Citadel Realty Services

Getting Ready for Winter

Citadel Realty Services, LLC — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Getting Ready For Winter

There are some adages that always seem to ring true at the appropriate time. One that especially seems to chit home is……”You are never ready for winter”. Here are some tips that can help you prepare for winter. It might even save you money on heating costs, and make it feel like Spring is just around the corner. Remember it is never too early to start preparing!

1. Buy appropriate equipment to make snow removal easier; snow blowers,
salt spreaders, shovels, and good work gloves.

2. Purchase calcium chloride (salt) ahead of time. Do not wait for the
last minute. It is more expensive and difficult to buy in severe weather.
3. If you use oil to heat the building, contact the oil company to ensure
they know where the fill line is.
4. Check your oil tank to make sure it is clean inside. You do not want to
start the boiler with sludge in the tank.
5. Check your roof drains, roof and parapet walls. Look for any bubbles in
the roof paper, cracks in the parapet walls, and proper pitch in the roof.
It is no fun getting a leak in your roof in the middle of the winter with
3 feet of snow on it.
If you are prepared, Ole Man Winter comes and goes with no problems.
The goal- Be Prepared.

For more information regarding preparation for the winter, please contact us.

The Real Cost of Energy

Citadel Realty Services, LLC — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:00:05 +0000

Citadel manages apartment buildings, taxpayers (stores), and office buildings.

Paying bills is one of the responsibilities of property management. Every month we compare the property’s expenses to the same period last year. This is a good way to monitor the profitability of a property. An interesting phenomena has occurred regarding energy costs-they are going down. That’s right, you read it correctly. They are going DOWN!

Here is an example. We manage an apartment house that uses natural gas for heat and hot water.

It used 1305 therms @ .70 per therm from August 2010 to September 2010 for a total of $913.50.

This year, from August 2011 to September 2011 the same property used more therms than the previous year-1378 therms @ .50 per therm for a total of $689.00. Therefore, the consumption went up by 5% but the total cost went DOWN by 24.5%.

Why? The cost per therm went down 28.5%.

This leads to the next question…

Why is the government not encouraging private industry, homeowners, and car/truck owners to convert to natural gas? Natural gas is inexpensive compared to oil, it burns cleanly, it is abundant, and it reduces our reliance on foreign oil.

This past year, we have seen the price of oil go up astronomically compared to the previous year, yet the cost of natural gas has dropped by almost 30%.

Our country has the resources, technology and desire to reduce our need for oil.

Yet it continues to do nothing to change the situation.

For more information regarding this article, feel free to contact us.

Why Convert from Oil to Natural Gas?

Citadel Realty Services, LLC — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:02:43 +0000

Converting a building from oil to natural gas is a “no brainer”. Residents in NYC and New Jersey should consider switching over to natural gas if still using oil. The benefits of using natural gas for buildings outweigh the burning oil.

Some of the benefits:

1) Natural gas is cleaner to burn and therefore more beneficial to the environment.

2) Natural gas burns at a much higher BTU, which heats the building faster.

3) Natural gas is easier to service: No messy oil filters, clogged nozzles and simply no “dirty” oil to deal with.

4) In the middle of the winter you do not have to worry about an oil delivery.

5) Presently, natural gas is cheaper and burns more efficiently than oil. The price of natural gas is substantially less than oil. In the long run, you will save money!

6) There is less wear and tear on the burners.

When switching over from oil to natural gas, there must be approvals from the utility companies, NYC Building Department and proper coordination between all parties involved.

Once the approvals have been made, the utility companies must then dig up the street and run new gas lines into the building. The main challenge of this task is running a larger gas line from the street and then properly connecting it to the building without interrupting existing gas service to the building.

As the owner, you are responsible for linking the new services to the building and the boiler. However, a good and reliable plumber should be able to do this work.

Overall, is it worth it? YES!

Don’t wait any longer! Contact our office if you have any questions and need some pointers for your building!

Are you aware of heating problems in your building?

Citadel Realty Services, LLC — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:00:28 +0000

As fall arrives, the temperature will begin to drop. The days will be shorter and feel colder and colder. Eventually, winter will come and the weather will only get worse. In this type of weather, it is important to ensure that heat is provided to your tenants.

Whether you own or manage an apartment building, loft or townhouse, you may experience heat problems that you are not even aware of. Heat problems should be resolved BEFORE winter comes. Make sure the heating system in your building works properly because you do not want to have tenants inconvenienced and end up with Building Department violations. An example of a late discovery of heating problems was at 874 Green Ave. in Brooklyn, NY. The tenants at that apartment in Brooklyn, NY had no heat and no hot water for months due to heat problems such as a broken boiler. These NY tenants had to turn on their stoves just for some heat and to boil water for steam.

Learning a few simple tips on preventing problems with your heating system will allow you to save energy which translates directly into saving money. Here are some ideas and suggestions on saving energy that will make a real difference before the heating season:

1. Tune up the burner

2. Clean the boiler tubes

3. Make sure all the radiator air valves are working properly

4. Insulate the pipes to prevent heat loss

5. Look for drafts around doors and windows

6. Balance the system so the building stays warm and heats evenly

7. Keep the boiler room well ventilated

8. Clean the chimney to allow gas to flow out easily

9. Monitor the temperatures around the building to track the effectiveness of your system

10. Make sure all radiators are properly pitched and that there are no leaks in the system

The tips above are only a few steps that can be taken to prevent heating problems and save energy. If you believe your building has heating problems or hot water problems, or are seeking ways to save energy, contact us today for a FREE consultation at 212-682-5938