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NW22

Junior Member
In NJ
I NEED my air conditioner fixed due to a new born baby and the fact that my apartment is 90 degrees. I thought maintenance had replaced my heater earlier this winter and im just now finding out that they intended to replace both heat and air but only did the heater, now it 90 outside i have no air and a new born any day now (wife is in her final days of pregnancy) this hot temperature poses a serious health threat to an infant (SIDS). I called the maintenance department and found out that they have no parts for the AC and that it would be days before they can get them. They offered a temporary window AC unit in the mean time and therein lies my issues: AC units tend to hike up your electric bill, if i take their temporary unit, because my babys well being depends on it, can i ask them (or sue them) to pay for the charges to my electric bill that this unit will bring?
 


Just Blue

Senior Member
In NJ
I NEED my air conditioner fixed due to a new born baby and the fact that my apartment is 90 degrees. I thought maintenance had replaced my heater earlier this winter and im just now finding out that they intended to replace both heat and air but only did the heater, now it 90 outside i have no air and a new born any day now (wife is in her final days of pregnancy) this hot temperature poses a serious health threat to an infant (SIDS). I called the maintenance department and found out that they have no parts for the AC and that it would be days before they can get them. They offered a temporary window AC unit in the mean time and therein lies my issues: AC units tend to hike up your electric bill, if i take their temporary unit, because my babys well being depends on it, can i ask them (or sue them) to pay for the charges to my electric bill that this unit will bring?

Seriously? ...Just WOW.
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
In NJ
I NEED my air conditioner fixed due to a new born baby and the fact that my apartment is 90 degrees. I thought maintenance had replaced my heater earlier this winter and im just now finding out that they intended to replace both heat and air but only did the heater, now it 90 outside i have no air and a new born any day now (wife is in her final days of pregnancy) this hot temperature poses a serious health threat to an infant (SIDS). I called the maintenance department and found out that they have no parts for the AC and that it would be days before they can get them. They offered a temporary window AC unit in the mean time and therein lies my issues: AC units tend to hike up your electric bill, if i take their temporary unit, because my babys well being depends on it, can i ask them (or sue them) to pay for the charges to my electric bill that this unit will bring?
You can ask them whatever you want but unless your lease specifically provides for it, you'll likely get laughed out of the office.

NJ law does not consider air conditioning units as "essential", unlike heat.
 

quincy

Senior Member
In NJ
I NEED my air conditioner fixed due to a new born baby and the fact that my apartment is 90 degrees. I thought maintenance had replaced my heater earlier this winter and im just now finding out that they intended to replace both heat and air but only did the heater, now it 90 outside i have no air and a new born any day now (wife is in her final days of pregnancy) this hot temperature poses a serious health threat to an infant (SIDS). I called the maintenance department and found out that they have no parts for the AC and that it would be days before they can get them. They offered a temporary window AC unit in the mean time and therein lies my issues: AC units tend to hike up your electric bill, if i take their temporary unit, because my babys well being depends on it, can i ask them (or sue them) to pay for the charges to my electric bill that this unit will bring?
I was in New Jersey last weekend and it was rainy and COLD on Saturday! What a difference a few days make, huh?

The long-range forecast shows the temperatures (in parts of New Jersey) dropping back to the normal high-70 range by next week. It is possible that you will find the cost of running the window unit will be less than what you would have paid for cooling your entire apartment space, at least for the days that the window unit will be necessary.

But, sure, you can ask your landlord if he will cover any increase in costs. The landlord might say no, though. You could also ask your landlord if you can hire your own repairman and have him cover the expense of that. Again, the landlord might say no.

There is no risk of SIDS, by the way, if the baby has not been born yet. By the time your baby is born, the temperatures might be more comfortable and your apartment's air conditioner should be fixed by maintenance.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I was in New Jersey last weekend and it was rainy and COLD on Saturday! What a difference a few days make, huh?

The long-range forecast shows the temperatures (in parts of New Jersey) dropping back to the normal high-70 range by next week. It is possible that you will find the cost of running the window unit will be less than what you would have paid for cooling your entire apartment space, at least for the days that the window unit will be necessary.

But, sure, you can ask your landlord if he will cover any increase in costs. The landlord might say no, though. You could also ask your landlord if you can hire your own repairman and have him cover the expense of that. Again, the landlord might say no.

There is no risk of SIDS, by the way, if the baby has not been born yet. By the time your baby is born, the temperatures might be more comfortable and your apartment's air conditioner should be fixed by maintenance.
I'm wondering why the OP thinks an old central a/c unit that is in poor repair will be more efficient than a brand-spanking new window a/c...
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
I'm wondering why the OP thinks an old central a/c unit that is in poor repair will be more efficient than a brand-spanking new window a/c...
I am also wondering why OP would even think twice about the window AC. If s/her is so sure of the risk to the newborn....it should be a no brainer.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
"They offered a temporary window AC unit in the mean time and therein lies my issues: AC units tend to hike up your electric bill, if i take their temporary unit, because my babys well being depends on it, can i ask them (or sue them) to pay for the charges to my electric bill that this unit will bring? "

(Sigh)...Your landlord has offered a reasonable option (a window unit) while they await for parts to the current AC unit and you're complaining about all of this? As has been pointed out, providing heat is a requirement in your state; air conditioning is not. One would assume you would be thanking management for this, not asking if you can sue them for some misguided assumption regarding higher electric bills.

