Mansionette Owner

[kooky 2]

I use tempered glass panels instead of metal railings which cost more. Based on your quote of $4k, I would think that it's around the correct price. If you are lucky, you might get something cheap by a few hundred bucks but based on current market prices on materials,

Best of luck in your search!

[DennisQuah 0]

hey guys, really good stuff here My fiancé and I also just exercised our option on an EM in clementi and we are now working out our renovations.

One big question i am trying to work out is: Did you guys install air-conditioning throughout the whole unit? We have a fairly large ground floor with the stair well in the middle of the floor in between the dining and living area, which is impossible to block off from leakage to the second floor. I am wondering if its possible to overcome the leakage with a very high powered, high BTU air con system? Or should we just give it up and use fans instead?

thanks in advance!

Cheers

dq

[cleong 1]

hey guys, really good stuff here My fiancé and I also just exercised our option on an EM in clementi and we are now working out our renovations.

One big question i am trying to work out is: Did you guys install air-conditioning throughout the whole unit? We have a fairly large ground floor with the stair well in the middle of the floor in between the dining and living area, which is impossible to block off from leakage to the second floor. I am wondering if its possible to overcome the leakage with a very high powered, high BTU air con system? Or should we just give it up and use fans instead?

thanks in advance!

Cheers

dq

You will first want to confirm you can legally install more than one aircon compressor for your unit, some of the older EMs have a load limit as their electrical infrastructure hasn't be upgraded.

Otherwise your maximum is a System 4 and even then there are limited models that come under the limit.

I have one aircon blower in each of the rooms plus one in the living room and no I do not "seal" the downstairs living room. I have a glass door to separate the kitchen from the living and dining rooms and when the living room air con is on, the cool air will eventually circulate to the rest of the area. As cool air is denser, it will remain on the lower level. In fact, on some particularly hot days, after I have the aircon running for an hour or two, going upstairs, I can feel the temperature difference!

[kooky 2]

As we will likely to leave our main door opened most of the times when we are at home, we do not intend to install aircon at the ground floor. But we have done is installed ceiling fans but we leave the dinning area out due to the height limit - I believe after installing the ceiling fan, there should be at least 2 metres gap. If needs arises, we will buy a standing fan.

Edited May 6, 2013 by kooky

[adidaem 6]

Hi DQ, this is a common query so do hv a look at earlier postings and some of the tblogs.

E.g.

Dps on how many rooms you intend to install blowers in and in which rooms. In theory the sum of the blowers BTU should be less than or equal to the compressor BTU. So e.g. if you have 9k BTUx3 + 18k BTU, then you need a compressor that can supply 45k BTU to all the blowers at the same time. So a system 3 that is underpowered means that your rooms may not be cold if all the blowers are switched on at the same time. Don't just look at System 3/4 etc, look at the BTU to compare. Different brands have different compressors BTU. Some have more max BTU than others.

Don't think there is a common brand. Btw you also need to decide:

- r22 or 410 coolant

- inverter or not

- which installer to get the aircon from (skill of installer is really important IMO)

Just for reference, my open concept living/kitchen is 20K BTU plus another 17K for the dining so that L1 will be cool enough during parties. Rooms are 12K for MBR, 8.5/9K each for study, BR2 & LEGO room.

AC installation its best to go to a reputable shop that has folks who know what they are doing rather than just clinching a sale. It is best if they are willing to send someone down to take a look onsite and assess what you need then give recommendations. Poor installation can be a nightmare, a friend of mine nearly had to take down his false ceiling! Jap brands should be pretty ok, I was only advised to stay away from korean brands. My L1 is completely open and we have an 18k and 12k unit, enough to make the place cool. L2 IIRC was 12k, 9k and 9k BTU.

And finally, agree with Cleong... Same experience re: hot air upstairs.

You will first want to confirm you can legally install more than one aircon compressor for your unit, some of the older EMs have a load limit as their electrical infrastructure hasn't be upgraded.

Otherwise your maximum is a System 4 and even then there are limited models that come under the limit.

I have one aircon blower in each of the rooms plus one in the living room and no I do not "seal" the downstairs living room. I have a glass door to separate the kitchen from the living and dining rooms and when the living room air con is on, the cool air will eventually circulate to the rest of the area. As cool air is denser, it will remain on the lower level. In fact, on some particularly hot days, after I have the aircon running for an hour or two, going upstairs, I can feel the temperature difference!

[potatoes 0]

Agree with cleong too.

Warm air upstairs....to prevent cool air fom escaping, we closed all bedroom doors, balcony doors, main door and door leading to service yard....it is relatively cool downstairs with one blower downstairs.

[vesparados 0]

Hi all, need some expert advise here.

My reno for my 'new' resale EM will start soon. But my unit is a corner 'corridor end' unit and the previous owner has already bought from HDB the 'access area' outside but till now they did not do up anything to that 'little' area outside. I intend to 'close up' that area by installing windows/grilles and make that area as part of my house and shift my main door further upfront.

My question is, do I still need to inform HDB for approval to shift my main door entrance since that area has already been bought? Secondly, I've got the electrical meter box right beside my current main door. Since I want to close up that access area, is it compulsary that I shift the electical box further upfront somewhere beside my neighbour's?

I look at the other corner neighbours' who had the area closed up, some had their electric box outside and some seems to have their's still in their 'closed' area(as I didn't see theirs outside)...so i'm a bit puzzled here..If I need to shift that electrical box, who should I approach? HDB or SP power?

Many thanks in advance!!

[DennisQuah 0]

hi all,

thanks for the input.

My ID says that if the other units in the estate have 2 compressors, then I should be able to have 2 compressors too Not sure if its a situation of it being officially allowed or the HDB closing one eye.

I'm going to go for the biggest BTU's possible as we do entertain.

Thanks guys.

Cheers

DQ

[cleong 1]

hi all,

thanks for the input.

My ID says that if the other units in the estate have 2 compressors, then I should be able to have 2 compressors too Not sure if its a situation of it being officially allowed or the HDB closing one eye.

I'm going to go for the biggest BTU's possible as we do entertain.

Thanks guys.

Cheers

DQ

I would be wary of making that assumption. HDB has the final say and you would not want to be caught in the situation of having to remove one of your compressors for whatever reason.

Its not hard at all - just key in your post code here:

https://www.hdb.gov.sg/bn25/isos119p.nsf/Search?OpenForm

This one "wu pah keh". What your ID say, "boh pah keh".

[mcwee 0]

Looking forward to be an EM owner soon

[potatoes 0]

Looking forward to be an EM owner soon

Congrats mcwee! Where is the location of your EM?

[mark 0]

Hi all,

interesting place to read all the guru ideas and points. Brought my EM 3 years ago without renovating it, only new paint work. Next month going to have up-grading for 3 toilets (one common. one master room and one in kitchen), changing of pipes, main door and gate. Cheers.

[mcwee 0]

Congrats mcwee! Where is the location of your EM?

Woodlands. 4th generation EM. This term learned from this forum:)

[3Dyms 1]

Woodlands. 4th generation EM. This term learned from this forum:)

Congrats & welcome to the EM Owners Club.

Oohh.... Woodlands. Not far from me (Bt Batok).

Have you exercised your OTP already? How much was your valuation and COV?

Edited May 20, 2013 by 3Dyms

[adidaem 6]

Woodlands. 4th generation EM. This term learned from this forum:)

Been to a Woodlands EM before and layout was very similar to Gen 2. What is a Gen 4 layout? Can share floorplan?