kramer's Profile
Author's Posts
January 6, 2010
Hot Water Temp in Shower
We have baseboard heat heated by our hot water heater. The temperature of the hot water heater is set very high to provide efficient heat (or so I am told...). The problem is it's VERY hot, scalding. We have children and I'm worried about them taking showers and scalding themselves. What can be done? Is the only option one of those hotel style water controls (we have separate hot/cold knobs now)? How much would it cost to install one? I imagine we'd also have to get tile repair work done. Is that expensive? (Honestly, I'd love to re-do the tile too - it's a rental and it was done terribly). Thanks.
Author's Comments
Not the mechanicals.... Where'd they put all the junk? All that basement bric-a-brac.
Posted by: kramer at February 24, 2010 11:41 AM in response to Architect's Journal: Park Slope Rec Room
Where's everything that used to be in the basement?
Posted by: kramer at February 24, 2010 11:13 AM in response to Architect's Journal: Park Slope Rec Room
I always thought it was from the air in the water in winter (only happens to us in winter, and only in our bathroom sink). Same air that makes cold water temporarily cloudy when it comes out of the faucet.
Posted by: kramer at February 12, 2010 2:34 PM in response to Screaming Shower
For us it's less the BQE than the traffic on the avenue we're on that is a truck route for the BQE. There is more honking/traffic noise there. The BQE is white noise, basically. But it's dirty. And if you're a corner building, your building will shake a little. One thing to think of: they are doing "improvements" and asbestos removal on parts of the BQE, so there will be a lot of construction the next few years, depending on where you live.
Posted by: kramer at February 9, 2010 12:23 PM in response to Living Near BQE
Thanks Master Plvmber!
Posted by: kramer at January 6, 2010 8:51 PM in response to Hot Water Temp in Shower
It's a Mark II Heatmaker.
Posted by: kramer at January 6, 2010 7:08 PM in response to Hot Water Temp in Shower
Sure. it might be a boiler. I don't know. It's about 2-3x the size of a regular hot water heater I'm used to seeing. I can't remember the name - I'm not at home. (FWIW, our upstairs neighbors have a tankless that does the same thing - supplies hotwater to heater and sinks/showers, etc).
Master Plvmber, I'm not sure what you're referring to as "this illegal" - meaning if it's a domestic hotwater heater? Or that the water goes back to the hotwater heater/boiler is illegal? (I'm not sure what it does, to tell you the truth). Is there no such thing as one unit that does both?
Posted by: kramer at January 6, 2010 4:14 PM in response to Hot Water Temp in Shower
Hot water for baseboard heater comes from hotwater heater (it also supplies the hot water to our sinks/shower). In other words, one hot water heater supplies both our baseboard heaters and our sinks/shower. It's not tankless. It's big. From early 80s. As far as we can access, no way to set temperature easily (like the dial on traditional hotwater heater). The plumber has told us that if he reduces the temperature of the water, the baseboard heat won't be hot enough and will be very inefficient.
The scalding could occur during flushes/using kitchen sink/dishwasher running. But the regular temp is so hot, it could really happen merely from having the hot water on with no cold water mixed in to temper (something a child could do by accident). I'm not sure it would scald an adult with brief exposure, but it would probably scald a child with more sensitive skin, and with less ability to react quickly in the situation and jump out of the stream or turn hot water off. It's HOT.
Posted by: kramer at January 6, 2010 3:27 PM in response to Hot Water Temp in Shower
I have spoken to the landlord. He asked that I research it, find out costs associated, etc. (He lives out of town, there's not super or mgmt company).
Posted by: kramer at January 6, 2010 2:30 PM in response to Hot Water Temp in Shower
The living room in 5B 3-bedroom is only 12 feet wide. Wow.
Posted by: kramer at January 6, 2010 11:50 AM in response to Checking In On 225 Pacific Street
Looked at this apt or the one upstairs a bunch of years ago - 6? And the noise coming thru the pipes/vents from the other apts was insane. The kitchen was TINY. 4th floor walk up with laundry in the basement.
Posted by: kramer at December 2, 2009 3:22 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 509 Court Street, #4K
I looked at an apt here a bunch of years ago... 6? Maybe even this one. The kitchen is TINY (not unlike many in it's neighbor @ 505 Court). And the noise from neighboring apts coming thru the vents/pipes in the kitchen was absurd. The broker mumbled some lame excuse. The master bedroom is huge. But it's a 4th floor walk up with laundry in the basement, from what I recall.
Posted by: kramer at December 2, 2009 2:50 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 509 Court Street, #4K
We have the same problem in a 3-apt building. Individual water heaters in each apt that also do baseboard heat so temp can't be turned down. So when it gies to hot it's scalding. I worry about my kid getting burned.
Posted by: kramer at November 11, 2009 4:02 PM in response to Water Temp Variation Question
I think I'm more inclined to blame the government person who thought it was ok to have a film shoot on Machu picchu than the film crew.
