Best Of
Re: Radiators make my apartment unbearable during winter
If the valves don't close and the landlord isn't cooperative, you must take matters into your own hands:
Adjustable inside screens are $11 - $15 each. I give them to my tenants. If you can't afford that, nail $5 worth of chicken wire on the window casing.
Just throw blankets over the radiators, invest $30 in screens and stop complaining. Be thankful it's not 40-degrees in the place.
The money you save from the landlord not raising your rent due to complaining will pay for the chicken wire tenfold.
From a technical point of view, the landlord should properly balance the system, which would require him to maintain his stuff; something he doesn't care to do apparently. The hot water rises to the top of the building and without proper balancing often overheats the top units.
Re: Radiators make my apartment unbearable during winter
The heavy blanket will fix the overheating. Perhaps discreetly contacting an attorney can solve the bullying.
Re: Is there a list of the best help forums for the various 'challenges' we encounter?
@manlep
Posting on Facebook is your decision I would not go that route at this time. You need to get a hold of the contractor and express you concerns firmly and politely and give them a chance to remedy the situation.
I know you have tried contacting them and it is frustrating that they do not respond. Call , text, send a letter and document, document and document. If nothing else you will be building your case if they choose to not respond
Re: Vent placement in home 2-pipe steam heat system
Steam will condense any time it is in a situation to lose enthalpy to something else. Next to a cool surface? It will condense to heat the surface. Sp if some steam could get to the infinitely small orifice location, yes some would condense on the pipe walls near the orifice. Exactly enough, in fact, to compensate for the heat loss of the pipe into the surrounding space.
But… this has nothing to do with whether the orifice is blocking steam or not. Exactly the same amount of steam would condense in that location and pipe if there were no orifice at all.
Or let's look at it in a more direct answer to your question as stated, which was "if the orifice were infinitely small (no hole), would the steam just stay hot for the duration of the heating cycle? Or would it condense, at least small amount, in the valve/piping," If the steam were present, and the supply piping were cooler than the steam, heat would transfer from the steam to the supply piping and the steam would condense.
Or take a third whack. Saturated steam is, by definition, water vapour in equilibrium with liquid water at the stated temperature and pressure. If any energy is extracted from the water vapour, that energy will come from condensation of some of the vapour in the form of liquid water.
I suggested it earlier, I will again: look up the definition of enthalpy, and then find a good thermodynamics textbook and study it to understand it, and then you will be on the way to understanding how the physics of heat transfer using combined vapour/liquid phase systems (of which steam heat is one — and so are heat pumps and refrigerators) works.
Re: Radiators make my apartment unbearable during winter
Thermostatic Radiator Valves are an option.
HVACNUT
Re: New Propane Boiler Options
there is an uninsulated hole up the middle of the tank (or sometimes routed differently in oil water heaters), that is going to significantly increase standby losses.
Re: Question about lining 90 year old cast iron sewer pipe
Cast iron and clay can be lined. It depends on the company doing the job and what product they use.
A reputable company will do a full accessment of your system and offer their advice. They should send a camera down the piping to determine how feasible it is to do the job.
I would also get a plumbers perspective on how to correct your issue. You might be surprised as to how plumbing can be re-routed, pumped and plumbed for a drainage upgrade. The cost can be less in some sercomstances, and be a better more reliable job.
Companies vary from how they do things. You will need to find a company(s) in your area.
Intplm.
