The A/C louver problem and how the Board of Directors are addressing this issue
May 29, 2020, 8:22 PM
Mary Bolton
to Kevin, Steve, George, Johanna, Brad, justin.arnold79, tim, bcc: me
To: The Palm Beach Shores Board of Directors
CC: Tim Marshal, Justin Arnold
From: Mary Bolton Unit 410
Re: Newly installed AC Louvers
I hope this email finds you all safe and healthy. I am writing regarding the AC louver covers newly installed by USSI. The purpose of this email is to inform the PBSA Board of Directors that there is a problem with the design of the louvers not the installation. The new white AC louver system does not allow enough air to breath from the rear of a wall unit air conditioner. During the day, the louver itself becomes very hot: as high as 187 degrees. If you place a piece of paper towel on the louver, it blows very little in an outward motion. Before installation, one would walk past my AC unit and really feel the warm air blowing. This is not the case now. Both my AC units are not functioning to their proper capacity since installation. I have tried many different settings to see if something would work. I have set the temperature in the sixties, and in the seventies on low, medium and high and it does not emit the cool air as it did before the installation. My AC units are only two years old.
I keep a watchful eye on Apartments 307 and 407. Their AC units, which are one year old, also are experiencing the same problem. These two apartments are not as cool as they were before the new louver installation. It feels hotter and more humid. This is a serious issue. Many owners are not here and do not realize these louvers are preventing proper AC to cool their units. The AC units are overworking and straining to expel air. There is also a concern that these AC units will burn out over summer and the apartments will be left without AC. An apartment without air-conditioning will be in eminent danger of mold growth.
I am suggesting the Board speak to the engineer who designed this louver system and provide a solution as fast a possible. The Board needs to alert the owners of the situation and its resolution.
This email shall serve as notice to the Palm Beach Shores Board of Directors of a very serious situation regarding the newly installed white AC louver system.
If you have any questions please contact me. I have already advised Justin Arnold our PM/maintenance person and Nolasco from USSI regarding this problem.
Thank you in advance for your attention to the issue presented above.
Please acknowledge receipt of this email.
Sincerely,
Mary Bolton
Unit 410
Jun 14, 2020, 4:17 PM
Richard Bolton <richbolton@gmail.com>
to Kevin, Steve, Johanna, George, Brad, tim
Kevin
I'm writing regarding the newly installed white A/C louvers. I brought to your attention the fact that our A/C was running very hot (190 degrees exhaust) and was straining to exhaust the heat at the BoD meeting and you reassured me that Tim Marshal was made aware and was taking care of it the next day. He never did. We had to come north and due to the possibility of burning out our 2 year old units , I was forced to shut down our system. I set up two dehumidifiers and fans to circulate the air. I am concerned that my unit is now in danger of having a serious mold condition due to this vent design and lack of follow up to my concern. Mary Bolton also sent you a letter concerning this problem and has yet to get a response from you. Please address our concerns asap.
Rich Bolton
410
Mon, Jun 15, 9:37 AM
Kevin Bennett <pbsaptspresident@gmail.com>
to me
Hi Rich,
We are taking this concern seriously. I have contacted the engineer, Tim Marshall, as well as the electrician and an AC contractor to check these units out. We will let you know the outcome as soon as we get all the information.
Kevin
Wed, Jun 17, 12:25 PM
Brad Peters <bradpeters60@yahoo.com>
to me, Johanna, Kevin, George
Would you like me to go in your unit and look at your air conditioning system.
There are some basic I am so would be looking for.
Unit BTUs
Ambient room temperature
Is the unit properly sealed
Resting temperature of louver
Ac exhaust temperature
To the louvers have any packing material or debris within the fins.
I can collect the information tomorrow morning.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
Brad (Spartacus)
Wed, Jun 17, 12:38 PM
Richard Bolton <richbolton@gmail.com>
to Brad
Thank you but No. I have checked all that you are suggesting and I found no problem. It was installed by a contractor properly. It was working perfectly for nearly two years before the louvers were installed. We are not the only unit having problems. The louvre design is at fault and needs to be addressed. Thank you.
Rich
Jun 17, 2020, 12:45 PM
Johanna Tomik
Yes please, thank you. Spartacus
Johanna Tomik
Wed, Jun 17, 1:48 PM
Brad Peters <bradpeters60@yahoo.com>
to Johanna, me, Kevin, George
Without the ability to check your installation, there is aN info disconnect.
Insisting it’s the louvers is not as helpful as the information I’m attempting to gather for your benefit.
I’ve checked and gathered information from other units, yours is pending.
We are preparing a comprehensive accounting after speaking with our Engineers and several AC professionals.
It would be great to add your units specific information, listed in a previous email.
If you reconsider, reach out, I’m always happy to help.
Brad (Spartacus)
Wed, Jun 17, 2:33 PM
Richard Bolton <richbolton@gmail.com>
to Brad
Brad
Unit 307 and 407 are having problems as pointed by Mary Bolton to Bennett. You should contact them if you want a larger sample.
