Condo water heater

[Pete Humphrey]

I know this is an FHA question, but it's also urgent, so I figure I'd get a quiciker response here. I did an new mid-rise building where there was no water heater in the unit (unless it was invisible). I looked in the underground garage and saw some locked vented doors, so I assumed that a central water heating unit could be there. The owner didn't seem to have a clue. I thought for sure when I contacted the PM they'd say water was paid thru the HOA dues since it appears to be central to the building, but they said only trash is paid. Are there central water heaters for buildings like this that meter how much each unit is using for billing purposes? I'm confused! Here's what I've put in the appraisal per FHA requirements:
"No individual water heater could be located anywhere in the unit. Therefore, appraiser makes the extraordinary assumption that water is heated centrally and that water heating system is most likely located behind locked doors in the underground garage."

 

[Couch Potato]

Water heaters are not always visible. Tankless electric systems can be in the walls. There as far too many variations on water heating systems to identify them all. Some are merely pipes connected to built-in refrigerators. Tankless gas heaters can be most anywhere. Did you turn on the water and have hot water flow? If the answer was yes, that is as far as you need to go.

 

[Jim Shoe]

"No individual water heater could be located anywhere in the unit. Therefore, appraiser makes the extraordinary assumption that water is heated centrally and that water heating system is most likely located behind locked doors in the underground garage."

1) I wonder if they have an 'instant', wall mounted water heater somewhere. 2) Is it really important to make an extraordinary assumption? For example, if all of your comps are in the same building, there would be no adjustment for differing water heating. 3) Pehaps it would be more straightforward to just say that you couldn't find a water heater... "Unknown".

 

[Pete Humphrey]

that would make sense and yes I did turn on the hot water. I guess I was thinking of an older complex I did once that had a central boiler type system, but your idea makes way more sense for this brand new building.

 

[Pete Humphrey]

Jim - if you say you couldn't find it, you will likely be conditioned and sent back. I had this happen in the above central water heating system situation.

 

[Jim Shoe]

Jim - if you say you couldn't find it, you will likely be conditioned and sent back. I had this happen in the above central water heating system situation.

Probably would. Then, the owner would actually have to find the darned thing and you would get a trip fee... enough to take in a movie and buy a bucket of popcorn anyway.

 

[Pete Humphrey]

TRIP FEE? yeah right!

 

[MDAPPR]

It was probably a hidden tankless water heater. Sometimes I have a hard time finding FAU heaters that could be in the attic, crawl space, closet, garage, missing, who knows...

 

[Mile High Trout]

The specific utility company can sometimes be a great source of publicly available information in unusual situations regarding water, gas, and electricity. Because they service that location, they might have that additional information you are looking for.

 

[Howard Klahr]

Another not so obvious place for water heaters is in the base (bottom) kitchen cabinet in the blind corner.