changing from steam radiator to baseboard

Julie_5

Thank you for your responses. I do have steam heat. I was not aware of changing the vents. I actually had done the wrong thing and tried to adjust the valve on the second floor so that would not get so warm so soon. Would you recommend the book "We Got Steam Heat"? Thank you.

Julie_5

changing from steam radiator to baseboard heating

I have a second and third floor condo and the heat is controlled by the temperature on the second floor. There is generally about a 10 degree difference and I had a hard time getting a medium size room on the third floor warm enough last year. I was thinking of getting a radiator that is about 8 to 10 inches wider to replace the current third floor radiator and then someone recommended that I replace the radiator with a baseboard. I live in Boston, MA. How expensive would each of these options be and which would be more efficient? Should I have the baseboard on one wall or on two walls? It is not a medium size room but it was very hard to get enough heat there without suffocating the rest of the house. Thank you for your help.
Julie

Ken_40

Julie, assuming you have steam heat...

Don't spend a dime on a new radiator/baseboard - yet.

The secret of balancing steam heat is rarely understood.

1) You can make cool rooms warmer by using a larger vent on the end of the rad.

2) If someone already tried that, you can make a cool room warmer by making all the other vents smaller! And thereby "driving" more heat to the cool room, by slowing the other rads a tad - with smaller vents.

NEVER attempt to adjust steam by partially closing the feed valve/stop. Either its open all the way, "on," or closed all the way, "off."

If you have a water system, you MAY be able to adjust the heat by making sure the cool room's rad is full open, and the rest are closed a tad, but that also has a ton of other "issues" that are unknown as yet - since your post was undetailed.

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Brad White

Julie- Building-Wide Steam to HW just for you?

Many approaches to take but we would have to know more details and specifics. If steam, as Ken pointed out and as you stated, there are ways to make it talk if not sing. Hot water has even more options but the question becomes how to make it yours alone or does one upgrade the entire building?

Again, many variables.

I am in Boston- let me know on or off-line if you want me to take a look. No charge for a short consult of course.

Brad White

Recommend the book? You bet I would.

Hi Julie- I got your off-line e-mail and will set something up some evening or weekend. In the meantime, yes, get that book. Peaceful Coexistence.

If it is a common system to all units as I suspect, your neighbors will benefit from your foresight.

Brad