Rich
Jun 17, 2020, 3:35 PM
Brad Peters <bradpeters60@yahoo.com>
to me
I’m focused on your unit at this point Rich. Something you asked us to look into.
I have a very good sampling from other units unfortunately, Mary Bolton’s letter is exactly what we’re attending and focusing on.
I’m getting the sense that you do not wish to allow entrance to your unit, and that’s fine. But know, we can not determine what we need to determine for your unit without entry.
Your concerns can at this point only be answered if a general but accurate fashion without entry.
Our research is almost complete at this point. A formal letter to our Residents will be forthcoming.
Brad (Spartacus)
Fri, Jun 19, 2:14 PM
Richard Bolton <richbolton@gmail.com>
to me
Note to self:
I spoke to Tim Marshall from AT Design concerning the louvers. He is going out of town today to visit his mother. He will be back on Monday at which time I will call him back. He said he had spoken to Brad and Kevin and will need to measure the opening of the a/c to confirm it is large enough. He said he is a structural engineer and not a mechanical engineer but will see if there is anything that looks wrong as far as opening venting goes.
Mon, Jul 6, 10:23 AM
Richard Bolton <richbolton@gmail.com>
to Kevin
Kevin
It's been nearly a month. Do you have any information to share with the owners?
Rich Bolton
410
Jul 6, 2020, 1:42 PM
Kevin Bennett
to me
Rich
We have been investigating a number of issues/items and have what we believe is a good solution. It has been implicate and is working well in another unit, We chose that course of action, because you were unwilling to allow us to inspect or experiment your unit.
We will update when we get a schedule for the additional vent’s to be updated.
Kevin
Kevin T. Bennett
President
Palm Beach Shores Apartments
Jul 6, 2020, 2:03 PM
Richard Bolton <richbolton@gmail.com>
to Kevin
Thank you for your response.
July 27, 2020
Kevin
It has been nearly three weeks since you last said you had implemented a solution to address the problem with the new A/C louvers that you had installed. I had spoken to Tim Marshall, about this problem and he said that you, Brad and he were working on a solution. You indicated it was working well in another unit. Which unit did you experiment in? Mary and I are interested in your solution because it affects 16 owners that perhaps are still unaware of this situation. As we noted to you before, our A/C units were overheating and the exhaust was above 190 degrees. The units were not able to properly expel the hot air and it put a lot of stress on the motor. We also noticed there was a substantial increase in our FPL bill after the A/C Louver installation. Our A/C units were working in fine order prior to your installation. As you are aware, this information has been relayed to the Building engineer, Marshall, and the Board as early as the BoD meeting on June 1, 2020. Several emails regarding the A/C louver problem were sent to you and the Board beginning in May. Thank you for your time regarding this situation. We are looking forward to your response concerning this serious problem.
Rich & Mary Bolton (410)
July 27, 2020
Rich,
This was a major issue in my mothers condo. I altered the BOD of the issue and the triple electric bill. I am also waiting for a final solution. Kevin has working the issue and I look forward to a quick resolution. My mothers mini split is fully operational of which mitigates the potential mold and AC unit failure potential. However, the poor louver design required that the AC window unit be turned off until the this problem is rectified.
Regards,
Ronald Gibson (101)
July 27, 2020
Hello Kevin,
Anna & I are equally concerned about our unit overheating and overworking as reflected in our current FPL bill which is almost 3 times what it normally is. The financial cost of this situation could be enormous not to mention other damage that may be caused to our units as a result and I assure you, we won’t be paying for it out of our own pockets. This situation requires immediate action so please let us know what is being done to address it.
Thank you,
Paula Fleck (310)
July 27, 2020
Hi Kevin,
As you know, we experienced the same problem with our (almost brand new) unit after the louvres were installed. We are anxious to hear about a solution.
Randy and Ginny
Apt. 504
July 27, 2020
Dear Owners,
There is an issue with the installed A/C louvers restricting air flow. The problem that caused the issue has been identified along with a possible solution. Two test louvers that meet Miami Dade hurricane standards and increase air flow have been ordered. These louvers will be tested a.s.a.p. Upon success -determined by an air conditioning professional- new louvers will be ordered for all units that have these louvers and through the wall A/C units.
This is only an issue for those owners that have through the wall (as opposed to central air) units, and will only affect those owners who are using their air conditioners and NOT using a dehumidifier.
We will continue to keep you updated.
Any questions please contact Brad Peters (772) 214-0866
Sincerely,
Kevin T. Bennett
President
Palm Beach Shores Apartments
July 28,2020
Kevin
Follow up to yesterday's email. What unit were you referring in your July 6th email to me? I would like to contact the owner. I heard you sent an email to owners and Mike Piatt concerning the louvers. I was left off the email. Please keep me in the loop as I am the one that brought this problem to the attention of the board as far back as May. This is a serious problem and needs to be addressed asap. You've had over a year to test out louvers and over two months since it was brought to your attention that the louvers are a problem. Peters is a retired prison guard and not an engineer. Please get the proper professionals involved.
