All Forum Posts by: Brandon Brown

Quote from @Tj Floros:

I have State Farm and when I moved out of my house hack my flood insurance stayed in place, not sure why yours didn't, maybe you're in a flood zone and they don't want to cover it. 

Did you change your policy to rental dwelling instead of homeowners? I was told that if I failed to change it, any claims would likely be denied. The building isn't in any flood zone so it could just be something more recently implemented.

Are there any insurance companies that will provide flood and sewer backup insurance on a rental dwelling? When I was living in the building I was able to obtain flood and sewer backup coverage on my homeowners policy, however once I moved out and converted the insurance to rental dwelling as required by State Farm they said that flood and sewer backup insurance are not possible. For the first time in eight years we had a very minor sewer backup during heavy rain storms recently. It didn't damage any of our tenants belongings, however the washing machines, boilers, water heaters, etc. are in the unfinished basement and to not have any type of coverage for some type of more serious backup worries me. We got a quote for a flood control system for a little over $13k and a check valve is about $6k but then the downspout in the rear of the building has to be moved out of the catch basin.

I am looking to get an estimate for a tear off of our two-flat roof in Avondale. Looking for trusted recommendations. I received one estimate already but I always like to get second opinions.

The single family is in Wood Dale, the 2 flat is in Avondale.

@Jonathan Klemm and @John Warren Would you mind sending your contacts over please? I'm looking to switch companies to insure our 2 flat and our primary single family in the suburbs, potentially car as well.

Quote from @Louis A.:

Quote from @Brandon Brown:

I am considering switching to a heat pump with an electric heat strip for supplemental heating in our two-flat building, with plans to add a third unit in the future. Currently, we have a 200-amp service to the building, split into two 100-amp main panels for each unit. I'm concerned that the combined load of heat pumps and ancillary heat strips, along with other appliances, might exceed the 100-amp capacity during winter.

As part of our future plans to add a third unit and separate the utilities, we intend to install two additional meters: one for common areas and one for the new unit. I am looking for insights from anyone who has recently upgraded their electric service in Chicago. Specifically, I'm curious about the cost and process involved.

I'm considering upgrading to a 400-amp service, which I believe could be divided into two 125-amp panels, one 100-amp panel, and one 50-amp panel or some other combination. From what I've read, some electric providers might not charge for the new service upgrade itself, but adding the meters, connecting the upgraded service and adding/updating panels would require an electrician, which would incur costs.

If anyone has experience with this type of electrical service upgrade, particularly in Chicago, I would appreciate your advice and any information on costs and the process involved.

 Just curious if you moved forward on this project. If so, appreciate if you would indicate the actual cost for your project.

Hi Louis, No I did not move forward with this as it was cost prohibitive for the moment. I did have one electrician come and quote it out for about 12k but that didn't include the permits or any costs related to ComEd. So the quotes others have mentioned I assume are pretty close to what it might actually cost.

Quote from @Jonathan Klemm:

Wow lol Thank you for clarifying your background...that makes SOOO much more sense @Brandon Brown!  

Now I also understand why one of our HVAC subcontractors always cautions against mini splits. When it gets too cold, the pump won't function. Does that mean the system will break down below -5 degrees F, or will it still work?

Do you sell the entire system or just parts?  Lots of our clients are interested in mini splits, but they always seem too expensive...all our subs tend to only like Mitsubishi, which is pricy.

The heat pump will indeed still function in colder temperatures, but its heating capacity gradually decreases as the temperature drops. The numbers I'll provide are just an example of a random heat pump, and the actual performance can vary slightly depending on the manufacturer, design, and the components they are combined with. For instance:

• At 0°F, a 36,000 BTU heat pump might still deliver close to its full capacity, around 37,000 BTUs.
• At -4°F, the capacity might decrease slightly to about 35,800 BTUs.
• At -13°F, the capacity could further drop to around 32,000 BTUs.
• At -22°F, you might only get about 28,000 BTUs.

This reduction in capacity occurs because, as the outdoor temperature decreases, the heat pump has to work harder to extract heat from the air, which becomes more challenging as it gets colder. However, the system itself will not "break down" at temperatures below -5°F. Instead, it will continue to operate, but with reduced efficiency and output. So having a dual fuel system allows it to switch over automatically on the really cold days when the heat pump can't keep up. However there are some systems that can operate at 118% heating capacity down to -15°.

We sell entire systems along with installation parts and individual components of a system. I believe we have very competitive prices. We also offer unlimited tech support to all of our customers and have several warehouses with a lot of inventory that allow us to do 1-2 day delivery in a lot of cases. I don't know what the rules are for posting links here but I can send a private message with our website and you can take a look.

Quote from @Jonathan Klemm:

@Brandon Brown you have either done a boat load of research or have background in mechanicals!  Super technical thinking going on with planning your system.  

I didn't even know they had systems with dual fuel capabilities...how exactly does that work?  It would just switch over once it's at max capacity?

I will send you a private message with my guy Francisco, a super sharp HVAC sub in Chicago.

I'm a software engineer at an online retailer specializing in HVAC equipment. While we don’t handle installations, our focus is on selling the right products. Our sales staff is highly trained in helping customers identify the best HVAC solutions for their needs, and we have technicians with prior installation experience who provide valuable support.

Dual fuel systems combine a traditional furnace with a coil designed for use with a heat pump. These systems allow you to program which fuel source to use based on efficiency, automatically switching to the other source when needed. In my case, I will primarily use the heat pump because it has higher efficiency and can handle heating down to -5°F. Since the temperature in my area only drops below -5°F twice a year on average, the heat pump effectively covers 99.5% of the heating needs.

There is a plethora of combinations that you can achieve using just mini splits. We have over 300,000 unique combinations currently with new product lines being added all the time.

Hi @Jonathan Klemm, we haven't started it yet because we are still weighing all our options. I am 99% sure we aren't going to go the heat strip route since it would involve upgrading the electrical panel and service. 

I believe what we will do is use an ultra efficient ducted heat pump system with dual fuel capabilities, so that it will use the heat pump a majority of the time and switch over to using the gas furnace for when it can't keep up.

If you have some trusted HVAC subcontractors I would love their contact info.

I am considering switching to a heat pump with an electric heat strip for supplemental heating in our two-flat building, with plans to add a third unit in the future. Currently, we have a 200-amp service to the building, split into two 100-amp main panels for each unit. I'm concerned that the combined load of heat pumps and ancillary heat strips, along with other appliances, might exceed the 100-amp capacity during winter.

As part of our future plans to add a third unit and separate the utilities, we intend to install two additional meters: one for common areas and one for the new unit. I am looking for insights from anyone who has recently upgraded their electric service in Chicago. Specifically, I'm curious about the cost and process involved.

I'm considering upgrading to a 400-amp service, which I believe could be divided into two 125-amp panels, one 100-amp panel, and one 50-amp panel or some other combination. From what I've read, some electric providers might not charge for the new service upgrade itself, but adding the meters, connecting the upgraded service and adding/updating panels would require an electrician, which would incur costs.

If anyone has experience with this type of electrical service upgrade, particularly in Chicago, I would appreciate your advice and any information on costs and the process involved.