E.H. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
I purchased a new condo in 2014. The HVAC unit is situated above my condo. Recently, the unit vibrated and produced a pounding sound such that I thought that there was a rock band playing on the roof! This pounding went on for four days. The vendor indicated that this vibration was caused by twin compressors that exchanged power from one to the other during the summer season to ensure that the HVAC system functions properly. This did not occur last summer. Because I was not told about this occurring when I purchased the condo, does it appear that I have any leeway in pursuing this issue with the builder.
Mister Condo replies:
E.H., I am not an attorney so I cannot offer any legal advice here. I am sorry for your problem but I am doubtful that you will have any success in pursuing this issue with the builder. Have you looked at the warranty for the air conditioner? Chances are that it is already out of warranty but you should still check. Next up is looking at solutions to the sound problem. You may need to have an HVAC engineer make suggestions and you may need the Board’s approval to implement any changes that will change the exterior appearance of the unit. Are you the only unit owner with this problem? If others are experiencing the same issue, it might make sense to coordinate the repairs / replacement of these noisy units. HVAC, like many technologies, advances at a rapid rate. Your 4 year-old unit may have a smaller, quitter, more efficient replacement that might just save you and other unit owners money for years to come. Good luck!
Also, check your condo documents, to see whose responsiility the air conditioning system is; chances are, it’s the condo associaition’s responsibility.