Baseboard Heaters - Slant Fin - Maintenance

rosaliedipietro2

My tenant of five years calls me into her apartment today as I'm onsite doing other projects. She points out the hot water baseboard in her apartment, the bathroom, which has rust dots and requests to have it painted. I point out that I can see that the fins are full of dust and hair and should be cleaned regularly with a vacuum cleaner and a spray bottle with hot water.

She claims that they've been that dirty since she moved in five years ago adding that there's construction debris in the fins....there was one small spot of dried compound which came off easily (not sure how it got there). I reply, but it's been five years now and surely that dirt is also of your making since you live here. Not sure what condition the baseboard was in when she moved because it was during covid and my husband was handling the management of that property. Not sure if he had the baseboards cleaned before they moved in and he's no longer here on Earth. I had my son bring in a steam cleaner to clean the fins which released a considerable amount of hair and dust. We cleaned it incuding the floor around it. She claims that I should provide the steam cleaner for her to clean all the baseboards. I said it's not my responsibility to come in to clean her apartment but I did offer to purchase and send her a smaller steam cleaner so that she can clean all the baseboards.

It's in my best interest to have clean baseboards as I provide and pay for the heat during the winter. Having them so dirty inhibits the effectiveness of the heat. However, as much as she complains that at 72 degrees she's still cold, she's got most of the baseboards in the apartment blocked with furniture, her bed, etc. I've told her repeatedly over the past few years that she's blocking the heat source but she insists that it's not the case.

How should I handle this? Volunteering to have someone clean the baseboards at my expense is definitely is to my benefit but not sure that she'll move her furniture or re-arrange her furniture to maximize the efficiency of the system.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

If the furniture is up off the ground, it should heat properly. Cold air is pulled along the floor into the bottom of the baseboard (BB), heated by the fins and then rises through the upper opening to heat the room.
Make sure the baffle at the top is pivoted all the way open. Closed, it will reduce heating by 20-30%. Anything blocking that air movement will reduce the heating.
Heating systems are usually designed to keep the room at 68F on the coldest average day. I don’t think you’re responsible to keep it anything above that, but check local codes.
You seem reasonable in that you’ve cleaned the fins once and provided her with a cleaning tool. I think she needs to be responsible for keeping the fins clean, but sometimes you have to go out of your way to keep people happy.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Tell her if she moves the furniture away from the baseboards you will clean them. She has no incentive to clean or move furniture (and keep it away) because she is not paying for the heat directly.

And once you leave she may put the furniture back for all you know.

But she may get some incentive if she wants more heat. What temp do you have to maintain by law? I thought the min was 68. She might cooperate if you tell her your lowering the temp to 68 LOL

rosaliedipietro2

You are correct….here are the NYC heating rules:

During the heating season, owners must maintain an indoor temperature of at least 68°F between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and at least 62°F between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., only when the outdoor temperature is below 55°F.

At 72, I am far above the mandatory requirements, yet each year they continue to complain and make no attempt to help themselves by moving the furniture away from the baseboards.

They are good tenants overall, but each heating season they become very annoying….they send text messages pleading for mercy when the smart thermostat reads 72, asking me to allow them to increase the thermostat to 73/74. It's ridiculous….even in my own home with the worst of heating systems, forced air, I wear a robe or sweater even if the thermostat reads 72…..don't want to give all my $$$ to the utility company.

mattmia2

they could take a small fan and a duct and blow cooler air from near the floor at the locked t-stat. or they could just hook a mechanical t-stat in parallel and set it to whatever they want. they could get one of those fixed construction t-stats and put it in the base behind the t-stat.

mattmia2

disassembling and cleaning the heating system doesn't seem like the tenant's responsibility.

EBEBRATT-Ed

True but baseboards will get dirty faster if they don't clean the apartment. its not like they need cleaning every year. Probably every 5 years.

rosaliedipietro2

I usually clean very dirty fins first with a vacuum and then with a steamer….especially those fins and tubing where it hasn't been cleaned in many years that just vacuuming isnt enough. In my research recently, seems like using a steamer is not recommened. Your thoughts?

mattmia2

Steam won't hurt the fin tube or cabinet if it is the original metal. Might hurt other things around it. I'd probably use a vacuum and some brushes.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I have used a Vacuum and brush first then a spray bottle with water and a cake pan under it to catch the water and some rags

hot_rod

do they keep the unit clean? Whatever is in the fins mostly comes from inside the unit.

The heating system belongs to the landlord/ owner. If it was a forced air system I doubt many tenants would be expected to clean ducts, blower, and change filters? I would think the same for a hydronic system.
If fin tube maintenance or cleaning is in the rental agreement, that is a different story.

Most tenants probably would not know how to service a heating system. I suppose that is why they are renters?
seems like a steamer in the wrong hands could do more damage than good, wet Sheetrock and wood trim perhaps? Unless it has greasy deposits from cooking, a vacuum and brush should be adequate.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

So, they have their own thermostat and they ask you for permission to increase the setting above 72F? I would go ahead carte blanche and raise their rent $20.

If they are otherwise good tenants, this seems a small hurdle to keep things on the straight and narrow, no?

mattmia2

keep in mind that the delta t between outdoor and indoor is an average of like 40 degrees f and the increase in heat loss with delta t is linear so raising the temp from 72f to 76f will cost like 10% more, the cost is pretty close to trivial compared to things like mortgage interest.