Apartments feel the heat from AC installations

With households installing multiple air-conditioners, apartment associations are saddled with the job of regulating the placement of outdoor units

Over a year ago, when the Sundarams returned to their gated community in Padur from the United States, they were greeted by a “monstrosity”. An outdoor unit of an air-conditioner was sitting just a stretched-hand’s length away from their main door. By no stretch of imagination is an AC outdoor unit a monstrosity, but in their eyes it was. It was intruding into their space. They wasted no time in letting the managers of the gated community know of their displeasure.

“The office team carried out an inspection and got the outdoor unit relocated,” says Lalitha Sundaram, a resident of Mantri Synergy.

Also a member of the managing committee of the Association at the gated community, Lalitha notes the Association has spelt out the rules of installing AC outdoor units. The rules include sharing details of the AC vendor with the office as well as getting a no-objection certificate from neighbours.

With households investing in additional air-conditioners, the placement of outdoor units often makes a contentious issue in apartments. The older the community, the greater the challenge.

At the 384-flat Ceebros Gardens in Virugambakkam, no provision had been made for the placement of outdoor units of split ACs. “As this project came up more than two decades ago, the developer did not foresee the demand for split ACs,” says Deepa Makesh, a committee member.

“The Association has said that no outdoor unit must be fixed on the OTS (Open to Sky) because in our apartment it opens to the living room or bedroom of another flat,” says Deepa. Servicing the external units is also a challenge.

She says those living on the sixth and seventh floor are permitted to leave the outdoor unit on the terrace. “Most of the time, we ask a resident to solve this issue through a conversation with their immediate neighbours,” she says.