Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's such a waste of natural resources. If only the heat can be pipped to nearby buildings and help distribute the heat instead of letting people open the windows to vent.
I suggest moving the steam vent upside down. It'll close the vent and air won't go through. Closing and opening the valve does not 100% prevent steam from going through. It'll cause leaks if the valve is old.
You can also wrap the radiators with cotton towels/blankets to lower heat efficiency.
It's such a waste of natural resources. If only the heat can be pipped to nearby buildings and help distribute the heat instead of letting people open the windows to vent.
Why should owner of one building pay to heat someone else's property?
That's like say one homeowner should send heat to his neighbor in name of energy efficiency.
Observations:
Building staff is wrong. The valve is there to shut off or let in steam. Turn it OFF to prevent overheating. Don't go half way, it is designed to be either on or off. If a valve leaks, it is BROKEN and should be replaced. If it doesn't TURN, it should be replaced.
All the twaddle about leaks and mold is just that, twaddle. If your staff knew what they were talking about, they would all be plumbers and rake in the BIG bucks.
I have found that the fan mode on air conditioners, regarding evacuating stale air are useless.
Question, can someone explain how radiator mounted thermostatic vents measure anything except the temperature surrounding the radiator which is NOT anywhere close to the actual temperature in the room. In the case shown, the temp sensor is put into the hot radiator enclosure. What am I missing?
There are various thermostatic radiator *valves*, some have sensors that sit outside of a convector/radiator cover while others do not.
Obviously enclosing sensor inside rad/convector cover means the TRV is going to be less sensitive to room temperature due to interference with air currents. Other than that TRVs are no different in a sense than a thermostat, ideally you'd want to have good air flow around the thing to ensure it measures space air temp properly.
Keep in mind unlike thermostats TRVs don't control the boiler, only the amount of steam (or hot water) allowed in radiator. In a sense they are like fractional radiator valves but instead of controlling how much steam enters on supply side, TRVs control amount of air that leaves a rad thus amount of steam able to enter.
We have Steam in our building. I just turn off the radiators. I’d say just do that. If they break, F them. I have never heard you have to leave them wide open and I’ve lived all over the city. Maybe that’s why the radiator in my old soho bedroom shot water all over the floor. Lolo. I was a student renting a room in a SoHo dump. My roommates were some Italian guy and an artist. Those were the days.
I doubt they can actually forbid you to turn off the heat. One crucial question might be whether or not you have a competent super. You don't mention what conversation you had before. What if you said, "Well, I can understand that you might be concerned about a resident being careless in turning it off, but how about YOU come and do it?" That would have worked even better before his presumed Christmas tip. You could also ask about it in a friendly way with your Board president.
You could also try saying, "If you're that worried, I can get a licensed plumber to do it, but since that seems like overkill, I'd like the building to pay for it." I wonder what they'd say to that.
Don't know about co-op or condo units, but in rentals landlord or super (on his own or direction of LL) have opened rad/convector valves all the way, the take them off. If tenant complained about too much heat they were told to open windows. Since there isn't a law against being too hot, there was nothing a tenant could do...
Reason for taking valves off is that if too many rad/convector valves are closed it messes with the heating plant, throwing things out of balance and causing other issues. This is especially true with one pipe steam systems.
Keep in mind if there is a say one million btu boiler in basement, that is amount of heat/steam a boiler is going to put out each time it fires. The thing doesn't know how many rads/convectors are closed, nor does it care. That steam will try to go where it is supposed to (pipes to rads/convectors), if one way is blocked it will try another, or worse simply remain blocked or trapped where it shouldn't until it condenses back into water. If this happens in wrong place at wrong time you get water hammering which if extreme can make it sound as if building is being blown off foundations.
These are all designed ("poorly") for one pipe systems. All my systems, (even back to 1918 design) have been two pipe systems, so no radiator mounted air valves.
Secondly, the best of the systems shown have the temperature sensor mounted within 2 inches or less of the hot radiator. In my experience, that location is not even remotely similar to the room's temperature, making the thermostat useless.
I like the idea of turning the air valve upside down for one pipe systems but that is apt to cause water dripping from the valve.
But if you have a two pipe system, just turn off the valves. Heat escaping from your neighbors or from riser pipes in your walls is likely to provide all the heat you need.
A proper new brass inlet valve should cost a bit more or less than than $20. I bought one a million years ago (mine was frozen open) thinking a small price to pay for comfort control. I told my landlord and he said, just give me the bill and I will reimburse you. He did much to my surprise. My labor came free, unlike a plumber's. Best to do radiator work in the Summer...steam scalds are very painful.
Last edited by Kefir King; 01-21-2021 at 07:18 AM..
I know this is a common problem in old NYC buildings.... but in my cooperative apartment building in winter, there is hellish heat from the steam radiators in the rooms and also from the pipe that runs through the bathroom. Now, I can't do anything about the pipe, but the radiators can be shut off by turning a knob. I was advised by building staff never to shut off the radiators because water leaks can occur around them, and cause water damage and mold. The only solution is therefore to keep windows open that let cold drafts in and leave me shivering overnight when the temperature drops. Or, in the worst case, I can run the air conditioner. Not only is it ridiculous to have the A/C noise and energy use in the winter, but my window A/C won't start up when its snowing. (Fortunately , this winter has been mostly mild).
Is it really risky to shut the heaters off by the valve , or can use a try and see approach? Could water damage be hidden between floors?
Thanks in advance.
if its too hot, hit the down button on the thermostat.
if its too hot, hit the down button on the thermostat.
Do you even live in NYC?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
