PTAC A/c unit leaking water
My PTAC unit started leaking water a week ago. My initial guess is that the condensate line is clogged or the drain pain is cracked. The leak showed up on the 1st floor of a duplex unit. Leaking unit is on the 2nd floor. I pulled the cover off the PTAC and there was some moisture on the wood floor beneath the unit.
Once the unit was turned off, the leak on the 1st floor stopped.
I believe its a McQuay PTAC.
The HVAC techs came by yesterday and their initial assessment without even pulling the cover off the PTAC unit was system was too old and needed to be replaced. After some insistence they removed the cover and a panel and said the system was too old and needed to be replaced. I asked if they could blow out the condensate line with a gallo-gun and they said there was no access.
Then they were unsure if the system could even be replaced b/w of the proximity of that built out stub wall. That wall has 4x4's in the corner b/c it's acting as a support for the joists above. I was doing some renovation on this apartment back in 2018 and discovered this after pulling back part of the sheetrock.
The HVAC company's customer service rep called back yesterday and said they would send me a quote for a new system. Still waiting for the quote.
From the pictures, does anyone know where the condensate line is located?
Comments
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I agree with the contractor on site. That unit needs to be replaced. It’s virtually impossible to service it with that wall in the way. Either move the wall or move to unit.
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The unit is on the 5th floor of a NYC apartment building. Not sure how they would replace that unit without moving the wall.
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There are solutions.
not cheap in any way.Who installed that wall? If it was the building then there responsible.
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As far as I know when the condo was built that wall was put up. We are talkng 1985 ish.
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if they put it up and don’t give you access to have that unit serviced, they responsible.
Good luck0 -
Since you are in NY, you might be familiar with the NYS property disclosure statement:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dos.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/03/dos-1614-f-property-condition-disclosure-statement_01.2024.pdf
Nowhere in this document can you find a reference to the inadequacy of service to a PTAC unit. Furthermore, the document specifically recommends that the buyer perform the due diligence required (and to engage a professional) to fully determine the condition of the premises prior to the sale.
Therefore, the conclusion that "they responsible" is not likely to have any legal standing whatsoever!
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all building codes have a clause as per manufacturers recommendations. Blanket statement, but it’s still applies in this situation replacing that wall there you were never able to properly service that unit.
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Maybe so. However, to whom would you seek for recourse? The previous seller is certainly not responsible once the building transfers. You might have recourse to the municipality if they issued a CO for the work done but it would really be a stretch to expect the municipality to take responsibility for the servicing of a PTAC that existed way before the wall was built and certainly not part of the the CO for the renovations.
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I really hate to say this, but the most practical solution may be to abandon that PTAC in place and use a window unit instead. That is certainly what most landlords would do in a rental property.
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Bburd0 -
landlord!
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I thought it was a renovated condo? Why is he responsible for the PTAC if it is a rental?
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ask them.
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It was a rhetorical question……………!!
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Sorry for the late response.
You guys have raised on interesting question on whose responsibility that wall is. I know my condo board would fight like hell if I tried to put the redesign cost on them. I have to spend some time thinking about how to handle this.
I got the PTAC fixed. Everyone I called wanted to replace the unit. And removing the wall was my responsibility.
I found a guy who pulled off the cover for the evaporator coil and sprayed it with a coil cleaner. I'ts been running fine now for 3 weeks. The fins were so dirty that the condensation was happening on the fins and dripping onto the PTAC's shell and eventually made it onto the flooring. Now that the fins are cleaned off the condensation is forming on the coils and dripping onto the drip pan. At least that's my theory.
I bought a gallon of coil cleaner and will clean the evaporator fins/coils each spring.
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Occam's Razor
1
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