12824 Tomanet Trl Unit A: Otter AI

https://otter.ai/u/dlO3_AQFX9Y8RkP_Dj_k4jdah2Q?view=summary

OVERVIEW

The tenant reported issues with the AC running constantly, leading to a high electricity bill. The technician added half a pound of refrigerant and suggested using a portable dehumidifier to reduce indoor humidity, which can make 72 degrees feel like 68 degrees. The technician also recommended setting the AC to 75 degrees and using fans to save on energy costs. The tenant was advised to live with these settings for a few weeks before considering additional measures like a portable AC unit. The technician also noted insulation and weather stripping issues, and the tenant was informed about their responsibilities for pest control and yard maintenance.

ACTION ITEMS

[ ] Monitor the AC system performance over the next couple of weeks and adjust the thermostat temperature as needed.

[ ] Explore the option of getting a portable dehumidifier to help with cooling.

[ ] Check the drain hose for the AC system to ensure it is not buried and obstructed.

[ ] Follow up with the property owner about the possibility of improving insulation or replacing windows to enhance the apartment's cooling efficiency.

OUTLINE

AC and Insulation Issues

Speaker 1 discusses issues with the AC running constantly and the high electricity bill, despite setting it to auto.
Speaker 2 explains that the AC system is old and not very efficient, suggesting a portable dehumidifier as a temporary solution.
Speaker 2 mentions that lack of insulation and old windows are contributing to the heat loss, making it difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Speaker 2 recommends setting the AC to 75 degrees and using fans to help cool the area, as every degree lower will significantly increase the energy cost.

Potential Solutions and Adjustments

Speaker 2 suggests living with the current settings for a few weeks to see if it becomes more comfortable.
Speaker 2 advises using a portable dehumidifier to help reduce indoor humidity and make the space feel cooler.
Speaker 2 explains that the AC system can only cool down the temperature by one to two degrees per hour, even in a perfect environment.
Speaker 2 mentions that the property has vaulted ceilings with no attic space, which makes it difficult to maintain a consistent temperature.

Additional Recommendations and Observations

Speaker 2 recommends using pedestal fans to help circulate air and assist the central system in cooling the area.
Speaker 2 explains that every degree lower than 74 degrees will cost significantly more in energy, making it more efficient to maintain the temperature at 74 degrees.
Speaker 2 suggests that if the current settings are still not sufficient, a portable AC unit could be used to achieve greater comfort.
Speaker 2 shares personal experience with a portable dehumidifier in their own apartment, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing indoor humidity.

Property Maintenance and Responsibilities

Speaker 3 discusses the insulation issues and the limitations of what can be done to improve it.
Speaker 1 mentions the possibility of transferring to a different property if the current one is unlivable.
Speaker 3 explains that the tenant is responsible for pest control, yard maintenance, and any functional issues, while the owner covers cosmetic and appliance repairs.
Speaker 3 advises the tenant to check the drain hose for the fridge to ensure it is not buried in the ground, as it could cause issues.

Final Recommendations and Next Steps

Speaker 2 reiterates the importance of living with the current settings for a few weeks to see if it becomes more comfortable.
Speaker 2 advises the tenant to set the AC to 75 degrees and use fans to help cool the area.
Speaker 2 suggests that if the current settings are still not sufficient, a portable AC unit could be used to achieve greater comfort.
Speaker 3 mentions that there will be a one-time maintenance inspection in the winter months to check filters and smoke detectors.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Speaker 1 0:20

My brother is taller. My whole family that's probably okay. I have to come through and they show me a couple spots that were leveled and stuff like that, coming like they lifted up, leaving like I just simply were like that. And restaurant one lifted up too. And in the kitchen I was putting food up with the fridge. I made my first living room. I noticed. So one of the times when I cut right either and AC, I just barely noticed that it's been running constant, 24/7, and I'm like, 100% sure, Y'all not gonna pay for my bill, but it has been running when it's set to auto, it don't stop, okay? And then I even took a picture last night. I I had the AC on for at least an hour and a half ago. I'm watching the movie, and then I started a new one. So 75 degrees last night, 72 I had it on, and 75 it would even go down instead, like that. Okay, so it's it's okay. I like it, you know, it's okay. Not my best moving experience for the first starter. You know, especially stuff's coming undone and stuff. And then AC problems, because if my bill is high for electricity, I'm still paying from my other place to the tent.

