Enough radiation?

[Deleted User]

are NOT the correct way to do it. Only a detailed heat loss program will tell you what's going on.

But for a quick ROT check, use 50 btu's per square foot per hour. Typical for an older building.

Buy Dan Holohans E.D.R. book and determine how many square feet of radiation is still standing. See if it is any where near it's load.

Convince everyone in the system to install a one pipe non electric thermostatic valve, and the system will balance out. The hot spots get reasonable, and the cold spots go away. And you get the added bonus of a consumption reduction. Have a professional take a look at your system to see if there are any other improvements that can be made, like an indoor/outdoor reset system, proper pressures and air elimination, and so on and sew forth...

The TRV's should be MANDATORY on ALL steam heating systems. We waste SO much energy...

ME

Jim_74

I live in a 100-year old apartment building with one-pipe steam heat. We installed a new boiler control system this year, and about 30% of the units are now complaining that their apartments are too cold.

For comparison, in previous years, the basement of the building (where the steam mains are) would heat up to 85 or 90 degrees. This year, it's much more comfortable in that area, rarely getting above 75 or so. We haven't taken apartment-by-apartment measures of the heat levels, but may do so if we keep getting complaints.

Does anyone have advice on how to make sure there's enough radiation in a particular apartment? Many units have removed some or all of their radiators, because there was enough indirect heat rising through the building to compensate for no radiation in the apartments. Is there any way to quickly calculate how much radiation a particular apartment needs to have, based on the size, ceiling heights, and window square footage?

Thanks.