Best Of

I like the new o-ring seals vs. fiber washers.

When someone is focused on solving a problem in the design or to make things right by the conventional means, and does not want to do what they can on their own because it doesn't look nice or is outside of what the trade might recommend as a "proper" fix, then you can not fault them in their efforts. I applaud @wisco 's efforts to understand how the building works. I believe his efforts will pay off for the landlord if @wisco can get the landlord's ear with the proper information and fruits of their research. One can only hope for a proper outcome.

If all else fails, I'm sure that the blanket idea will not be lost in spite of themself. I don't believe that @wisco is interested in hearing more antidotal opinions on stopping the flow of heat from the radiator to the room. They have made that clear. How would YOU as an expert in the business solve this?  If anyone has actual mechanical, technical, or operational advice (like the Ghost Flow Idea that I can't believe I didn't think of) to assist in the efforts to make the system balanced as it should have been designed in the first place, then please let us know about your ideas. 

I am not sorry that I did the blanket suggestion in the beginning, but now that I understand what @wisco is asking, and what they are trying to do, I want to help them understand the "boiler system workings" in whatever way I can.

Although with limited info, I can only make educated guesses. I hope that those guesses are correct and that @wisco becomes the boiler expert tenant that saved big bucks on the fuel and therefore the rent does not need to go up next year.

Asking who owns whom in tools or boilers… or makes a given brand… try it with cars! At one time — like when I was a kid — at least GM or Ford or Chrysler made all the bits for the cars in their lines — although while engines tended to brand specific, most of the rest of the car wasn't, except for odd trim pieces. That gradually changed and at first engines were no longer brand specific — and now!

Trying to figure out which engineering firm on which continent and in which country designed the particular part, never mind vehicle, and then which factory where actually built which part… a real nightmare. And worse, it can change… replacement parts (particularly electronics) seem to change weekly. With the quality varying all over the map. Often your best bet is to go to your local you-pull junkyard!

I agree with the comments about the Milwaukee cordless tools. They are big bucks and the batteries don't seem to last. People laugh when I bring in the corded Milwaukee hole hog or right angle drill. But they work all day without playing with batteries.

I have hand me down Ridgid wrenches, a 12R die set and a 65R head that has to be over 50 years old that still work, I had to replace some teeth but they still cut clean threads.

My Ridgid tubing cutters and a basin wrench I got when I was an apprentice 45+ years ago. Until fairly recently they were used daily. I'm not sure if that kind of quality still exists.

Refrigeration has alway been somewhat mysterious to me. Maybe just not enough experience with it to get comfortable.

Hydronics is understandable, is hot water being circulated at the correct temperature and flow rate, the answers are easy to come by.

I don't know why it's an unreasonable suggestion to try the most simple, inexpensive and well known solution to this problem. Cover the radiator with a thick blanket. This should be tried before a tenant attempts any sort of invasive repairs on equipment that doesn't belong to him.

I suspect this is not a new problem in that building. Also the owner is unable or unwilling to perform the correct fix.

If it is out of the OP hands, then we are back to the blanket test and possible long term fix.

What do you have to lose?