Posted by: kramer at October 29, 2009 3:09 PM in response to Renting Your Place for Movie
Make sure to have a contract that specifies what would happen in case of damages, what happens if they want to paint a wall, what happens if they scratch the floor, are they allowed to wear shoes in the house, are they allowed to use the bathroom, are they allowed to use the kitchen, remove curtains or window shades, etc etc. They should have insurance - workman's comp & liability, damages, loss. There will be A LOT of people going in and out of your house.
I don't know what the fees are, it would depend on the size of your house, are they leaving equpment there, will you be living there... could range from 1,000 to 10,000 I would imagine.
Posted by: kramer at October 29, 2009 10:01 AM in response to Renting Your Place for Movie
Exterminator. They'll look for the hole/entry in the roof/wall/fascia/chimney wherever it is they are coming in and patch it, put screen on it, etc.
Posted by: kramer at October 15, 2009 1:12 PM in response to Infestation
Also verify w/Con Ed what type of account it is... We had an apt in Park Slope that had an outrageous initial bill and it turns out it had been set up as a commercial account, and had an estimated usage based on that.
Posted by: kramer at September 21, 2009 11:11 AM in response to Conned by Con Edison?
I agree. Aladdin is great. Very professional.
Posted by: kramer at September 18, 2009 5:32 PM in response to Plumber needed
those 1+ bedroom floor throughs go for anywhere between 1700-2300 depending on the actual size and condition.
Posted by: kramer at September 1, 2009 11:03 AM in response to Average Rent for Carroll Gardens
National Grid bills are every other month, right? So I'm wondering if the figures people are quoting are per month, or per billing cycle?
Posted by: kramer at August 21, 2009 2:19 PM in response to Heat/HW Costs in a Rental?
Gas?
We have a gas powered hot water heater that runs the hot water to our baseboard radiators as well as our hot water for kitchen/bathroom. We have a 2 bedroom, probably 800 sq ft? (building is 20 x ? maybe 35?). We're 2 adults and 2 kids and we have a dishwasher, no washing machine...
Summer months our bill is about $60/every other month
Winter- anywhere between $75-$150 depending on the weather.
We don't have to turn the heat on much (we're on the top floor) and we have a programmable thermostat (we paid for the installation) - heat is set to 70 during the day and 62 at night (it rarely ever gets that cold, so it never really goes on at night).
Posted by: kramer at August 21, 2009 10:59 AM in response to Heat/HW Costs in a Rental?
This will coincide REALLY nicely with the closing of the Smith & 9th street stop. Kudos MTA!!!
Posted by: kramer at August 17, 2009 12:20 PM in response to Carroll Gardens Up in Arms Over MTA Doings
Years ago I lived on the LES and the bulbs were always burning out in the hallway of my 5th fl walk up. What finally solved it was when I called the landlord for the millionth time requesting that a bulb be replaced and said that I was worried someone visiting the building might hurt themselves and then sue the landlord.
A flourescent light was installed the next day.
Posted by: kramer at August 7, 2009 2:34 PM in response to Landlord Neglected Building
the artist's name is damon ginandes
Posted by: kramer at July 28, 2009 5:10 PM in response to Tuesday Blogwrap
the great news is they aren't doing any actual work to the station during the time it is closed - just track work and the bridge. So you'll still be able to see daylight through the stairs and get rained on inside the station!
Posted by: kramer at July 27, 2009 1:26 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 505 Court Street, #10C
The traffic at this particular intersection has nothing to do with bikes or no bikes. It has to do with truck traffic and poorly timed lights on Court and Hamilton. There's an immense amount of truck traffic down 9th street, coming across the canal from 2nd/3rd Aves. That's the problem that needs to be addressed. That's the problem that's affecting the quality of life for people who live there, drive there, bike there, walk there.
Posted by: kramer at July 24, 2009 12:10 PM in response to DOT Greens a New Bike Lane on 9th Street
Going down 9th to get to Red Hook on a bicycle doesn't make any sense, you'd have to turn on to Hamilton and then make a left across traffic or cross under on the pedestrian path.
Posted by: kramer at July 24, 2009 11:36 AM in response to DOT Greens a New Bike Lane on 9th Street
what I don't get is the two right turn only arrows they've stenciled at 9th and Court... if they are going to direct all the traffic to the BQE down Court, it's going to be jammed 24/7. Instead what they should do is divert the 9th street traffic to the BQE down 2nd Ave, keeping the truck traffic out of the residential neighborhoods.
Posted by: kramer at July 24, 2009 11:09 AM in response to DOT Greens a New Bike Lane on 9th Street
Looks like there's no window in the bedroom, er, I mean mezzanine.
Posted by: kramer at March 11, 2010 3:55 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 154 Broadway, #4