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February 23, 2007
Hot water question / help
We live on the fourth floor of a brownstone. Several times in the morning recently, we have had no hot water. We're up early (6am) so I don't think it is the matter of the hot water being used up by the other tenants in the building.
However, I've noticed that the radiators don't seem to come on until 8am or so. And when I try for hot water later in the day, around 10:30am, the hot water is there.
Is the water temperature tied to the building's heat/boiler? If the landlord hasn't set his thermostat to start adjusting at 6am (Following the heating law) could that be why there is no hot water? Or is this just one of those things that happens in an old brownstone?
Comments
Some buildings have seperate heat and hot water systems and some have them together but either way the fact that the heat isn't on doesn't have much to do with the hot water (unless the boiler is completely konking out which is something i think your landlord and the other tenants would notice). I would call your landlord up and ask him about this problem b/c it really shouldn't happen.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 12:22 PM
It could be the boiler that heats the hot water you use for your showers. I don't know how or why this would be done but when I bought my house this is exactly what was happening. There was a hot water heater that wasn't even being used. Hot water was coming from the boiler - which accounted for why it was hot sometimes and not others - and all orangy from the rust. I don't really know the details but this is what the plumber told me. Strange.
Posted by: CB at February 23, 2007 12:26 PM
I suspect your boiler heats your domestic hot water as well as make heat for the radiators.
It may be set to make less heat during nighttime hours and consequently your showers are suffering. It's a common problem and the simple adjustment of a device called an aquastat is the remedy.
Posted by: Master Plvmber at February 23, 2007 9:16 PM
I'm a building owner and in order to offset losses due to rent stabilized tenants paying 50% below market rents and increases of 210% in operating costs I keep the boilers at 50' between 10pm and 11am. No offense. Just business.
Posted by: Larry at February 23, 2007 11:11 PM
Yeah, but Larry is your tenants' hot water attatched to your boiler?
Because if it is, you are making a whole lot of smelly people with crust still in their eyes go to work without a shower, and that is not "just business." It's wrong.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 26, 2007 1:21 PM
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