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tool time Tex is both an electrician and plumber and he has been completing this type of work for many years here. call him at 282-5870
Having built several condo buildings in GTE back in 1993 and quite a few homes in the Central Valley since that time I can tell you that finding a reputable aluminum window installer has become much easier than it used to be. In Costa Rica we have two major distributors, Espejos el Mundo and Extralum who import the aluminum frames from Columbia and Venezuela. You can deal with Espejos el Mundo as I did for my first building in GTE and you will probably find them to be reputable and they will not expect to be paid until the work is 100% completed. Extralum no longer deals direct with the consumer. They distribute their products through the local window installation contractors throughout CR and stand behind the product. The installation details will need to be inspected by your building contractor to insure everything has been completed properly before final payment has been made. I recently installed quite a few large sliding aluminum windows with screens in several condos I am remodeling in Belen and I found Ing. Alan Borbon of Vidrios & Aluminio Borbon at 239-2240 to be very thorough and affordable. I doubt that he will be able to work with you in GTE but he may know of a reputable Extralum dealer out there. A builder by the name of Tom Terry would be the best source for information about building in the Playa Panama area. He has been building out there for at least 15 years. Good luck! tom@costaricahomebuilder.com
Yes, solar systems in Costa Rica make a lot of sense and provide the consumer with tremendous savings. In 2002 I built a home in Cariari with an 8 panel solar system to heat a 52’long x 10′ wide x 5′ deep pool and it works great. The pool circulating pump via a T-valve diverts the filtered water up to the roof where the panels heat and return the water into the pool so there is no additional CNFL costs involved. Additionally, I installed a single solar panel hot water heating system for the 500 m2, 5 bath house with a 250 gallon holding tank and a back up electric heating system for those days when there is insufficient sun. The interior water system is pressurized with a 3/4 HP pump and 500 gallon holding tank. Both systems work well and whenever the system has failed TermiSolar in San Rafael, Alajuela has promptly returned to troubleshoot and repair the problems. Keep in mind that with Costa Rica’s location less than 15 degrees from the equator the plastic solar panels have a realistic lifespan of no more than 5 years. So make sure you purchase your equipment from a business that will be there when you need to replace some of the panels or connecting PVC pipes. You will also need to factor the wind in your area, type of roof structure and pitch when considering which system to install. Contact tom@costaricahomebuilder.com for more detailed info about integrating solar systems into housing construction in Costa Rica.
