You know what really sucks? When I had my inspection, the guy going through everything with me said that the space heater was temperature sensitive and would only work when it was below a certain temp. Imagine my surprise when reading on this site that they don't automatically shut off. Liars.
 
LadyAslan said:
You know what really sucks? When I had my inspection, the guy going through everything with me said that the space heater was temperature sensitive and would only work when it was below a certain temp. Imagine my surprise when reading on this site that they don't automatically shut off. Liars.
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They likely are controlled by a thermostat but I don't think they were set correctly before. I have to check it out, but I remember it just being a dial on the front. I'm guessing they just cranked it up after installing? I know my utility room was scorching hot and was taking up like 20-25KWh/day (I normally use 6-10KWh per day)

You can see when it was turned off and the difference it makes. The high points during the summer are AC blasting, and the other high points are laundry/dishwasher days.
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Ya you remind me of the awe struck people that call Mike Homes to "do it right " lol

Oh thats how you hold a hammer , wow , and thats a drill ...cool lol

1) have you every thought how much cheaper the insurance cost is for the building ?Having a lower flood risk,like by having the water heater outside , reduces building insurance.

2) The utility room is an un airconditioned space ..In the summer it will be naturally hot , therefore saving money on your hot water cost in the summer time

and if the water heater was indoors your AC cost would be higher in the summer because it would be heating the air inside your unit when it is running .

3) These are gas powered appliances ( water heater and furnace ).. I feel better leaving the carbon monoxide and natural gas fumes outside
 
Asmegin said:
They likely are controlled by a thermostat but I don't think they were set correctly before. I have to check it out, but I remember it just being a dial on the front. I'm guessing they just cranked it up after installing? I know my utility room was scorching hot and was taking up like 20-25KWh/day (I normally use 6-10KWh per day)

You can see when it was turned off and the difference it makes. The high points during the summer are AC blasting, and the other high points are laundry/dishwasher days.
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It just looked like a regular cheapo space heater the last time I looked at it. All I remember seeing is the dial on it, that's it.
It didn't look advanced enough to determine the temperature to shut off when there is adequate heat.

Speaking of heat, is the building heat turned on yet? Felt like cold air was still blowing in the hallway. Surprised my unit was as cold as it was yesterday, I don't have my own heat on yet though.
 
They probably had it cranked up during the installation , before residents had moved in

I would adjust it on the coldest day in the winter just long enough to keep the air temp in the utility room above 0 degrees Celsius.
 
Don't know about you, but I don't think everyone wants the inconvienance of having to walk out onto their balcony on a consistent basis in the winter to unlock their closet door to have to turn the thing off and on manually.
 
yup , thats the beauty of home ownership vs renting ...you actually have to take responsibility for your unit .

Building management is just responsible for the common areas usually and anything behind drywall..

Once the temp is adjusted on the heater it shouldn't have to be adjusted again ...The heaters were most likely turned up during construction to keep the pipes from freezing while the hot water wasn't running for months at a time within certain units .
 
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The furnance/water heater are located on the common elements, the balcony is essentially not part of our unit.
So it's actually the home owners responsibility in this case to help protect the common elements by preventing their water pipes from freezing by increasing their own electricity bill to heat these closets. Combined with the space heater not being energy efficient or a decent model, able to shut off on it's own, it's quite an inconvienance in my opinion.

Being a cheap low-rise, I am assuming it wasn't in their budget, but a lot of other condo's have central boiler rooms and these mini utility closests aren't necessary.
 
If the balcony is common elements ... can I go to management and ask them to throw a big party tonight on your balcony ?
 
The bottom line is if you are concerned about hot water or hot water heaters , you are renting the heater and paying for the gas bill , therefore it is your responsibility to understand its operation and maintenance .
These types of installations limit the about of copper pipe going through your walls as opposed to a central boiler that requires copper pipe to be routed all through the building .
This is a very common practice in newer buildings to reduce the initial installation cost , monthly maintenance fee , and building flood insurance (which you pay for as a part of your maintenance fee )
 
JImbo570 said:
you should read yours if you think your balcony is a common element lol
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I did, which is why I am educating you.

I think you are missing the point here. Nobody is complaining about the hot water heater and the gas bill, it's the space heater to heat that closet area to keep it warm enough so that the pipes do not freeze. It's the resulting electricity bill that I am concerned about.

Out of every condo built in Mississauga in probably the last 10 years, I have not heard of one building where a water heater/furnance is located on the actual outside balcony. Please name one. Most new buildings have a central furnance/boiler and individual furnances that open up from a wall panel inside the unit. There are some condos with individual water heaters, but none outdoors that I am aware of.
 
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