EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Residents at the Blue Flame Apartments in Downtown El Paso have a broken Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, and say they feel ignored by management not fixing the issue.
Residents say their system stopped working back in 2022.
“I’m waking up every night in a pool of sweat,” Susan Wolf, a resident at Blue Flame said.
Kathryn Johnson, another Blue Flame resident said she’s been experiencing the issue for 9 months and makes her everyday life a bit difficult.
“I can’t work normal hours that I normally work, and it’s impacted my income,” Johnson said.
In the newly renovated building, the windows in the units are sealed shut, leaving residents no choice but to leave the apartment when needed.
“I had to call numerous times to maintenance to please bring me something because I was burning up, and they brought me that portable little swamp cooler,” Wolf said.
KTSM reached out to the complex regarding the issue, they gave the following statement:
“The management of Blue Flame Apartments has been working diligently to replace malfunctioning compressors in the air conditioning system at the complex for some time. We have kept residents informed of the repair effort and hosted a community meeting on Monday to provide the latest update. Unfortunately, obtaining replacement compressors has been difficult due to supply chain issues. Working with the manufacturer and our contractor, we have been making steady progress to acquire and install new compressors. Four floors of the community are currently without air conditioning, but we hope to restore service in 30 days or less. In the meantime, we have provided portable coolers and box fans to all affected households. We appreciate the patience residents have shown as we work to resolve this problem.”
