Removing heat source - code violation? (floor, furnace, heating, install)

[ansky]

My kitchen has an old steam radiator that is essentially useless. It works, but we have it turned off because the radiator in the adjacent dining room provides sufficient heat for both rooms. I was thinking of removing the old radiator from the kitchen because it is an eyesore and is taking up space where we want to put a cabinet. My concern is, will this be a code violation, because doesn't every room in a house need to have a heat source? Even though the dining room radiator provides heat to the kitchen, it is technically a different room.

[VegasGrace]

Code?
Interesting post. I removed the enitre heating system 2 years ago. Haven't replaced it yet...getting around to it this summer. But 'code'?

Doesn't 'code' only come into play when you are building, renting it out...or something like that?

This is America- that's if you are in America....surely there aren't 'police' that come through our homes!

But that's just my thoughts.

[ansky]

Vegas,
I have read other posts where people are looking at buying a property but certain rooms don't have a heat source. Supposedly in order for a room to legally be called a 'room' it needs to have a heat source. I don't want to remove the radiator and then run into issues if I eventually decide to sell the property.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Your assumption is correct.
Any "habitable room" should have a heat source. With that being said, it doesn't have to be the steam system. You could install electric radiant floor heat.
How about just relocating the radiator? Use a smaller and/or different style radiator (such as a baseboard)?

[Ultrarunner]

I don't know... the code here states the dwelling must be able to maintain something like 68...

Almost every home older than 1955 has a single floor or wall furnace... the only way to get heat to all areas is by not closing the doors...

This is California, and I heat very little anyway.

[ShaneSA]

The oven would be a heat source. More than once, when the electric has gone out in a storm, we used the gas oven to heat the kitchen and it was the only warm room in the house. I don'r know if it counts, but it's a heat source for the room. I've done what you are suggesting to old houses to make them more spacious with no problem.

[windtimber]

If there's really a code about a heatsource in every room, take out the radiator, but keep it in a dry place in the basement or someplace. Old steam radiators are god awful heavy, but they can be removed without undue difficulty - and per your concerns on selling the place - just as easily reinstalled.