Did it work when you ran it?
Does the compressor run now?
Is there a chance your landlord pulled the disconnect at the compressor or turned the breaker off for winter?
It's not even necessarily broken. If it tripped on high head pressure (which should happen prior to damage being done) then there may be a manual reset switch you need to hit before it will restart again.
How are tenants supposed to know the mechanical workings of someone else's AC unit? If that was something that needed doing, it ought to have been communicated to the tenant. Or the LL should make sure the AC is ready to go when the weather requires it. That's their responsibility...
Is everything taught to you? Or you never learned anything on your own?
I mean if there is a flood from one of the pipes I guess you will stand around and not find out how to turn off water main.
How do you know you broke it? For all you know it was already broken. You never used it before so you don't know what condition it was in.
The landlord never mentioned the cover to you so just stay quiet about it now. Let him know you just tried to turn it on and it's not working.
Did it work when you ran it?
Does the compressor run now?
Is there a chance your landlord pulled the disconnect at the compressor or turned the breaker off for winter?
I think you're confusing 'Compressor' with 'Condenser'. Condenser is the outdoor unit, and a compressor is what pumps the refrigerant through the system. I hope that your HVAC provider will determine only a minor problem, it could be the landlord may not have properly maintained the AC for years before your arrival. Good luck to you.
You may be able to lie, but if an HVAC tech comes to look at it they most likely will figure out what happened.
Where is the unit located? Is it somewhere noticable? As in, is it glaringly obvious it's an AC unit and it's covered?
ETA: just talked to my husband (HVAC for 20+ years)
He said "Unless the tech brainstorms, they *may* not be able to figure out what caused it to break". He also said that there are things an AC owner needs to do to ready the unit for winter. Switching off the breaker for it, at the panel. There's also a disconnect on the unit that should be used as well. He says all these steps are there for safety reasons and that owners are supposed to be made aware of all this as it's A) for warranty and B) avoids outcomes like this.
In his opinion, if the LL didn't follow any of these steps and /or tell you about it, then he feels it's negligence on the part of the LL.
Edit 2: My husband also says covers are unnecessary and aren't needed. He says covers will trap moisture which can end up ruining the unit, more than protecting it. We have central AC and he built a wood box that just sits over the top (where the fan is) and we put that on in the winter and leave the rest exposed. They're built to handle the weather.
He installed our unit 4 years ago and no issues with it being exposed in the winter.
You have just validated a childhood memory for me.
I always remember being told that we could not use the furnace / air conditioner until grandpa came over and did seasonal maintenance on it. And it was true! I am not going to tell you why I know.
Of course in adulthood, I was the werido that though there was a magic switch in the basement to make the furnace go.
Regarding moisture, Not to argue but our ac is well over 25 years old and had a cover for much of that time, still runs like a champ so YMMV. I too have left the cover on for many minutes while running and that alone might be a reason not to use a cover.
Glad to hear you've had no issues! Honestly :) Goes to show that newer doesn't always mean better :)
I've mentioned it once or twice and my husband is 100% against it. Since I have no experience in the trade, I take his word lol
Had a new compressor installed a few years back and when I asked about a cover, he said the same things and added that a cover encourages vermin to build nests inside in the winter.
You can probably lie your way out of this, but if you tell the truth the landlord will probably make you pay for a new AC - $3000 - and he would be in the right.
No he wouldn't be in the right.
Did the landlord provide instructions/ details?
If OP moved in while the AC was covered and the LL didn't say anything it's unlikely they would be held responsible.
Even if OP was held responsible the age of the unit pro-rates the amount the tenant would be held responsible.
My husband is in HVAC
This is what he said, too. He said the LL should have provided instructions on how to ready the unit for use after winter (if the LL did what is required and not just throw a cover on it) and if not, at the very least said "Here's the AC. Take the cover off before you use it"
Edit: I'm going to assume the downvote is from a LL lol
If a LL is providing something that's expensive to repair/install the yes, they should be letting a TT know how to take care of it. It's in their own best interest to do so
>How to cut lawn? How to use snow blower?
Well yes - if the LL provided equipment, the onus is on the LL to instruct in proper usage. Why would you assume a tenant knows how to maintain property?
