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Thermostat placement for small steam heated apartment building

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ciri
ciri Member Posts: 3
in Strictly Steam

My 4 unit/4 floor brownstone building (steam heat) has been struggling with keeping all units a reasonable temperature. The bottom two floors are usually freezing, while the top two floors overheat. I know this is a common experience and we're unlikely to find a perfect solution, but does anyone have any suggestions for the best place for a thermostat that controls the entire building?

Currently, we have it in the common hallway on the 3rd floor, but we've noticed that because this spot is so insulated (no windows, far from front door, and the one radiator on the ground floor), the temperature in this spot stays pretty consistent - the apartments become freezing before there's enough of a drop in temperature where the thermostat is to trigger the heat to come on. Once the heat does come on, it's on for a long time before the thermostat registers the increase in heat and turns it off.

Where do people with similar setups keep their thermostats? I thought maybe our basement (unfinished, has windows, houses the boiler room) would be a better reflection of what's going on in the apartments? Would love to hear anyone's thoughts or recommendations! Thank you!!

Comments

  • besteam
    besteam Member Posts: 2

    I would try placing the thermostat in one of the bottom two floors and have the top two floor radiator valves closed down but not all the way. Using the radiator valves as a thermostat of sorts. It would help to know if this is a one pipe system or a two pipe system because you can buy adjustable air vents on one pipe systems and do the same thing. The problem likely isn't the thermostat location but instead a system error that would take a professional boiler guy to sniff out.

  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578

    is this a one pipe steam system?
    This situation seems like the steam is not arriving at all radiators simultaneously, in addition to a bad location for the thermostat.

    Ideally the thermostat should quickly react to a drop in building temperature, as well as shutting off when enough steam has heated all the rooms.

    Are there adequate main vents? What type of thermostat is installed now?

    The Honeywell product line has some with remote sensors, enabling the 2-wire sensor to be in a room which is most exposed to the outside temperature, and also getting steam at the same time as all the other radiators in the building. Some sensors are wireless, making for a more convenient installation.-NBC

  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 865

    If it is a one pipe system you DO NOT want to partially close the inlet valves. Open them all the way and put slower vents in the upstairs apartment radiators and faster ones downstairs.

    pecmsgleonz
  • ciri
    ciri Member Posts: 3

    Yes, it's one pipe. The thermostat is a Pro 1AQ. I think the real issue is the thermostat placement, it barely changes temperature in the location it's in, because it's so insulated. The bottom two floors are affected by the front door opening and closing, the frequency of which varies greatly. The other residents aren't agreeable to placing the thermostat in one apartment.

    I'm thinking the space that would have the most similar temperature conditions and fluctuations would be the basement, which has windows (that are closed, but will still let in some cold air when the temperature outside is cold). We just had the thermostat installed in its current location late last year (it was previously in an apartment), so I want to make sure if we move it again we get it right.

  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 1,241
    edited December 17

    I can tell you that it will not work with the thermostat sensor in the basement. The heating load there is quite different than in the rest of the building.

    If the tenants will not accept a thermostat in a single apartment, remote sensors in several apartments connected to a remotely mounted thermostat (tamper resistant/not accessible to tenants) will give an average temperature throughout the building and should work well—IF you get the system balanced—which means working on the venting as noted above.

    —
    Bburd
    dabrakeman
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,751
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1877736#Comment_1877736

    there’s always the “window T-stat”

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,458

    System needs to be balanced but a 1 pipe in an apartment building will never be perfect and tenant access for balancing is an issue.

    Some buildings use a 'heat timer" or a "teckmar" control. This places a sensor outdoors and one on the end of the longest steam pipe. It then brings the boiler on through a timer timing the burner based on outdoor air temp.

    With only 4 units I would get a steam pro in their to work on the vents and get the system balanced as good as possible and then a thermostat with a few averaging sensors would probably be the best step.

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