DETROIT – Air conditioning has been restored and the system is fully operational at the Brush Park Manor senior living community in Detroit.
Representatives from the complex stated on Friday, that the system is fully operational after replacing a part.
Some tenants at the senior living community complained that, on Thursday, they had been without working air conditioning for several days as a heat advisory remained in effect.
After Local 4 received tips about the issue, the City of Detroit confirmed inspectors have been at the property for the past two days to investigate complaints.
Arthur Rushin, Chief Enforcement Officer with Detroit’s Building, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED), said inspectors have issued a correction order to the property’s management over the faulty system.
Rushin said the problem surfaced in late May.
“They went to turn their A/C on, back in the latter part of May. Discovered that they had some issues,” Rushin said.
Several residents told Local 4 they have been opening windows for relief as temperatures climb.
The senior living community is managed by Presbyterian Village Company. In a statement, Stacey Oldson, Vice Presidents of Sales and Marketing provided some context around the issue.
“The timeline referenced appears to coincide with the annual HVAC seasonal changeover process performed by our contractor, Great Lakes. Great Lakes began work on May 21 as part of the standard transition from heating mode to cooling mode, prior to the air conditioning system being activated for the season,” Olson explained. “During this process, technicians entered resident apartments to perform routine preventative maintenance activities, including draining condensate lines, replacing furnace filters, and preparing equipment for summer operation. These activities are part of our normal annual procedures and are conducted before the cooling system is placed into service.”
She added, “As a result, residents observed maintenance personnel working throughout the building beginning in late May. However, the presence of technicians at that time should not be interpreted as evidence that a known air conditioning system failure had been identified or that residents were experiencing a loss of cooling service at that point. Rather, these activities were associated with the planned seasonal startup and maintenance process.”
Tenants who spoke with Local 4 confirmed they had been in communication with property management about the repair timeline and a part needed to fix the system.
“Once the mechanical issue was identified earlier this week, our team worked promptly with our contractor to diagnose the problem, order the necessary replacement parts, implement interim cooling measures, and maintain communication with residents regarding repair progress,” Olson explained.
As tenants waited for repairs, cooling areas were established in the community, portable cooling equipment as brought in, and staff said they continued to closely monitor residents.
After Friday’s air conditioning system repairs, Olson added, “Water is circulating through the system at 40°F, and Great Lakes Construction (contractor) is currently completing airflow testing throughout the facility. Vent temperatures are reading 46°F, a strong indication that the system is performing as designed.”