Gail
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
I get it that if the unit came with central air that you would like it to work , As a person who has not lived in housing that had a forced air furnace since 1977 ( every thing I rented or owned had either gas space heaters or gravity furnaces or hot water boiler heat ) I can tell you running just ONE window air conditioner in one room such as a 5000 btu machine is not going to cause a massive spike in your electric bill, Since I work nights we typically run just one 5000 btu in one bedroom about 13- 14 hours a day and it doesn't kill us the way heating with electric would. SO use the window unit they offered while they are getting the other repaired.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
Love this site...

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html

2.5 ton Central Air Unit - running 24/7 - 16 cents per kWh - $400+ per month

Medium size window air conditioner unit - running 24/7 - 16 cents per kWh - $107 per month.

It is untrue that window air conditioning units INCREASE electrical bills.

Gail
 

tranquility

Senior Member
New Jersey does not require an air conditioner as an issue of habitability. While I understand other forum member's derision on the matter, I also understand the difference from what one expects in a lease/contract and what one gets.

The facts of what one wants or needs is not really relevant. What one should get as a matter of habitability or under contract/lease is relevant. There, your goal and facts matter.

Assume you felt the agreement was that you were to have an "air conditioner". (Whatever that means. Central air. Window thing of certain efficiency. Whatever.) The landlord did not supply it. What result?

You can claim he violated the lease and sue and demand or mitigate the circumstance with an "air conditioner" you believe is correct. If correct, golden. If not, the change you make is on you.

You could also claim you thought you deserved an "air conditioner" under the contract and the landlord says that was not what I thought. Without proof of the agreement that allows for such, the best remedy is that the landlord does not supply the item and you move to another place where you get an agreement.

The law does not care about what you want because you have a new born baby or your fears about SIDS. The law requires what was promised or what makes a place habitable.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Love this site...

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html

2.5 ton Central Air Unit - running 24/7 - 16 cents per kWh - $400+ per month

Medium size window air conditioner unit - running 24/7 - 16 cents per kWh - $107 per month.

It is untrue that window air conditioning units INCREASE electrical bills.

Gail
They increase bills because it costs money to operate them. The issue is does it cost more to operate them than a central air unit. Given a central air unit is going to run less time (if sized properly and it's working properly) since it will cool down the apartment and shut off. A small window unit may actually have to run 24/7 to provide a reasonable benefit. How long it may have to run is going to depend on the outside temps as well as the btu/h rating of the unit and the heat gain of the cooked space.

The calculations above do not take into consideration a central air unit is not likely to run 24/7 until the temps exceed 90 or so.


The chances are using a central air will cost less and provide a more comfortable air space simply because it is large enough to be able to shut off once the temp setting has been reached.

A medium sizes Windows ac is going to be about unit 8000 - 10,000 btu/h actuslly that's medium to large for a window 120 volt unit. If one includes 240 units mid sized would likely be about 15,000 to 18,000 btu/h. That central air unit is 30,000 btu/h so you can imagine how much less time the larger unit will run to provide the same benefit.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
They increase bills because it costs money to operate them. The issue is does it cost more to operate them than a central air unit. Given a central air unit is going to run less time (if sized properly and it's working properly) since it will cool down the apartment and shut off. A small window unit may actually have to run 24/7 to provide a reasonable benefit. How long it may have to run is going to depend on the outside temps as well as the btu/h rating of the unit and the heat gain of the cooked space.

The calculations above do not take into consideration a central air unit is not likely to run 24/7 until the temps exceed 90 or so.


The chances are using a central air will cost less and provide a more comfortable air space simply because it is large enough to be able to shut off once the temp setting has been reached.

A medium sizes Windows ac is going to be about unit 8000 - 10,000 btu/h actuslly that's medium to large for a window 120 volt unit. If one includes 240 units mid sized would likely be about 15,000 to 18,000 btu/h. That central air unit is 30,000 btu/h so you can imagine how much less time the larger unit will run to provide the same benefit.
It actually cost me about 100.00 a month less to run window units than my very old central AC unit. I finally have a new central AC unit this year and it will be interesting to compare.
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
My experience with window units is that you can cool just ONE room instead of a whole house and cooling just that one room will cost less than whole house but as I said I do get it that if the unit came with central air that you would like it to work and even if its not required in a state or treated the same as heating with a states law Im a huge stickler that if you rent a place and something is supplied such as central air or clothes washer / dryer/ dishwasher/ cookstove/ fridge and then the LL has to fix those things but in the time being for NW22 accept one window unit from the LL or refuse it and buy your own for the babies room. THEN put the repair request to get the central air fixed on real paper sent to the LL via certified mail if its not fixed in the next couple days SO you do have a copy and certified mail receipt for your paper trail.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
For what it's worth...

"Humongous" (1400 BTU) window air conditioner - running 24/7 - 16 centers per kWh - $171 per month.

Still less than half the cost of that 2.5 ton (3000 BTU) central unit at $400+ per month.

It's a misnomer that window units are energy eaters (many are energy efficient). And, at any rate, this issue of providing a window unit is a temporary solution until the parts for the central unit can be received.

And as for 90 degree weather causing SIDs in an infant; one wonders how ANY child in the deep south (where I live) survived when born any time during the months of mid May to mid September prior to central air conditioning.

Gail
 

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