- This topic has 2 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 7 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
I live in a large complex (84 across 2 buildings) and each building has hot water systems which supply all units within. These systems have a history of failure: including at the moment, and the Strata Manager has been informed that the company cannot attend for another day (so no hot water for at least 48 hrs). This has been an ongoing issue: a simple structure was built over the hot water tanks as rain seems to have been causing some issues, but it is obviously still an issue (noting that the rain event that caused it this time is extreme!).
So: I have a few questions:
1. Do I have any rights in this regard? (I am an owner occupier.) Personally I think that hot water is essential, and that a 2-3 day delay is unacceptable.
2. I would like to install my own on-demand gas system but I was previously informed that I’d still have to pay (my proportion) for the heating of the communal system. Can I install my own system and is it right that I would still have to pay for communal system? There was nothing in the Contarct when I purchased my unit and there is nothing relevant in the By-laws.thanks
-
Replies
-
Scott – you have the same rights as every other resident, but as an Owner you have the additional ability to do some research on how best to improve the reliability of the communal hotwater system, and to put a Motion on the Agenda of the next General Meeting of your Owners Corporation (O/C) to seek to implement that.
Realistically though, the current weather event is extreme and electricians are probably working their collective butts off in attending to related issues.
With regard the possibility of you opting-out of the communal hotwater system, its operating costs are probably embedded within the Administrative Fund Budget, and removing you from that would not be easy, and so your O/C would probably be reluctant to even attempt that.
Similarly, your installation of a gas-fired externally mounted system to supply hotwater to your Lot only would require a special resolution in that regard to be put to a General Meeting, where ≥75% of those then voting (incl. by proxy) would need to do so in favour in order for your proposal to fly, and unless other Owners have similar proposals you alone would be additionally required to fund the drafting and Registration of a special by-law (SBL) setting out the nature of the consent and any conditions imposed by the O/C to your installation, such as making you responsible for your system’s on-going maintenance and repair.
Have you considered an instantaneous electric system installed wholly within your Unit, just to supply hotwater to a shower during periods when the communal system is out-of-service? They’re < $200 and no O/C consent or SBL would then be necessary.
@Whale said:
…Have you considered an instantaneous electric system installed wholly within your Unit, just to supply hotwater to a shower during periods when the communal system is out-of-service? They’re < $200 and no O/C consent or SBL would then be necessary...You could have your own electric water tank installed between the hot water coming into your unit and the cold water coming in. I assume you would have a tap you can close on the hot and cold water lines coming into the unit? If the tank were on the unit side of the two taps, you could close the tap to the building hot water system whenever it is coming through cold or there is no flow, and open the tap to your tank. Then you would have hot water to every hot water tap in the unit.
If the communal system is more trouble than it is worth to try to fix, you could suggest that the OC resolves to not fix it and all implement your system. It would cost individual units to install their own water tanks but they would have a commensurate saving on OC levies that don’t have to provide for repair and maintenance of the communal system and energy costs to heat the water.
Yet another option would be to replace the communal system with a solar hot water system on the roof. The cost to replace the old system would be recouped in energy cost savings over time and lower levies in the long term.
Solar on the roof could be combined with individual tanks in units in line and the solar system could be left without boosting for winter. When there has been ample sun the hot water in a unit’s tank would be replaced with hot at no cost to the unit owner or the OC. When there has been less sun the hot water would be replaced with not-quite-hot-enough water that does not take much boosting in individual tanks.
A side benefit also would be less water waste. Individuals would not need to run the taps for as long before the water comes through hot.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.