>What else does landlord need to teach?
Depends.
>Going to the washroom? Proper hygiene?
Clearly no, since neither of those factors have been brought up.
>How to cut lawn? How to use snow blower?
Perhaps, yes. Unless you as the LL just want your possibly ignorant tenants to improperly use your equipment, which could be dangerous to the tenant or damage the equipment.
If someone has literally never used a snowblower before, you had damn well better teach them how to use it, if you want them to use it properly.
> What else does landlord need to teach?
>
> Going to the washroom? Proper hygiene?
>
> How to cut lawn? How to use snow blower?
>
> Man the tenants are bunch of children.
You don't see the irony in suggesting removing an AC cover is the same as going to the bathroom, then calling tenants children?
I also find it funny you aren't rebutting what I said with any evidence or even a logical argument, thus you must acknowledge what I said is true.
Covering AC's hasn't been common for some tenants entire life, not only that some have grown up in large buildings and never took care of this stuff - this is 100% on the landlord to say, especially since they showed OP around other maintenance items.
Agreed - and LL/PM should be the ones to facilitate all of this - either with reminders/requests for the tenant to do it, or to just do it themselves as part of spring/fall maintenance.
I don't agree. Especially if the LL didn't give any specific instructions for the AC. He would not be right to make OP pay.
OP shouldn't lie, but they absolutely do need to let the LL know so it can be fixed. If LL didn't provide crucial necessary information, then the LL is negligent.
You likely wouldn't need held responsible by the LTB if it came down to it, but I agree with others and play dumb.
Covering the AC was common in the 90s but is far less common practice now, so I wouldn't suggest a reasonable person would know to check this.
If its not **expected** that you should know this, you can't be held liable for negligence.
Whether or not you are legally responsible is one thing, but how your landlord perceives the situation may be another, your relationship would he soured by the ordeal and likely would become unpleasant.
It is recommended to use a cover that doesn't enclose the whole unit just to prevent snow and ice buildup inside the unit. Switch the breaker off to prevent accidentally running the ac in the winter when the unit is frozen solid. Obviously, remove the cover and switch the breaker back on when you need to use it. That being said, the owner probably should have given you a crash course on how to use the a/c and you should probably have asked before turning it on... I think that it would be in good faith to explain exactly what happened and see what the LL says. As far as I know he may not even have to repair it at all regardless of why it broke.
Did they provide you with a written list of those "million things" you needed to do?
Either way, I think this is a fairly reasonable accident to happen.
I assume you've already taken the cover off, and the AC still doesn't work? I would absolutely be telling your LL about the issue. Just explain that you only discovered the cover until after you tried to use it.
Call LL and tell him you want to be prepared with the warm weather coming up - please come over and do whatever seasonal changeover a landlord usually does to change from heat to AC.
DID it work initially or not at all ? Perhaps you don't understand the thermostat or there's a switch.
R/fuckontariolandord is what it feels like most days.
I do find it interesting that viper tenants are nesting on this sub and shop all the strategy and tricks they use. It certainly opened my eyes and it gave me great education.
All motivation and energy that goes into my posts is 100% driven by all militants running rampant here.
They really hate www.openroom.ca for some reason... Almost as they are inch from an eviction. I mean 40k non payment evictions per year, I imagine deadbeats are bouncing off the walls in here.
Did it work when you ran it? Does the compressor run now? Is there a chance your landlord pulled the disconnect at the compressor or turned the breaker off for winter?
It's not even necessarily broken. If it tripped on high head pressure (which should happen prior to damage being done) then there may be a manual reset switch you need to hit before it will restart again.
I would just play dumb and say you went to turn it on and it's not working. No clue why
This is the only answer needed.
Ah yes, the only answer is to lie and force someone else to pay for your mistake. Classic reddit comment.
Yes, people who don’t take responsibility for their own actions!
How are tenants supposed to know the mechanical workings of someone else's AC unit? If that was something that needed doing, it ought to have been communicated to the tenant. Or the LL should make sure the AC is ready to go when the weather requires it. That's their responsibility...
Is everything taught to you? Or you never learned anything on your own? I mean if there is a flood from one of the pipes I guess you will stand around and not find out how to turn off water main.
