Laurel Lakes Homeowners Association's reply concerning possible code violations and building defects:
The townhouse association is not responsible for problems inside the homes of the properties they manage. Although they have the ability to easily contact everyone who might be at risk of exposure to this defect(s), they elected not to do so. As most everyone we contact does, they suggested we contact someone else.
New:
May 2003 Newsletter from Homeowners association did include two recommendations about inside maintenance and problems. The articles are linked. The recommended maintenance mentioned in the linked articles occurred three times prior to our condenser flooding. Our system was not clogged by algae, but mostly by oily soot and insulation, that was resistant to normal maintenance issues in air conditioner condenser drain pans.
Points not mentioned about the system design and installation.:
When the drain pan over flows, it is first absorbed by insulation boxed in by sheet metal. The overflow can stay trapped in the air exchange for some time, (weeks to months) before becoming visible, leaving insulation continuously wet both above and below the condenser. Continuously damp surfaces are a key elements to formation of molds. It only takes a few days for mold growths to develop in these conditions. If this occurs inside the HVAC system, there is fairly uniform dispersion of mold spores throughout the home. In our case, we were advised the mold growth was so heavy, that it had permanently contaminated the insulation in the air exchange. We sealed up the system and eventually replaced the entire unit.
The drain system for the condenser pan tends to clog at the trap in the drain pipe from the drip pan. What I found as interesting about the drain pipe trap in our home, is that it led to another pipe in the floor inside the house, beside the air exchange, that went to the ground. This pipe typically had standing stagnate water open to the inside of the home. The drain pipe trap that clogged, is typically designed to form a water seal to prevent contamination from being pulled up through the drain pipe. Had the air exchange been well sealed, and the water drained outside, instead of staying inside the home, this might have performed a more useful function, but for the most part, the trap just served as a clogging point for the condenser pan. I opted to form a seal between the "to ground" drain pipe and condenser drain pipe, with a foam sealant, so the stagnate water was not exposed inside the home. I couldn't say whether this was significant or not, but considering our home was already a biohazard, it was my opinion it was a worthwhile precaution.
NYT article about other HOAs abuses
