Cogenerators
Good day. My question involves cogenerators. I currently livrd in my residence for over 17 years. This is in a high rise building. A couple of years ago the owners decided to install cogenerators. This cogeneration station is directly below my apartment. When the cogenerators were first installed, the temperatures in my apartnent went up about 25 degrees. The apartment was always anywhere between 90 and 100 degrees. My three children two of which are asthmatic experienced more asthma episodes and allergies and other symptoms. I complained to management about the temperatures and was told “that they were installing a new heating system in the building and that they would look into why my apartment was extremely hot. After a couple of months, I did not noticed this problem. One of the management personnel informed me that they insulated the celings that is why the apartments are cooler now. ” Fast forwarding to today, this last two weeks my apartment is once again back in the upper 90 degree temperature. I noticed work being conducted downstairs in the Cogen room. I ask management once again “why is it extremely hot in my apartment?” I was told that “new boilers and maintenance of some type was being performed with the cogenerators.” What I didn’t mention to management is that the last two weeks my family members and myself have suffered from lightheadedness shortness of breath extreme fatigue. My youngest son always have chest pains. I have a carbon monoxide monitor and sometikmes it blinks red. Yes, there are new batteries in this monitor.I know the advantages of a cogenerator in the building. My question is how many feet away should a cogenerator be installed from a place of occupancy? Should I ask the building owners to be moved to another apartment. I am a little afraid for my family.
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Replies
Everette,
We can provide you general information, but we won't be able to figure out the specific problems in your building. To do so would require a site visit.
It's certainly possible to safely install a congeneration unit in an occupied apartment building. I have inspected a multi-story residential building in Burlington, Vermont, with this type of equipment.
All of the usual safety factors need to be attended to, of course: the congeneration unit produces exhaust fumes which need to be vented outdoors; the cogeneration unit requires combustion air, which needs to be provided to the mechanical room or directly to the unit; and common sense dictates the need for sound control details and insulation between the mechanical room and residential units.
If you have evidence -- or even worries -- of possibly dangerous carbon monoxide levels in your apartment, you should immediately call the fire department and report what you know. Carbon monoxide is potentially fatal.
I'm not sure whether excessively high indoor temperatures are a violation of housing regulations in your state, but they might be. You should call a housing agency that provides services to tenants to try to determine whether your landlord has a legal obligation to provide indoor temperatures within a certain range.
As you may have guessed, a green building web site like this one is not equipped to provide medical advice. If anyone in your family has worrisome symptoms, you should certainly visit a doctor.