Unknown Speaker 1:55

So, yeah, understandable, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:59

So just the AC and then some tile things, yeah, tiles

Speaker 1 2:02

in the door, the bottom door, with drags whenever you open it, right here, covered all the way. So I'm pretty sure Eric did that too. When

Speaker 1 2:19

I close it, sometimes this gets pushed in. Okay? I knew I take it as it comes. But if stuff looks okay, it should be okay. I shouldn't have to wait to find out. You know? Yeah, no, that's fair, yeah, but

Unknown Speaker 2:38

yeah, waiting for him to let him know what's going on with AC.

Unknown Speaker 2:42

So as far as AC goes,

Speaker 3 2:46

everything is looking pretty good. I did add about half a pound of refrigerant just to get things to where I preferred. But ultimately,

Speaker 1 2:55

so that's it's running, yeah, but I'm is it? So my second theory was something here is causing a leak for it to not,

Unknown Speaker 3:07

you know, get the air to stay in,

Speaker 3 3:09

right? So that brings me to my next point. What this ends up being, more often than not, is lack of insulation, lack of brand new top of the line Windows. You can go down the list, but basically the structure itself is not conducive to holding 70 degree temperatures when it's 90 degrees outside, so we're losing air through weather stripping windows, that kind of thing. So now, that doesn't mean that anyone should have to, or anybody's going to come in here and spend 60 grand on windows and insulation and stuff like that. Typically, at this point, I fall on one of two suggestions, the first of which would be a portable dehumidifier. I actually just recently got one myself. I live in an upstairs apartment 1987 build. I can literally see the rain coming through my windows, the weather dripping so bad that portable dehumidifier bringing that indoor humidity level down just a few more points makes 72 degrees feel like 68 degrees. It's been working wonders for my wife and I,

Speaker 1 4:30

but I'll have to keep it on with AC, right? So that is that much another

Speaker 3 4:35

day, well, it takes away from this guy, having grown all the time, which this is what is going to run out your bill, the condenser running outside, and this blower motor running in here. So what should I have instead to then, I'd say somewhere around 75 is pretty reasonable. 74

Speaker 1 4:54

see, because, yeah, since you've been here, it hasn't, as you see with that, right? And I just bought that fan early

Unknown Speaker 5:03

before you can No, yeah, it's great fan. It's moving aircraft, but

Speaker 3 5:11

I've only been here about 40 minutes. Your system is only going to do one to two degrees per hour, whether it's a 1980 R 22 piece of junk, or a brand new top of the line communicating, they all do about one to two degrees per hour in a perfect, sealed environment. Now, if we're lacking in that a little bit, it may struggle to maintain a little bit something else to keep in mind, specifically with this property, I had this conversation with the last two tenants.

Unknown Speaker 5:45

So this hasn't been a surprise,

Speaker 3 5:49

not for me necessarily. This is going to be all day. I'm going to have this conversation with homeowners and tenants, and I'm going to have this conversation all day. But I'm

Speaker 1 5:59

saying, like in general, two tenants pass that didn't hear, well,

Speaker 3 6:03

a couple, I should say, not two consecutive tenants. These vaulted ceilings. There is no attic space between your roof and your ceiling, maybe six inches, something like that. All of the heat of that roof is coming through the ceiling, and especially in these high peaks, we're just going to have a pocket of hot air circulating right here. So the fan is another one of my suggestions that I was going to make. Fans are great. Ceiling fans just don't really cut it. I don't think anymore, having some pedestal fans. Just moving that air around helps your central system cool the air down quite a bit. See it just Yeah, that's the first time I heard was that, yeah. So, so, yeah. Bumping that number up a couple of degrees is going to save your electric bill significantly. Every degree down that you try to cool is going to cost you about two and a half times more energy than it would to just maintain the temperature. So it's going to take, you know, three times more energy to cool to 73 than it is 74

