Gas Fireplace Maintenance

Superior Model DR-500CMN

[Please note that co-owners are responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the gas fireplace that was supplied with their unit.  The following information is provided as a courtesy to the co-owners of the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association.]

Most of the units here in the Manors have a Model DR-500CMN direct-vented gas fireplace that was manufactured by the Superior Fireplace Company.  This model has been discontinued and Superior is now a unit of Lennox Hearth Products.  The DR-500CMN Homeowner's Care and Operation Manual is still available here for viewing and download.

Some of the newer Manors units have a Model VCD36RN direct-vented gas fireplace that was manufactured by Desa Heating LLC.  Desa filed for bankruptcy in December of 2008 and is no longer in business.  However the VCD36RN Owner's Operation and Installation Manual is still available here for viewing and download.

Both of these models are similar in design and operation.  The Superior fireplace is rated at 23,000 BTUs per hour input while the Desa has an input rating of 21,000 BTUs per hour (as a reference, the input ratings for the forced air gas furnaces here in the Manors are 75,000 BTUs per hour and up).  Even though your fireplace is probably operated using a conventional 110 volt wall switch, both fireplace models use millivolt gas controls, meaning that if the pilot flame is burning, the fireplace burner can be turned on and off even during a power failure (however the optional blower will not be functional).   During an extended cold-weather power failure, your gas fireplace should be able to provide enough heat to keep your plumbing from freezing, even without the warm air circulation normally provided by the blower.

Here's some advice on how to keep your gas fireplace working and looking good:

Smoke Alarm Maintenance

Are your smoke alarms "chirping"?  If so, they are trying to tell you that their back-up battery needs to be replaced!

Slide open the Battery Door to remove and replace the 9 volt battery (the thin plastic was removed at initial installation)

[Please note that co-owners are responsible for the maintenance and replacement of the smoke alarms that were supplied with their unit.  The following information is provided as a courtesy to the co-owners of the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association.]

Most of the units at the Manors came equipped with FIREX Model FADC smoke alarms.  They run on 110 volt alternating current (house current) and and use a 9 volt "transistor" battery for back-up in case there is a power failure.

The FIREX Model FADC features two Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that shine through a single clear light guide that is located next to the test button in the center of the device. The green and red LEDs provide the important following information about the status of your smoke alarms and any actions you must take to stay protected:

All roadways now open to traffic

Watling Ave. before and after Phase 2.

As of about 5:00 PM today, all roads and the access drive are now open to traffic.  Phases 1 and 2 of the paving project are now complete (refer to this post which describes the three phases of this project).

Those receiving their US mail at the mailboxes on Lexington West near North Central Park received their Friday and Saturday mail at about 3:30 PM today.

Regarding the completion of Phase 3, I will let everyone know as soon as I have a "tentative" date from the contractor about the crack filling and sealcoating of Lexington South near West Broadway and the access drive closest to West Broadway (these areas are in front of Units 16-22 and 166-167).  It may happen sometime next week but it requires dry weather.   We ran out of warm weather so it will not happen until sometime next spring.

Mike Grobbel
President - Board of Directors, Manors at Central Park Condo Association

Most roads are now open to traffic

All streets are now open to traffic except for Lexington West and the private access drive along North Central Park in front of Units 16-32.

The reason the contractor could not finish the job before dusk today is that the asphalt plant had a breakdown around noon-time that caused them to be unable to do any paving for  more than 1.5 hours.

The contractor will return tomorrow morning to finish the job.  They estimate that they should be finished around noon and we should be able to open the remaining roadways to traffic shortly thereafter.

The unfinished roadways will remain closed overnight so that  the contractors can gain immediate access in the morning.

If you need a ride to or from your car, please call me and I will come and get you in the golf cart. 

The Board thanks you for your cooperation today and for those on Lexington West and North Central Park, the Board asks for your understanding about the delay (which was the fault of their asphalt supplier, not the paving contractor).

Mike Grobbel
President - Board of Directors, Manors at Central Park Condo Association

Paving is a "GO" for Friday Nov. 9th

I just confirmed with our contractor that Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 is the firm date for our paving project.

Beginning at 1:00 PM today, Larry Cybulski and I will be placing a copy of this written notice on each front door in the Manors. Please read it carefully and save it for future reference. 

The golf cart will be delivered at around 11:00 AM on Thursday morning.  Therefore, if you wish to park your vehicle off-site Thursday afternoon/evening, you can call the listed number and request a ride back to your condo.  I will provide shuttle service until 11:00 PM Thursday evening and from 6:00 AM until 8:00 PM on Friday. 

The Board of Directors will re-open the streets and access drive to traffic as soon as the new pavement has cooled and the re-opening does not interfere with any remaining paving and clean-up.  The contractor assures us that all sections of newly-paved roadways will be able to be driven on by 7:00 PM Friday evening. However, the Board asks that you wait until 7:00 AM Saturday morning before parking any vehicles on the new asphalt . 

Please note that on Friday there will be no US Mail delivery to mail boxes in the affected paving areas.  Mail delivery will resume on Saturday at which time you will also receive your delayed mail.

In the unlikely event that a 911 response call must be made to a Manors condo on Friday, the contractor assures me that they will be able to route them around their paving trucks and equipment so they will not be delayed. 

Thank you for your cooperation as we complete this major project,

Mike Grobbel
President - Board of Directors, Manors at Central Park Condo Association

Paving Update - November 5th

Duane at Florence Cement has informed me that our new "tentative" date for the final paving is this coming Friday, Nov. 9th. 

He and I will confirm that date during a phone conversation on Wednesday afternoon.  Duane says that barring a breakdown at the asphalt plant, a machinery failure, or a change in the current weather forecast between now and the Wednesday afternoon call, he is confident that it will still be a "go" for Friday.  Assuming that our phone conversation confirms that it is still a "go" for Friday, the Board will then place a notice on every front door in the Manors announcing Friday as the firm paving date (and for those who are in my e-mail address book, I will also put out another e-mail blast and make a post here on the Manors Blog announcing Friday as the firm paving date) 

The only firm date for the final paving is the one that will be shown on the forthcoming notice that will be placed on every front door in the Manors.  That notice will also include parking and courtesy shuttle information.  Click here to read the contents of the forthcoming notice.

Paving Update - Nov. 1, 2012

Florence Cement is on-site today to complete the last of the repairs in preparation for the final paving.   Their scheduling people are reassessing their workload due to all of the recent wet weather that has caused delays to their work in progress.

Once this repair work is complete, I expect to receive a new tentative date for the final paving that will be later than this coming Monday. As soon as I have the new tentative date, I will post it here on the Manors Blog.

After enough days of good weather to wrap up their other asphalt projects that are ahead of us, they will be ready to finish our project and I will be given a firm date for the final paving (this firm date may or may not be the same as the new tentative date).  The Board will then immediately distribute a notice to each front door in the Manors that informs you of that date (and its "rain date") along with the parking details.  The notice will read like this: