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City_boi · 10-19-2008, 10:50 AM

I know I have asked a lot of questions on this subject and I have another one. So there won't be so many threads, if I have any more questions after this, I will ask them here.
My next questions are about sidewalk vents. What are they there for? Where does the heat that they blow come from? Do all of them combined make an urban area hotter? Do they have to be there? If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a pic (from flickr):

geos · 10-19-2008, 03:57 PM

They look like subway vents in NYC.

City_boi · 10-19-2008, 05:18 PM

what are they for though? Where does their heat come from? If subway stations were airconditioned, would they have to be there?

riveree · 10-19-2008, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by City_boi

what are they for though? Where does their heat come from? If subway stations were airconditioned, would they have to be there?

The stations are not air-conditioned, only the subway cars themselves are.

The exhaust fumes and the heat have to rise up above ground, and that happens through these vents. The subways are hot and smelly and all that stuff needs to go somewhere

.

City_boi · 10-19-2008, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riveree

The exhaust fumes and the heat have to rise up above ground, and that happens through these vents. The subways are hot and smelly and all that stuff needs to go somewhere

.

Ah, that makes sense!! But I thought I've seen those things in places that don't have subways. Could they just be water drains??

arctichomesteader · 10-20-2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by City_boi

Ah, that makes sense!! But I thought I've seen those things in places that don't have subways. Could they just be water drains??

Some buildings have equipment underground (boilers, air conditioners, you name it) that need venting or a source of air. Also utilities that run underground sometimes need venting to keep from overheating, or making things very miserable for workers.

Jerseykat · 11-10-2009, 06:35 PM

Grates are there to supply air to the subway systems that run underneath.
Recently in NYC they began elevating some of the grates to avoid rain run-off going down into and causing floods in the subways.
Here's a link to what they look like....weird huh?
Just how great are the new subway grates? :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog