Pstreet's Profile
Author's Posts
November 8, 2009
Outdoor Temp Sensor Off
My one year old boiler kicked on today at lunch even thought the outdoor temp was 62!!!! The controll said it was reading 52 for the outside temp. It has a warm weather shut off for 50 which didn't kick it off because I tweeked it the other way last month because it was reading seven degrees too warm.
I am convinced that it is mounted in a bad spot. It is mounted on a brownstone material pillar around eight feet from the building. I see others on the block mounted on the building.
Should it be mounted directly on the stone or would it be better to step it off with airspace behind it or on a block of wood.
I am going off to experiment, just wwondering if anyone has had a similar experience.
July 3, 2009
Roof Party
Can you have people on an apartment roof without a deck. Who would we get in trouble with.
June 2, 2009
Estate Clean Out
Has anyone had an experience cleaning out a house? We have a small house full of furniture and such.
Is there a charity someone has used and would recommend?
Is there someone who would come and make an offer on everything? We are not interested in a garage sale .
Thanks
January 10, 2009
Radiator Vent
Ok, after a balancing my 4th floor brownstone neighbor had a #4 vent on her radiator and said it was colder than comfortable. I had a #C vent on hand and swapped it. I hope it wasn't too big a jump.
The #4 I pulled off seemed almost filled with water. Is this normal? Also the vent was sort of in the middle of the radiator. Shouldn't it be closer to the top?
January 9, 2009
Radiator Temperature Fun
So I borrowed a IR Temperature Gun from work. You use it to measure surface temperature. It is quite fun.
My radiator is 89 ice cold. It took about four minutes to heat up to 140 when the boiler kicked on. (This was enough to get the apartment temp to 80). I checked two radiators in the hall and vestibule which are the same level as my apartment. They have bigger vents and maxed at 190 and 174. All three were cooler on the vent size. It still isn't too cold yet this winter so the heating cycle was very short. In twenty minutes my radiator was back to 89 and the ones in the hall were at 155 and 141. Then it all started over again on the next 30 minute cycle.
I also turned the shut-off valve a few turns and the radiator barely reached 102. It was a short cycle, since it was only 34 outside. I would love to put a small amount of rust and crud in the valve and check performance. I will have to borrow some wrenches.
My window glass was at 70 and a door to the garden was at 71. These are new energy star windows. The window glass in the front door was only 59!!!! and felt cold to the touch in the steamy vestibule. This is a brand new door.
I thought this was all mildy interesting and will try again when the weather drops next week.
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.
December 25, 2008
Radiator Valve
Can a bad steam radiator shut off valve affect radiator performance? The plumber put a new vent on, and checked the pitch. The valve is open all the way.
Would this be something a plumber would normally check during a balancing.
I've read that turning the shut off valve half way for years create sediment and foul the seat? Does that sound true?
December 23, 2008
Cold Radiator
We have a cold/tepid radiator. The plumber was in and put in a new larger air vent and checked the pitch. All the other radiators are blazing hot. This radiator gets hot if we run the heat forever, but that makes the rest of the building unberably hot.
It is a single pipe steam system.
December 18, 2008
Cold Apartment
We have a five story brownstone co-op. All the apartments feel that they are too hot during the heating season. The Parlor floor apartment which has the highest ceilings claims to be too cold all the time. We have one pipe steam radiators and the master plumber was just in and balanced everything. Does anyone have this experience with a parlor floor like this. The other apartments are at 80 degrees.
Is it fair to have to spend co-op money to overheat the other floors just to get these young people heat? Most apartments have the radiators off or windows open.
Author's Comments
There are systems that dial phone numbers so you don't have to hardwire the apartments. It is great because you can buzz someone in from the backyard or roof.
Posted by: Pstreet at September 14, 2009 9:19 PM in response to Intercom Problem/Safety
Yeah shower curtains. How about no tub. A super wide shower is pretty hot.
Posted by: Pstreet at February 22, 2009 1:36 PM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?
Can you enclose a rear porch without a permit?
Posted by: Pstreet at February 22, 2009 11:05 AM in response to Buying house w/unpermitted work?
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 in response to Floor to Floor Temp Difference
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 in response to Floor to Floor Temp Difference
Yeah, read the box in the hardware store. Electric dryers only.