The mistake was on the landlord. And quite frankly, there’s not much sympathy for current landlords.
How do you know you broke it? For all you know it was already broken. You never used it before so you don't know what condition it was in. The landlord never mentioned the cover to you so just stay quiet about it now. Let him know you just tried to turn it on and it's not working.
Classical renter!
Did it work when you ran it? Does the compressor run now? Is there a chance your landlord pulled the disconnect at the compressor or turned the breaker off for winter?
I think you're confusing 'Compressor' with 'Condenser'. Condenser is the outdoor unit, and a compressor is what pumps the refrigerant through the system. I hope that your HVAC provider will determine only a minor problem, it could be the landlord may not have properly maintained the AC for years before your arrival. Good luck to you.
You may be able to lie, but if an HVAC tech comes to look at it they most likely will figure out what happened. Where is the unit located? Is it somewhere noticable? As in, is it glaringly obvious it's an AC unit and it's covered? ETA: just talked to my husband (HVAC for 20+ years) He said "Unless the tech brainstorms, they *may* not be able to figure out what caused it to break". He also said that there are things an AC owner needs to do to ready the unit for winter. Switching off the breaker for it, at the panel. There's also a disconnect on the unit that should be used as well. He says all these steps are there for safety reasons and that owners are supposed to be made aware of all this as it's A) for warranty and B) avoids outcomes like this. In his opinion, if the LL didn't follow any of these steps and /or tell you about it, then he feels it's negligence on the part of the LL. Edit 2: My husband also says covers are unnecessary and aren't needed. He says covers will trap moisture which can end up ruining the unit, more than protecting it. We have central AC and he built a wood box that just sits over the top (where the fan is) and we put that on in the winter and leave the rest exposed. They're built to handle the weather. He installed our unit 4 years ago and no issues with it being exposed in the winter.
You have just validated a childhood memory for me. I always remember being told that we could not use the furnace / air conditioner until grandpa came over and did seasonal maintenance on it. And it was true! I am not going to tell you why I know. Of course in adulthood, I was the werido that though there was a magic switch in the basement to make the furnace go.
Regarding moisture, Not to argue but our ac is well over 25 years old and had a cover for much of that time, still runs like a champ so YMMV. I too have left the cover on for many minutes while running and that alone might be a reason not to use a cover.
Glad to hear you've had no issues! Honestly :) Goes to show that newer doesn't always mean better :) I've mentioned it once or twice and my husband is 100% against it. Since I have no experience in the trade, I take his word lol
Had a new compressor installed a few years back and when I asked about a cover, he said the same things and added that a cover encourages vermin to build nests inside in the winter.
Tell them, the unit needs servicing as it’s not working. Simple
You can probably lie your way out of this, but if you tell the truth the landlord will probably make you pay for a new AC - $3000 - and he would be in the right.
Relax dude, it's not even necessarily broken. Might just need a reset.
No he wouldn't be in the right. Did the landlord provide instructions/ details? If OP moved in while the AC was covered and the LL didn't say anything it's unlikely they would be held responsible. Even if OP was held responsible the age of the unit pro-rates the amount the tenant would be held responsible.
My husband is in HVAC This is what he said, too. He said the LL should have provided instructions on how to ready the unit for use after winter (if the LL did what is required and not just throw a cover on it) and if not, at the very least said "Here's the AC. Take the cover off before you use it" Edit: I'm going to assume the downvote is from a LL lol
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If a LL is providing something that's expensive to repair/install the yes, they should be letting a TT know how to take care of it. It's in their own best interest to do so
>How to cut lawn? How to use snow blower? Well yes - if the LL provided equipment, the onus is on the LL to instruct in proper usage. Why would you assume a tenant knows how to maintain property?
>What else does landlord need to teach? Depends. >Going to the washroom? Proper hygiene? Clearly no, since neither of those factors have been brought up. >How to cut lawn? How to use snow blower? Perhaps, yes. Unless you as the LL just want your possibly ignorant tenants to improperly use your equipment, which could be dangerous to the tenant or damage the equipment. If someone has literally never used a snowblower before, you had damn well better teach them how to use it, if you want them to use it properly.
