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View Full Version : Who pays for astronoical electric bill when a/c is broken?


kristikitten
Aug 19, 2008, 10:57 AM
2 months ago when it became over 100 degrees in Las Vegas our A/C would run and run and run and not go under 86 degrees even though we set it at 78. For a 1100 Sq foot condo we received a $270 electric bill. We called our landlord who then called the warranty company they sent someone out. The repairman stated the a/c unit needed freon and a new condenser. Being that condenser's cost a lot of money they retorted that they needed another opinion.
As we had a vacation planned, we had to wait 2 more weeks before that second opinion could come to the condo. When they finally did- he walked in and said he smelled heat. He went to the a/c unit monitor in the house and found that the wires were hooked up in a way that the heat was going on at the same time the air conditioning was going on. And we were only getting 30 % cool air. The next week we received our electric bill of... you all better sit down for this one... $470!!
We set up a payment plan with the electric company, our landlord called the HOA to get the number of the builder who put the A/C in the condo. 2 weeks now we still haven't heard from them. My landlord said that her and us would have to come up with a resolution as to her paying some money and us paying the rest. I feel I shouldn't need to pay anything more than $200 which is what a normal payment might be.

ScottGem
Aug 19, 2008, 10:59 AM
That sounds reasonable to me. But you may have to take your landlord to court if she doesn't agree.

kristikitten
Aug 19, 2008, 11:42 AM
2 months ago when it became over 100 degrees in Las Vegas our A/C would run and run and run and not go under 86 degrees even though we set it at 78. For a 1100 Sq foot condo we received a $270 electric bill. We called our landlord who then called the warranty company they sent someone out. The repairman stated the a/c unit needed freon and a new condenser. Being that condenser's cost a lot of money they retorted that they needed another opinion.
As we had a vacation planned, we had to wait 2 more weeks before that second opinion could come to the condo. When they finally did- he walked in and said he smelled heat. He went to the a/c unit monitor in the house and found that the wires were hooked up in a way that the heat was going on at the same time the air conditioning was going on. And we were only getting 30 % cool air. The next week we received out electric bill of... you all better sit down for this one... $470!!
We set up a payment plan with the electric company, our landlord called the HOA to get the number of the builder who put the A/C in the condo. 2 wekks now wwe still haven't heard from them. My landlord said that her and us would have to come up with a resolution as to her paying some money and us paying the rest. I feel I shouldn't need to pay anything more than $200 which is what a normal payment might be.

twinkiedooter
Aug 19, 2008, 12:27 PM
Why didn't the first repairperson notice the wrong wiring job in the first place? How old is the unit to begin with that it would need more freon and a new condenser? How long have you lived in the unit? If the wiring job was wrong from the start, the unit would not have just run out of freon and a condenser unit gone bad. Something tells me that the repairperson somehow crossed the wiring up causing the problem.

Smoked
Aug 19, 2008, 12:31 PM
If you noticed it wasn't cooling your living space why did you keep running it?

rockinmommy
Aug 19, 2008, 12:59 PM
I just wanted to say that you need to go back and get everything (as much as possible) in writing. Statements from repairmen, etc. Conduct all correspondence in writing with your landlord, too. If you have a phone conversation, or in person, with them follow up with a little note saying, "as we discussed today you are contacting the HOA and etc, etc, etc. I will expect to hear back from you by Monday, Aug. 25 (for example) at the latest." etc. This way you have strong evidence should a lawsuit become necessary. AND when people realize that what they're doing is being documented it often gets better results!

I do agree, though, with the previous posters who asked why you kept running the AC if it was't cooling.

kristikitten
Aug 19, 2008, 02:04 PM
We kept it running because we were getting some air. 86 degrees is better than 96 + degrees. Plus we have animals.

Smoked
Aug 19, 2008, 02:09 PM
Even at 86 degrees you know there is an issue. It doesn't explain why you would wait until you have a massive bill before you looked into the problem. One tends to make assumptions that if you know there is a problem but don't do anything about it, you might have done something to cause the problem. Just saying...

Listen to rockinmommy.. she/he is giving you some sound advice despite the questions we have about the story.

rockinmommy
Aug 19, 2008, 02:52 PM
Ok, so is it fixed? Who fixed it? What WAS the problem? How long have you lived there (have you not been running the AC all spring/summer)?

The wiring issue doesn't make much sense to me. Low freon - condenser issues sound much more plausible.

And what does the HOA have to do with the AC unit?

I agree that you are entitled to some sort of compensation. It's ridiculous that they made you wait that long to get it fixed. (Although I don't know what your vacation had to do with a delay in the repair.)

But I guess I'm not 100% clear on what transpired. Lots of confusion as to the facts.