(12-27-2021, 04:18 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(12-12-2021, 12:28 AM)taylortbb Wrote: Water-source heat pumps are a decent middle ground though, as the compressor is in-unit and connected to that unit's electricity. Central chillers/boilers with a 4-pipe system (e.g. Charlie West) results in each unit only paying for the fan for the fan coil unit, so heat/AC is basically completely covered by condo fees.
The same is true for the two-pipe system: the air handler pushes the air over the cooling/heating elements (cooling or heating for those is provided centrally). The difference is that a two-pipe system can only provide either heating or cooling at any one time, not both: the building needs to switch between the two modes each spring and fall (each switchover takes a few days at a minimum).
Wow...you learn something new every day.
When I went to Cameron Heights and when we had weather changes (usually early spring heat or late summer/fall heat) the maintenance staff always used the excuse "we can't change back to 'summer cooling' because it takes days for the changeover, and it might be cold again by then". I think the changeover occurred May 1 and October 15. I never understood it, and thought they were full of it.
Appears they were telling the truth.