Have you ever wondered why you can’t get heat or air conditioning, as you please, any time of the year? In October, Manhattan buildings switch over from air condition to heating, and in May, buildings switch from heat to air conditioning.

A few weeks ago, our new development condo hunting with an out of town buyer educated us to the difference between 2 pipe and 4 pipe systems. Here is a simplified explanation — a building requires a pair of pipes to deliver heat or air conditioning. So, with only a single pair of pipes, the building can only deliver heat or air conditioning, not both at the same time. With 4 pipes, the building maintains two sets of pipes, one set for heat and one set for air conditioning. So a resident could have heat in one room and air conditioning in another room.

Why is 4 pipe desirable? Because, nowadays especially, when so residences have so many large window with intense sun, it is lovely, in the winter, to turn on your air conditioning!

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