Incredibly HOT Basement

I just moved into a brownstone, and with this cold weather the boiler is finally getting a real workout.

Went down to the basement today, and it was INCREDBILY hot. Like, 85, 90 degrees.

Is this normal?

It’s a true basement–no windows, totally below ground, and I just sealed up the coal chute doors, so very little air from the outside should be getting in. It’s got low, maybe 6 and a half foot ceilings, and there’s an old tin ceiling that’s mostly gone, so the heating pipes are all exposed. Last week I wrapped them in R4 fiberglass insulation.

This is crazy, right? What can I do about it? Anyone else had this problem?

By lookin fer stuff | 12/13/2008 6:01 PM