New York City’s heat season runs from October 1 through May 31, so schedule boiler or furnace service in late summer or early fall. Check air conditioning in spring, before the first heat wave. During heat season, building owners must keep tenants’ apartments at temperatures set by HPD.
In Ridgewood, Maspeth and Greenpoint, many Polish families live in two-family houses: the owners occupy one floor and rent out the other. That setup is easy to underestimate. When a single boiler in the basement heats the whole building, a breakdown in January means a cold apartment for the owner, a cold apartment for the tenant and questions about the owner’s obligations.
It helps to treat heating and cooling as a yearly calendar: fall for what keeps the house warm, spring for what keeps it cool, and equipment replacement decided calmly, before a cold snap or heat wave forces the issue.
What temperatures must a building owner maintain during heat season?
During heat season, from October 1 through May 31, owners must keep tenants’ apartments at 68°F or higher during the day (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) whenever the outside temperature falls below 55°F. At night, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the indoor temperature must be at least 62°F regardless of the weather. Anyone who rents out a unit in their own house should check which obligations apply to their building.
Hot water is required every day of the year at a constant minimum of 120°F. A tenant who cannot resolve a heat problem with the owner can report it to 311, including anonymously. For a first violation, the city can impose civil penalties of $250 to $500 per day, and more for repeat violations. The details are published on the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) heat and hot water page.
What should be checked in a heating system before October 1?
Before the season starts, the priorities are the boiler or furnace, the system pressure, the radiators and the safety devices. The best time to book a service visit is late summer, while the boiler is still idle. In the fall, technicians are busiest and parts can take time to arrive.
A typical checkup covers several items:
- the condition of the burner, heat exchanger and flue of the boiler or furnace;
- water pressure in the system and the circulator pump;
- bleeding the radiators and checking the valves;
- the thermostat, plus working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house.
Older walk-ups with cast-iron radiators and steam heat have their own familiar symptoms: banging pipes, rooms that heat unevenly, hissing valves. Mention them during the checkup, because in winter every repair means a building that is cooling down.
Why is spring the right time to service air conditioning?
In spring the AC sits unused, so a service visit leaves no one without cooling, and any problem it uncovers can be fixed before the hot weather. It is the moment to clean or replace filters, check the condensate drain and inspect the outdoor unit after winter. Refrigerant leaks and electrical faults are a job for a professional, not a do-it-yourself fix.
In multifamily buildings and co-ops there is also a formal side. The building’s board or management often decides where a window unit or the outdoor unit of a split system may go, so read the house rules and talk to management before buying new equipment.
A checkup is also a chance to ask whether an older window unit is still worth repairing. Loud operation, weak cooling and rising electric bills are a signal to compare repair costs with a newer unit.
Can a heat pump replace an old furnace and an air conditioner?
A heat pump heats in winter and cools in summer, so in many homes it can do the job of two separate systems. New York State’s NYS Clean Heat heat pump program run by NYSERDA presents cold-climate air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps as an alternative to oil, propane and electric baseboard heat. According to NYSERDA, the state and energy companies offer rebates, financing and tax credits.
Before deciding, assess the home’s insulation, the condition of the windows, the capacity of the electrical service and whether the existing radiators will stay in use. In a walk-up where one boiler serves several apartments, the change calls for a broader plan than in a single-family house. Program terms change, so check the current rules directly with the source.
What else do we cover about home improvement?
- Interior renovations in New York apartments and houses
- Electrical work and carpentry at home
- Energy-efficient windows: how to choose
A Polish construction company from Ridgewood
PDP Contracting, Inc. has been in business since 1997 and has its office in Ridgewood, Queens. Its services include installing and repairing heating and air conditioning systems, as well as interior renovations, electrical work and carpentry. The company works across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for residential and commercial clients. Consultations and estimates are free, and service is available in Polish and English.
Learn more in PDP Contracting’s listing in the PolishPages directory. To schedule an estimate, call 718-456-3150; the office is at 2137 Butler Avenue in Ridgewood.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional advice or official guidance from city and state agencies. Regulations and program terms may change; HPD and NYSERDA publish the current rules.
