RulerOfTheRest t1_j9rqrgb wrote
Now, I don't know anything about the building you are in, but if its a larger one there is the possibility that your place is on hydronic heating and cooling (water based). If it is, in the cold months, the system will be hooked up to a boiler and can only provide heat. In the warmer months, it will be hooked up to a chiller and can only provide cool air. If it is that type of system, that "cold air" is really just the fan circulating air in the room. The problem is, you can't just simply switch these types of system from hot to cold in an instant, which is why they'll only do the change once a year. I've been in a bunch of places with these types of systems over the years, and while they are efficient, they suck when there's the unexpected hot days in winter, and really cold days at the end of the summer. I imagine there was some grumblings by the VCU students and staff today about this, since several of their buildings use this type of climate control.
If it is this type of system, your choice is to use a fan to blow the colder air in, or invest in a portable AC unit...
Quardener OP t1_j9rraj8 wrote
Appreciate your advice and knowledge. It is not that type of heating system.
RulerOfTheRest t1_j9rv0nm wrote
Word. I've run into a lot of people over the years that didn't realize this type of thing existed, and if they had something with a fan blowing air through ductwork it automatically meant they had a standard HVAC system.
The only things I can suggest you do is to make sure your air filter is good, and if you can look at the indoor coil of your AC system to make sure it isn't clogged with crap (it being an apartment, it wouldn't' surprise me if it was) as well as the coils on the outdoor unit. If the filter is replaced regularly, the indoor coil should be fine, but if it isn't, pictures of the dirty coil will give maintenance an idea of what they need to do, and give you more evidence that something needs to be done. One thing I have noticed is the coils on the condenser unit outside tends to be neglected by everyone, from homeowners to businessowners, but they should be cleaned periodically (once a year) as pollen, dust, tree and other plant debris, etc. can coat and clog up the fins, making the units rather inefficient. I hit mine up every year after the tree pollen is done with simple green, let it soak for 15 minutes, and then hit it with a hose from the inside out, but if you have access to the outdoor unit and "accidently" spray it with simple green and let the rain wash it off, it might help some if it's really dirty. Just don't tell maintenance that you've done anything like that as they'll blame you for something, since management companies just seem to be like that...
I wish you luck in this fight for proper climate control...
Quardener OP t1_j9rzpmt wrote
Where would I find the indoor coil? Unfortunately I don’t have access to the outdoor unit.
RulerOfTheRest t1_j9s4ojp wrote
Since you put the name of the place in another post, I was able to look up the plans and photos of the layouts, and it would be in the HVAC closet, the problem is based on what I'm seeing, you probably won't be able to get a view of it since it's inside of the unit without removing a bunch of screws. When you open the HVAC closet (or look at the unit if it's in the shared space of your washer and dryer) there would be a PVC pipe that comes out of the unit that is routed toward a drain. That pipe is for condensation created by the AC coil, and underneath that metal is where you would see the coil. The pictures online don't show the units. The filter will be either at the main return vent in the apartment if it has one, or in the HVAC closet, you may have to turn the two latches at the bottom where the blower motor is to access it.
PM-me-ur-kittenz t1_j9u5zgz wrote
> I was able to look up the plans and photos of the layouts
Amazing. This is what I come here for!
raindeerpie t1_j9s0fj1 wrote
haha. reminds me of my college dorm room. spring and fall were battles to figure out the right combo of fan power and window open position
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