill Rd. when living in NYC...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/nyregion/program-aims-to-reduce-energy-costs-and-keep-rents-affordable-in-bronx.html?mabReward=CTM&moduleDetail=recommendations-1&module=Recommendation&action=click&contentCollection=Middle East&region=Footer&configSection=article&isLoggedIn=true&src=recg&pgtype=article

Paul Pollets

Many of those fire tube boilers could be replaced by a 4 pack of condensing boilers, if gas service was available. Sometimes a crane is used to pull out the old and set the new boiler (or sections) in the basement. There's a lot to energy efficiency and many of these changeouts should consider variable speed pumps, for sure...

JUGHNE

I understand boiler broken....no heat no hot water......but "I didn't cook" because?????
I just about never cook, (take out is not to spendy here). But I suggest to people who's heat is down for a day that it is a good time to run that self clean oven or bake cookies; and even to turn the oven on and open the door which everyone does eventually.

Yes this will probably turn into some over engineered project with oversized boiler and pumps from hell.....and don't you blue collar people try to second guess nor question someone with a degree!!

SWEI

Admirable goals, but I have to ask: Is this truly a problem that can't be solved by applying basic math to existing market conditions and incentives?

icesailor

Isn't that a fire tube boiler? It doesn't cost $400,000 to have it re-tubed. The steam boiler leaks. DH or someone wrote an article that I remember well about how much it cost in energy to have a steam/water leak. I've seen 20 year old Scotch Marine fire tube boilers in concrete plants and car washes that looked far worse than that.

Forgive me if I didn't read the whole story. Its more likely that the owners bought a rent controlled building. Or it is apartments and they have to get zoning changes to convert it into luxury Condo's. They are using this as an excuse to kick everyone out so they can do a Condo Conversion.

That boiler is a replacement in the past. It has a new Carlin 950CRD or equivalent on it. The supply connection looks bogus to me.

Even the New York Times is in a race to the bottom, hoping that the 1% will keep reading them. (They Won't.)

Poor Condo Developers. I've dragged out my crying towel again. Boo-Hoo. I hear this sad tale of woe, most every day in Florida. If they can't make a 100% return on their investment, its a bad thing. Someone has to pay the stockholders.

We're lucky to get paid from Contractors who know more about our trades than we do.

RobG

If the management company could pay off the under 2 million dollar mortgage in 2012 (two years) why could they not afford a new boiler in 2014? Granted 400K seems excessive, I have not seen the job though. It sounds like simple greed to me on the management companies part. The 35% of the tenants who are rent controlled probably would not leave if you kept the heat off all winter, but ones that aren't rent controlled will. JMHO

icesailor

@RobG:

Question:

If the "Management Company" can drive out enough tenants, can they then get permission to convert it to Condo's?

Down here in the Shady State. they buy into old Condo's in a desirable location, get enough ownership to vote themselves onto the board, and vote the place out of existence. Or re-model the Condo's and you have to buy yours all over again.

They are the Chosen Ones. The rest of us are just Ship Bums.

bxre.com

looking to replace a boiler in a 7 unit property in the bronx. Looking for cheapest quality and to file

Harvey Ramer

Never seen the words "cheapest" and "quality" used in the same sentence before.

JUGHNE

You can have it good, cheap, & fast. Pick two.

But "to file"????