What type of radiator is this and is it safe?

newtoradiators

Hi! I live in an old apartment building with radiant heat. I’ve never had a radiator like this before, and I wondered if anyone could confirm it is a two-pipe steam radiator? 

If so, is it safe to keep the valve in the off position all the time? I read somewhere you have to keep steam radiators on, so I’m not sure. The radiator is still hot to the touch even when the valve is turned to the off position. 

Jack_2

It looks like a water heat radiator not steam. Supply pipe water comes into the radiator where the valve knob is while the return pipe is the bottom where that white knob is. The radiator is just painted black, an unusual color. The valve is probably broken in the open position. That's why you are still getting hot water into the radiator even when you turn it off.

bburd

The fitting on the return appears to be a steam trap, so the system is almost certainly two pipe steam. It is fine to turn off the radiator valve. If the valve doesn’t shut off completely it can be repaired.

I see no obvious safety concerns.

JUGHNE

I would call it a 2 pipe steam radiator with a trap on the outlet.
If hot water it would have an air vent up high on the end opposite the valve.
The valve may not shut the steam off completely or some other steam trap in the building has failed and steam is backing up into your radiator.

If too much heat and the building management will not correct things you could hang a quilt over it.
Seriously, the covering would cut the heat output down. The max temp of that thing with steam would be less than 212 degrees. Nothing plastic but just cloth. After all paper has to get up to 451 or so to burn.

mattmia2

Because it can heat to over 200 degrees someone like a child or person with poor sense of touch could get burned on it but there is nothing unsafe about that installation in particular.

DanHolohan

It’s two-pipe steam and it’s safe to keep the supply valve closed. 

JakeCK

I 2nd putting a blanket over it. I do it all the time to cool off the master bedroom since it has a massive rad compared to the rest upstairs and the valve is finicky. Always seems to be all or nothing. 

You can even change how much of the rad is covered to modulate how much it puts out. And covering it makes it "safer" for little sensitive hands. But they'll be missing out on a good life lesson.

ChrisJ

Is there any reason you can't throttle the supply on a 2 pipe steam system instead of using a blanket?

STEVEusaPA

ChrisJ said:

Is there any reason you can't throttle the supply on a 2 pipe steam system instead of using a blanket?

I think the OP stated the valve was 'off' and the radiator was still hot.