Speaker 1 7:24

but so thought wasn't wrong. There is something wrong to making it

Speaker 3 7:28

not it was definitely it was not at the point where it could be as efficient as possible. I'll put it that way. Now, the other thing that I would recommend if you've lived with this for a couple of weeks, and you just decide, nah, it's not enough. I need something else to supplement it. The portable dehumidifier is great, but that really is more for a couple of degree adjustment making 75 feel comfortable if you are just uncomfortable, portable AC window unit. Yes, it is going to run up your bill a little bit more than just running your central system, but it is going to make your comfort 100% you're going to cross all your x's in comfort. So it's really I'm in the same boat as you are. I know it doesn't sound like it. My apartment does not cool with a BAM. I like it very cold because I work in the heat all day. So it's a balancing act of my finances and my comfort. And I have found a happy medium with that port of COVID Huma part. Personally try some stuff out. My ultimate advice, bottom line for today, live with this for a couple weeks. Just see how you like it. Set it to 75 if it's still running all the time, set it to 76 and leave your fans all day. Just play with it and try to find that balance. Because there is a balance to be found. It's just a matter of working it so. But to touch on what we started with weather stripping and stuff extremely cheap, and get that Walmart for eight bucks, something like that. That would probably especially this door right here, being that we're right next to the thermostat and or we're pulling air into the system, getting that guy sealed off nice and good, would probably be a good start. Keep an eye on it. If you're still not satisfied, let tree do snow. They'll let us know. We'll come take a little look, maybe send another technician, different set of eyes on the problem, but, but, yeah, ultimately, we're doing what we can today, 18 degrees.

Speaker 3 9:53

Yeah, and you did the right thing. Absolutely. If it's running 24/7, that's not wrong, whether it's the number that you're setting to or there's actually an issue going on. Yeah, and my point being, even at a reasonable number, if it's not reaching it, and it's running all the time, there's an issue. And like I said, I did add a little bit of the preference. This was a couple of things going on at once.

Unknown Speaker 10:30

Absolutely, I know it's not all the news that you want to hear. Well, yeah, like I

Speaker 3 10:37

said, live with it for a couple of weeks. If you're still have issues, but as well, have a good one. You too, yeah,

Speaker 2 10:52

yeah, it's unfortunate that that's kind of the insulation situation. It's not necessarily something that we can change, right? We can't ask the owner to insulate,

Speaker 1 11:05

just like a move transfer to a different property, or anything that you have available.

Unknown Speaker 11:13

I mean, I can ask. I'm

Unknown Speaker 11:15

pretty I mean, it's a long shot.

Speaker 1 11:19

My kids too. No, it was my first time in duplex that I personally got on my own. And I've been in duplex and houses apartments, and got my

Speaker 2 11:31

dogs, right? No, I mean, I understand and like, I It would definitely be something that was like, if it was an unlivable temperature, right? But by unfortunately, like 74 degrees is like a pretty livable temperature.

Speaker 2 11:57

I mean, well, I mean, I'll definitely ask and look into it and see what we could get back with you.

Unknown Speaker 12:05

Is there anything else that's going on?

Speaker 1 12:07

Just that you see the tile in this stuff, and then I guess if there is leaks from very coming through, like how you just pointed out the door, he literally set that door the problem. But I already know how it goes with the problem issues. I wouldn't be surprised if y'all wouldn't be able to

Speaker 2 12:30

do anything. Yeah. I mean, I can only do so much, you know. So if there's nothing else, I'll just go through my quick spiel, and then I'll get out of your hair cool. So do you know where the air filter is, the electric box, things like that, cool, and then the appliances. So the fridge and the you are brought your own washer, dryer, correct? Yes, you will bring your eye, so just the fridge, so that's not specifically under warranty. So if something were to happen, one

Speaker 3 13:09

more thing I wanted to let you know, there's a black hose that's coming out of the side over here by the railing. It's coming out of the same spot as all the different lights and stuff. That's your drain hose. It was kind of buried in mud, probably because it rains so that hard yesterday. Just take a peek at that guy from time to time. Make sure it's not buried

Speaker 2 13:37

in the ground. And all the other appliances are covered by the owner, except for the fridge. So if anything were to happen the fridge, we give you like, fairly new appliance. So this shouldn't happen during the time of your stay, but if something were to happen, we'll send somebody out. It'll be at your expense to fix it, and if it costs too much, don't sink your money into somebody else's appliances. We could take the fridge out, and you can put your own for a gym or friends, etc. This shouldn't happen during, like, the time that you're staying here, right? But it's just something that I have to let you know moving forward, you're responsible for pest control, yard maintenance, and like any other functional issues will come out and fix, but any sort of cosmetic stuff, we're not gonna handle there's gonna be a one time maintenance inspection that's gonna be like in the winter months. So he'll reach out to you three weeks in advance, and it's just to come and check like, the filter, the smoke detectors, things like that. Cool. Do you have any additional questions? Okay, so in terms of the what you asked about. I'll look into it, and then I'll try and get back to you. All right, yeah. Have a good one.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai