NOVENT® locking caps seal standard Schraeder service valves on all central AC units and minisplits to help prevent refrigerant leakage. Novent provides dual protection with a single screw-on installation. Safe guard your AC system's efficiency and the environment from lost or accidental mixing of refrigerant gases. Help protect children from serious injury or death resulting from the inhalation of dangerous refrigerants. Patented Novent Caps are precision machined from high grade brass surrounded by a protective aluminum shroud and can only be installed and removed with a special tool.Previous post: Oh Passat, how I will miss thee… (or, “my tale of a new car”)Next post: Kind of stating the obvious..The presence of mold in an HVAC system is a common complaint.  Mold is a sneaky little bugger.  It can grow and proliferate and make building occupants sick without ever being seen.   And the fastest way to spread mold through a building is through a forced-air HVAC system.The reason this complaint is so common is that mold is always present in your buildings and your HVAC system to the extent that it is present in your building’s environment.  

There will be more mold in humid weather and less in dry weather.   You will never get rid of it completely, but you can control it.   All it needs to grow is moisture and food.   Take those away and the mold goes away. for residential and light commercial mold remediation productsAccording to the U.S. EPA, you should routinely inspect your HVAC systems, not just for mold, but for moisture.   Look at drain and condensate pans to make sure they are draining properly.   If they are plugged, the moisture that accumulates will become a mold factory.  Also make sure that all HVAC ducts and system components such as air handlers, blowers, plenums and the like are free of any moisture.If, despite regularly inspecting your system, you are still getting complaints about it (mold starts to grow in as little as 48 hours), here are some tips for cleaning it up:1.) Turn off your HVAC system.2.) Everyone involved in this cleaning should wear at least an N-95 respirator3.) Replace anything porous, such as filters or insulation that has become wet. 

Double-bag the waste using at 6-mil or thicker plastic bags.4.) Use wet vacuums to clean out any standing water.5.) Use an EPA registered disinfectant labelled for HVAC use to clean non porous surfaces (Duct work, coils, plenums, pans, etc) of mold, mildew and other dirt. BBJ MMR-II ready-to-use disinfectant and mold cleaner will kill and remove mold, mildew and odor causing bacteria.6.) As an added measure, isolate each section of ductwork you clean with bladders so the spores you stir up during cleaning don’t spread to other parts of the system or the building. Fog the area with an EPA registered disinfectant.7.) Apply a mold and mildew inhibitor to all components of the HVAC systems. Again, this must be EPA registered and specifically labelled for use in HVAC systems to limit risks associated with using the wrong chemicals and cleaners in HVAC systems. Goodway’s CoilShine-BC is EPA registered for use in HVAC systems to control mold growth for up to 2 years.8.) As a final step, HEPA vacuum anything that you cleaned up.

Check out these other resources:Sticking outside in all their boxy metallic ugliness, dripping onto passers-by, and blocking light and views indoors, window mounted air conditioners are as ubiquitous a feature of NYC apartment life as fire escapes and water towers.  vornado vs holmes air purifier(For more info, check out BrickUnderground's guide to all things window a/c).air purifier and nose bleedsPTACs are usually installed when a building is constructed and hooked up to a building’s hot-water system.  hepa air purifier holmes reviewHot water produced by the boiler flows into the PTAC, and circulates the resulting heat into the apartment.  The PTAC has a separate chamber containing coolant that produces cool air.  

They are vented to the outside through a cutout below the window typically covered with a metal grill, similar to a through-wall a/c, says Gary Cottam of Cottam Heating & Air Conditioning. 2. Choosing the right through-wall unitFriedrich, LG, GE, Amana, and Frigidaire are the most popular brands.  There are standard calculations  to determine the number of BTUs you need--room size, ceiling height, amount of sunlight, number of occupants, and proximity to the kitchen.And don’t forget to jot down the voltage and amperage of the electrical plug, along with the capacity of the outlet the a/c will use.  If you’re buying a unit that requires more electrical power than your existing outlet can handle, you’re going to need an electrician to upgrade your wiring.  And that will require lots of permits along with permission from your landlord, or co-op or condo board.3. Installing a through-wall a/c where none has gone beforeAlthough cutting an opening through the masonry of an exterior wall is physically a relatively simple undertaking that costs around $2,000, like most things connected with New York City real estate you’ll have to get the requisite building and construction permits, permission from your landlord, co-op, or condo board, and maybe even an architect

,  says Ranjit Singh, president of Cool Air Inc.Arline Kob, a principal at Key Real Estate Associates, which manages co-ops in New York, says that she’s “never known a co-op board to allow the installation of a through-the-wall unit where none exists.”  The board would be concerned about façade uniformity and breaking the seal of the building’s exterior. If your board is through-wall-friendly, you will be expected to install an exterior grille that matches existing ones and lines up to them, says property manager Michael Wolfe of Midboro Management.  The grilles will also need to be flush with the building's facade and the building's architect or engineer will need to review the proposed installation.In addition, says Kob, "the resident and future buyers, not the co-op, would be responsible for maintaining the newly installed sleeve and the wall into which it was cut.  That includes damage to surrounding apartments that may result.”If you live in a landmarked building or district you’ll have to get the go ahead from the Landmarks Preservation Commission too. 

Good luck with that, especially if the altered wall will be visible from the street.  “Landmarks would never allow it,” says Kob.Because a PTAC is hooked up to the building’s water, the units need to be rigorously maintained to get rid of clogs that can cause leaks. These can go unnoticed for long periods of time, causing floors and walls to buckle and often damaging apartments below the one in which it’s housed. Damage from PTAC units is, in fact, among the most common apartment insurance claims in New York City, says Jeff Schneider of Gotham Brokerage, with an average claim size of $5,000.In addition, PTAC units are prone to the musty, mildew-y odor known as 'dirty sock syndrome', which is generally thought to be caused by bacteria and mold accumulating on heat pumps.  The PTAC’s dual heating and cooling functions make them susceptible to it. Frequent professional cleaning can help sometimes, but the problem has no good solution; the very nature of the PTAC unit makes it susceptible.