I have seen dryers vented over thirty feet. It is done with rigid duct and a duct fan. Check the Grainger catalog. There is a seperate cleanout and it is only done with electric dryers.
Does anyone know of a recent dryer fire in Brooklyn?
Posted by: Pstreet at January 4, 2009 2:22 PM in response to dryer exhaust question
Yes the valve is fully open.
Posted by: Pstreet at December 23, 2008 10:40 PM in response to Cold Radiator
OP The plumber did change all the air vents. I am pretty sure that our issues are approaching our neighbor to reduce his drafts. The parlor floor is inclosed because we are a multi unit . I installed energy star windows and sealed my co-op very well, others have done the same.
The plumber also said we once it becomes to hot and the upper floors shut their radiators it is takes longer to heat the other floors.
The heat cycles on every hour, and overheats every floor in the building.
Posted by: Pstreet at December 20, 2008 2:20 AM in response to Cold Apartment
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
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 in response to Floor to Floor Temp Difference
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 in response to Floor to Floor Temp Difference
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 in response to Floor to Floor Temp Difference
You need to have the block and lot folder pulled at the DOB an go to HPD to confirm there is no i-card. You may not be able to find further documentation in either location. The information from those two sources are the only things the DOB will rely on to proove existing conditions. The biggest danger is trying to do work down the road, if something is non compliant, you cant have it on the proposed work filing plans - a conundrum. These situations come up all the time, its possible but unlikely the DOB would come after you for something that wasnt compliant, most rear yard additions were done without approvals. But again, if your planning on doing work ever it is going to be an issue. As for legalizing, that assumes its legal, which someone would have to look at it to confirm. The issue with enclosing a porch is one, your making more habitable space (which you may not have the FAR for) and two your killing the light and air that the windows on the facade most likely provide. So its a tricky thing to do permit or not (that was for pstreet)
Finally, sanborn maps might help, but the DOB doesnt care about what they show.
- Josh
Posted by: jp2 at February 22, 2009 11:16 AM in response to Buying house w/unpermitted work?
Problem with doors is that you can't wash a baby/toddler easily. big turn off for future inhabitants. And they get scummy if you don't stay on top of cleaing.
Posted by: Bolder at February 23, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?
Another vote for shower curtain.
Posted by: mopar at February 23, 2009 2:49 PM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?
NOPE... Glass doors. there are a wide range of styles and prices now. You can get a real nice one with polished aluminum frames and thick glass. The frame is not hard to keep clean and the doors look great because they are all glass...agree the translucent ones and any design looks tacky. Bolder is right though....they are less practical if you need the tub to wash the baby or the dog!!!
The full glass enclosures are the nicest but will be pricey..$1,200-1,800 for a "tub" one.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 23, 2009 3:08 PM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?
Curtains.
Far fewer ways for a tenant to ruin the work.
Posted by: serpentor at February 23, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?
For unpermitted work done within the original footprint, this is no big deal. If the work was not done to proper code that's an issue for negotiation.
But, as it seems here, the footprint of the building has changed, that's entirely a different issue.
You will run into a problem if you try and get permitted work done in the future and it needs to be inspected.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 23, 2009 3:14 PM in response to Buying house w/unpermitted work?
Is there some outstanding violation on city records?
If not, I don't see any problem. City is not getting involved - it is only if your mortgage company made an issue which is unlikely.
Try to find a house that hasn't had work done without 'permits'.
Posted by: Petebklyn at February 23, 2009 3:24 PM in response to Buying house w/unpermitted work?
I would try a new valve or borrow one from another radiator. If the threads are dirty or a tiny bit crushed there could be trouble. If it was peviously installed cross threaded it could of damaged the hole. I would wash with a tap oil or Kroil.
I would chase the hole with a tap first. I believe it is a 1/8" NPT thread which is I would look for in a plumbing supply rather than a hardware store. Graingers or McMaster will have it.
I would repair the hole with HELICOIL. This is a Mcmaster or Grainger item, or maybe the plumbing supply would have the NPT kit.
Posted by: Pstreet at October 9, 2009 9:14 PM in response to Steam Radiator Problem