Cooling (air conditioning) 

'Comfort cooling' is provided to apartments by way of cooled air through the fan units (FCUs) when temperature controls are set to cooling (e.g. on the Baxi unit the temperature dial is set to the left of centre).  

The running costs of providing a chilled water supply to apartments is included in the annual service charge.  When using the cooling, residents directly incur only the cost of running the fan (typically <250 watts per FCU per hour).    

Before using your cooling you must ensure the filters on the FCUs have been cleaned within the past six months.  The FCUs need to be regularly maintained, including cleaning filters and ensuring that the drainage channel is not blocked:

• A dirty filter will restrict the air flow over the chiller coils, which may cause them to frost over and cause water leakage.

• A significant volume of condensation is produced when an FCU is being used for cooling, and this needs to drain away. A dirty condensate tray or drain will restrict the drainage and cause water leakage onto your ceiling.

• Any gaps/tears in the insulation around the chilled water pipes will result in condensation forming (which will leak onto your ceiling) - please ensure that the insulation is properly secured and maintained.

Leaks arising from an FCU are the flat owner’s responsibility.

The wire mesh filter can be vacuumed in situ, or removed for a more thorough clean. Ensure it is properly replaced: a missing filter will damage the cooling coil.  

Problem solving:

If your FCU fan is running okay but the cooling is not working:

1. Check that the chilled water supply is turned on in your apartment. The supply and return pipes should both be cold to the touch (be certain to fully replace the insulation, to avoid condensation and leaks). If the pipe is room temperature there is no/low chilled water flow. The design temps are c.7C flow, 12C return.

2. Check that the dial on the Baxi controller is turned towards the left of centre (ie, to cooling).

3. Ensure that the filter has been cleaned in the past six months.

4. Check the air diverting mechanism (damper). A known issue is that after a long period of heating (or non-cooling) the damper can get stuck in the heating or bypass path position, meaning the air is not passing over the chilled coils.

5. Check that there is not an air lock – much like a domestic panel radiator. There are small vent plugs above the pipe connections on the side of the unit. Crack open and water should immediately weep out – or spray if you are not careful. Do not force: the copper tubes are fragile (know where the isolating valves are first).

Technical details of the FCU including maintenance can be found here.  Please see the section on FCUs to see common problems with the units.

The chiller units are located in the basements of Hanover House (serving Hanover and Berkeley) and Belgrave Court (serving Belgrave, Eaton and Circus).  They circulate chilled water [6-9°C] that is piped through to apartments to enable cooled air to be generated via the FCUs.