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January 5, 2009
Floor to Floor Temp Difference
I have a brand new thermometer in my apartment that is currently reading 82 degrees, even on the coldest days, it is never below 78. The floor above me says they are cold. They keep turning up the heat. He says a plumber told him that his radiators are fine. The floor above them also say they are hot. How much of a difference could possibly exist.
I can even make a slice of toast without having to open my window in the dead of winter.
Comments
I had this happen in my co-op where we set the thermostat at 68 degrees. I went around with my thermometer and found that the temp was the same in the apartment where they said they were too cold as in that of the one who said they were too hot.... Barring a lack of insulation or weatherproofing or number of radiators in the too cold place, that's what may be happening.
Posted by: Bessie at January 6, 2009 1:25 PM
If there is a difference, lotsd of posts in the archives on balancing the radiators (adjusting the vents) and radiator sizing. Also check heatinghelp.com. Lots you can do to even out the heat on a steam system.
Posted by: slopefarm at January 6, 2009 4:58 PM
steam heat?..replace the air vents in the cold apt
Posted by: eman1234 at January 6, 2009 9:39 PM
Well a top Plumber was in and changed everyone's vent.
I really am pondering about how low the temperature could be. Again, my thermometer reads in the low 80's. Is it at all possible that he could be below 70?
Posted by: Pstreet at January 6, 2009 10:28 PM
First a stupid question. Are the valves entirely open? If it's a 2 pipe system are both valves open? Are all radiators equidistant from the riser. Maybe the second floor has a longer run? Is there a large air vent on top of the riser that might be letting the heat rush to the top floor too quickly? That's the situation I have in my loft building. I'm on the 2nd floor and am the coolest in the whole building. I'm currently running my radiators without vents at all!
Posted by: mod squad at January 6, 2009 11:51 PM
In a one pipe steam system, the lower floors will get warmer to the upper ones because they are closer to the boiler. The vent on the radiator controls how much steam goes into the radiator by letting air out. No air out - no steam in. You have a classic balancing system, so when replacing the air vents the plumber should have done one of the following:
Good: put larger vents in the upper floors and smaller ones in the lower.
Better: there is a 'vari-vent' with a little slide mechanism. you can manually close it all or a little to regulate the temperature of each room.
Best: they have automatic air vents that measure the temperature in the room and automatically open and close the vent. Look at: http://www.maconcontrols.com/opsk1204.html
Posted by: joesteam at January 8, 2009 8:05 PM
varivents have a sketchy history, due to the tenants confusion about how to use them... better to have a qualified heating tech run through a cyle and put appropriately sized groton vents (not the chinese crap)on the rads
Posted by: eman1234 at January 8, 2009 9:58 PM
also, tenants are known to do stupid things like close the radiator valve when it is too hot...it can take me hours to figure this stuff out, because it is just too dumb to consider
Posted by: eman1234 at January 8, 2009 10:01 PM
I was really aking if anyone takes a temperature in different apartments.
For the record I have a #4 vent on my little raditor that cooks my apartment. The guy upstairs has a D vent. I kow the plumber showed him how to open the shut-off valve. For years, he had it half open, because he thought that was how to regulate the temperature.
Posted by: Pstreet at January 8, 2009 11:01 PM
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