Baseboard heating question

Fer83

Hello everyone.

I have a litle problem with the heating system this place where I rent has. This place has a water boiler heating system so when they turn this thin on, I can't control the temperature inside my apartment. So the only way I have to keep my apartment with a dicent temp it's having all windows open. Last year I spent all winter with the windows open. So I want to know if i can put insulation around the entire baseboard from wall to floor. I want to completely block the heat on my apartment. I already call this place to turn the heat off and they told me it's not posible. To many people are complaining it's to cold outside and bla bla bla (50/70 degrees outside) 

I was thinking to put ceramic Fiber Blanket around the baseboard or fiberglass. 

Fiberglass I can get it today, ceramic Fiber I need to wait for shipping. 

So my question is... Will this work? Fiberglass will do the job? . I know ceramic Fiber will but I really want to solve this problem the soon as posible. Or if you guys have a better idea I will appreciate it. 

Thank you

GGross

You should be able to wrap the element with foil, since the whole thing depends on convection, stopping airflow through the unit should do the trick, and won't be quite as noticeable as the insulation. That is assuming you don't have cabinets with dampers you can adjust.

STEVEusaPA

Did you talk to the landlord? I'm pretty sure if they are paying for heat, they'd rather not waste it by you having your windows open.
How many apartments in the building?
Are you the only one having this problem?

pecmsg

Absolutely nothing wrong with keeping a window open allowing fresh air in. 

That’s an old school thermostat!

eurban

Old school system probably has no way of throttling down the water flow for just in his apartment alone. Our condo that we rent out was built in the 30s and has the same issue with its steam system. It was WAY to expensive to rework the whole building so that each unit could control it's heat. . . .I think his idea of covering the baseboards is about good as it will get. Most just open their windows and that is a terrible waste of energy.

Fer83

STEVEusaPA said:

Did you talk to the landlord? I'm pretty sure if they are paying for heat, they'd rather not waste it by you having your windows open. How many apartments in the building? Are you the only one having this problem?

Yes, I called the office and they just told me to turn the heat off from the thermostat and close the vent. The entire baseboard is warm so it's no point to close the vent and the thermostat don't do anything.
I guess all the apartments are the same way, I don't  know anybody here but I see a lot of windows open during the winter (last winter) and this building has 16 apartments. 

Fer83

eurban said:

Old school system probably has no way of throttling down the water flow for just in his apartment alone. Our condo that we rent out was built in the 30s and has the same issue with its steam system. It was WAY to expensive to rework the whole building so that each unit could control it's heat. . . .I think his idea of covering the baseboards is about good as it will get. Most just open their windows and that is a terrible waste of energy.

I been digging a lot about covering the baseboard, I'm just afraid of cause a fire, that why I'm looking for material not flammables. 

Jamie Hall

Fer83 said:

eurban said:

Old school system probably has no way of throttling down the water flow for just in his apartment alone. Our condo that we rent out was built in the 30s and has the same issue with its steam system. It was WAY to expensive to rework the whole building so that each unit could control it's heat. . . .I think his idea of covering the baseboards is about good as it will get. Most just open their windows and that is a terrible waste of energy.

I been digging a lot about covering the baseboard, I'm just afraid of cause a fire, that why I'm looking for material not flammables. 

The baseboard can't get hot enough to burn most household things. Probably just as well, since it sits next to a flammable floor and wall...

Fer83

pecmsg said:

Absolutely nothing wrong with keeping a window open allowing fresh air in. 

That’s an old school thermostat!

Yeah that's true but I need the area of the living room/dining room complety dark. I do stop motion videos so I need complety darkness on the room I'm working on so I need to cover the window with curtains that block all natural light coming in, close the window so the wind won't move the curtains. Last year I have the ac on with 0 degrees outside to make that area comfortable. 

Fer83

Jamie Hall said:

eurban said:

Old school system probably has no way of throttling down the water flow for just in his apartment alone. Our condo that we rent out was built in the 30s and has the same issue with its steam system. It was WAY to expensive to rework the whole building so that each unit could control it's heat. . . .I think his idea of covering the baseboards is about good as it will get. Most just open their windows and that is a terrible waste of energy.

I been digging a lot about covering the baseboard, I'm just afraid of cause a fire, that why I'm looking for material not flammables. 

The baseboard can't get hot enough to burn most household things. Probably just as well, since it sits next to a flammable floor and wall...

Jamie Hall said:

The baseboard can't get hot enough to burn most household things. Probably just as well, since it sits next to a flammable floor and wall...

I will go with the ceramic Fiber to cover all baseboards and see if this works, thank you for your help.

bburd

Aluminum foil is easier and cheaper.

One note regarding Jamey’s comment above:  hot water or steam baseboards don’t get hotter than about 220°F, which is quite safe for nearby materials (not for skin, obviously).

Electric baseboards can get a great deal hotter. Although they are designed to be installed adjacent to combustible building materials, they can start fires if flammable materials get too close and interfere with air circulation.

mattmia2

Foil won't get fibers in the air. there probably is a zone valve connected to the thermostat that is broken.

The water can't be hotter than 230 degrees or so and most hot water boilers are set to keep it around 180. it can't burn anything although it could release odors from the binders in ordinary fiberglass.