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enviro-tec vf Info

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ethicalpaul
ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,702
edited February 2020 in THE MAIN WALL
I’m ignorant of much, but especially of condo building hvac systems.

My mother-in-law owns a condo in an 11-story building in northern NJ. It is heated and cooled with these little units.

I guess there is a boiler and a chiller in the basement that feeds all the units with hot or cold water?

Anyway, the association is communicating to the residents that they should just replace the units (are they convectors? I don’t know the right term) because they are getting old (building is from 1979). They aren’t cheap.

They aren’t mandating it, it’s kind of strange. I think they’d just *rather* the residents replace even working units. But they did mandate they must be enviro-tec (which I find annoying but that’s what it is)

I told her just let it ride and see how long they last. She has 5 in her 3-bedroom place.

They must just be electric valves, fans and fins inside, right? No compressor or fuel, or complex control systems, right?

Does anyone have any insight into these units? Any info appreciated, thank you
NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

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  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,569
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    I would try to find out a little more about the units. If they are simple hot/chilled water units they should be serviceable. If they are DX it could change that.
    https://www.enviro-tec.com/pdf/catalog/ET115.26-EG6.pdf
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
    ethicalpaul
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,702
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    Thanks. I *think* they aren’t DX but I hope to watch the guy clean them to see
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
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    If they really want everyone to change them out, wouldn't a better idea be have companies come in and bid the entire job to the condo board? Then the units can all be the same (easier for service/parts in the future). Everyone will probably get a combined better price per unit. And the contractor has more responsibility and subject to more oversight as opposed to getting dozens of smaller companies working all over the place.
    And plus, if it is tied to a single system, one contractor doing and notifying of planned shutdowns has to be better than any (many) contractors needed access to, and shutting down the entire building at any time.
    steve
    Zman
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,702
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    You are so right. Strangely, they did mention this in their "proclamation" to the residents. They said they had explored the idea of a group rate but that the "numbers didn't work" (?) so they were leaving it up to each unit's owner to go find a contractor and have the units replaced.

    My understanding is they give two windows per year to have this work done, May and September, where I assume they kill the system building-wide to allow everyone to get their work done.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
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    They may have had a very high price on a group rate. Due to the sheer number of units to be done in those two time frames. Generally if a job is over a certain size (around here) the price goes up/unit due to labor shortage.
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
    ethicalpaul
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,519
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    @ethicalpaul
    I new Enviro Tech sounded famalier I have installed their VAV boxes. They also make air handlers and fan coils
    https://www.enviro-tec.com/products/VAVproducts.html
    ethicalpaul

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