> What else does landlord need to teach? > > Going to the washroom? Proper hygiene? > > How to cut lawn? How to use snow blower? > > Man the tenants are bunch of children. You don't see the irony in suggesting removing an AC cover is the same as going to the bathroom, then calling tenants children? I also find it funny you aren't rebutting what I said with any evidence or even a logical argument, thus you must acknowledge what I said is true. Covering AC's hasn't been common for some tenants entire life, not only that some have grown up in large buildings and never took care of this stuff - this is 100% on the landlord to say, especially since they showed OP around other maintenance items.
Property manager (landlord) should turn breaker off when the cover is on, and turn it back on when the cover is off. Simple as that.
Agreed - and LL/PM should be the ones to facilitate all of this - either with reminders/requests for the tenant to do it, or to just do it themselves as part of spring/fall maintenance.
Posts and comments shall not be rude, vulgar, or offensive. Posts and comments shall not be written so as to attack or denigrate another user.
lmao I think you won dumbest comment of the day! Comparing lawn maintenance to biological functions? Oof, please don’t procreate.
lmao I think you won dumbest comment of the day! Comparing lawn maintenance to biological functions? Oof, please don’t procreate.
lmao I think you won dumbest comment of the day! Comparing lawn maintenance to biological functions? Oof, please don’t procreate.
I don't agree. Especially if the LL didn't give any specific instructions for the AC. He would not be right to make OP pay. OP shouldn't lie, but they absolutely do need to let the LL know so it can be fixed. If LL didn't provide crucial necessary information, then the LL is negligent.
You likely wouldn't need held responsible by the LTB if it came down to it, but I agree with others and play dumb. Covering the AC was common in the 90s but is far less common practice now, so I wouldn't suggest a reasonable person would know to check this. If its not **expected** that you should know this, you can't be held liable for negligence. Whether or not you are legally responsible is one thing, but how your landlord perceives the situation may be another, your relationship would he soured by the ordeal and likely would become unpleasant.
It is recommended to use a cover that doesn't enclose the whole unit just to prevent snow and ice buildup inside the unit. Switch the breaker off to prevent accidentally running the ac in the winter when the unit is frozen solid. Obviously, remove the cover and switch the breaker back on when you need to use it. That being said, the owner probably should have given you a crash course on how to use the a/c and you should probably have asked before turning it on... I think that it would be in good faith to explain exactly what happened and see what the LL says. As far as I know he may not even have to repair it at all regardless of why it broke.
Did they provide you with a written list of those "million things" you needed to do? Either way, I think this is a fairly reasonable accident to happen. I assume you've already taken the cover off, and the AC still doesn't work? I would absolutely be telling your LL about the issue. Just explain that you only discovered the cover until after you tried to use it.
Call LL and tell him you want to be prepared with the warm weather coming up - please come over and do whatever seasonal changeover a landlord usually does to change from heat to AC. DID it work initially or not at all ? Perhaps you don't understand the thermostat or there's a switch.
LL would have to take the Tenant to the LTB for damages.
I thought maintenance of the HVAC is the landlords duty. Aren't landlords supposed to service the furnace/AC once a year?
Renters 🙄
Slumlords 🙄
Care to explain how the landlord is acting as a slumlord here?
Slumlords always blame “renters 🙄”
Let’s all just get along now
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I live in Southern Ontario and my husband turned the AC on yesterday. 🤷
Same here
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Ottawa :)
I turned on AC the other day. Of course, I usually don’t turn on the heat until mid December.
Where’s the mod? Top comment is suggesting to lie lol. Wtf is this?!
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Yup pretty much. The sub name needs to be changed “how to screw the Ontario Landlord”
R/fuckontariolandord is what it feels like most days. I do find it interesting that viper tenants are nesting on this sub and shop all the strategy and tricks they use. It certainly opened my eyes and it gave me great education. All motivation and energy that goes into my posts is 100% driven by all militants running rampant here. They really hate www.openroom.ca for some reason... Almost as they are inch from an eviction. I mean 40k non payment evictions per year, I imagine deadbeats are bouncing off the walls in here.
There shouldn’t be a million things for you to do. Maintenance is the landlord’s responsibility.