Thank you,
Rich Bolton (410)
Jul 6, 2020, 1:42 PM
Kevin Bennett
to me
Rich
We have been investigating a number of issues/items and have what we believe is a good solution. It has been implicate and is working well in another unit, We chose that course of action, because you were unwilling to allow us to inspect or experiment your unit.
We will update when we get a schedule for the additional vent’s to be updated.
Kevin
Kevin T. Bennett
President
Palm Beach Shores Apartments
Reema Abdo <reemaabdo1@gmail.com>
Mon, Nov 9, 2020, 8:13 PM
to Kevin, Daddy, Mary, me, renda.aa
Hello Kevin,
My sister arrived in Florida to find our unit (407) full of mold. I have attached your email from Jul - the issue you described is the exact issue we had- the new louvres stopped any air flow and our new air conditioner did not work properly. There wasn’t anything done to resolve the issue when it was disclosed to you via emails from Mary Bolton which you acknowledged in the email sent Jul 27, 2020. What was the result of the new louvres that we’re installed (see the excerpt below from your email)?
“ These louvers will be tested a.s.a.p. Upon success -determined by an air conditioning professional- new louvers will be ordered for all units that have these louvers and through the wall A/C units.”
We now need to pay for a remediation company to come in for clean up and hoping we can salvage some of our property/contents. At this point the unit is not habitable. Please advise how you plan to handle and resolve this issue.
Reema & Mary Abdo
Unit #407
From: Kevin Bennett <pbsaptspresident@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 27, 2020 at 13:11
Subject: A/C Louvers
To: Kevin Bennett <pbsaptspresident@gmail.com>, Brad Peters <bradpeters60@yahoo.com>, George Benz <georgebenz@yahoo.com>, Johanna Tomik <jrtomik@gmail.com>, Steve Pepe 604 <pepco71@optimum.net>, Mike Piatt <MPiatt@campbellproperty.com>
Dear Owners,
There is an issue with the installed A/C louvers restricting air flow. The problem that caused the issue has been identified along with a possible solution. Two test louvers that meet Miami Dade hurricane standards and increase air flow have been ordered. These louvers will be tested a.s.a.p. Upon success -determined by an air conditioning professional- new louvers will be ordered for all units that have these louvers and through the wall A/C units.
This is only an issue for those owners that have through the wall (as opposed to central air) units, and will only affect those owners who are using their air conditioners and NOT using a dehumidifier.
We will continue to keep you updated.
Any questions please contact Brad Peters (772) 214-0866
Sincerely,
Kevin T. Bennett
President
Palm Beach Shores Apartments
[Attachments] Tue, May 3, 2022 1:15 PM
to David, Jim, Jackie, George, carl, Joseph,
My A/C unit had prematurely burned out and had to be replaced. I have written to the BoD and the different management companies since louvers were installed back in 2020. I was the first to bring it to the attention of the Board that there was a problem. I have a chain of emails requesting this be fixed over the last 2 years to protect my A/C unit and my apartment from mold. The unit finally burned out in April and needed to be replaced. It arrived yesterday and needs to be installed immediately. I have attached the receipt. All the emails are available upon request. It is shameful to read these emails and the lack of action by the PBSA Board. I have also reached out to other owners that have been reimbursed for this same reason. Bennett and Peters did nothing to fix this problem of mine. My second unit is still operating but it is only a matter of time before it also burns out.
Rich Bolton
410
05/09/2022
Rich <richbolton@gmail.com>
[Attachments] 10:10 AM (21 minutes ago)
to David, Jim, George, Jackie, carl, bcc: me
The link below are the 28 emails I have sent the BoD and management companies warning the louvers were designed wrong and were going to burn out my A/C unit. The A/C unit was bought 02/18/2018 and burned out 04/2022 as the attached file shows. We live here in the winter and the unit was rarely used in four years.
I was the first to notify the BoD there was a problem. I asked for help for over two years. Mary Abdo (407) and others were reimbursed when their units burned out and I expect the same consideration. I am paying a contractor to install this unit and expect the building to pay this cost as well. It should never have come to this point. I do not want to get my attorney involved.
Rich Bolton
410
05/09/2022
Rich <richbolton@gmail.com>
3:21 PM
to David, Jim, George, carl, Jackie
BoD
I have a contractor here that can not install my A/C because you ordered the wrong louvers. These louvers do not let the unit breathe. The louver burned out my A/C unit with very low usage. You need to replace the A/C louvers and hire a lift to install the new louvers. I would like a response to my emails. Why are you like the Bennett/Peters Board ignoring a serious problem?
Rich Bolton
410
05/09/2022
3:50 PM
David Gulley
to me, Jim, George, carl, Jackie
Hi, Rich.
The Board is discussing the potential for a building-wide solution to this problem. As you know, this is not the only issue occupying us at present. I spoke to Jose earlier today and am glad to hear of your progress. I'm new to this, but I believe there are two Board issues: First, what's to be done concerning the current louvers? Second. Recognizing this is you and your neighbors' money, what Board-issued compensation is due you and others, if any? We hope to progress this quickly, and appreciate your cooperation.