In a nutshell, old radiator systems were built when fuel costs were cheap and wasting energy wasn’t a big deal. Opening windows to cool down overheated spaces was part of the original design. But even turning down the thermostat wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem. Steam heating systems are notorious for distributing heat unevenly. While some apartments get too hot, others in the same building can be so chilly that they barely meet the minimum local heat requirements. So what can you do if yours is a hot apartment? Here are three tips to cool a hot apartment in cold weather. However, there is one way to adjust the heat on a steam radiator: installing a thermostatic radiator valve. This adjusts room temperature by using air to reduce or increase the amount of steam that warms your radiator. Radiators come in two types: one-pipe and two-pipe. They have different types of boiler systems. But all you need to know is one-pipe steam systems have one pipe connected to each radiator, and two-pipe steam systems have two pipes at each radiator. For a two-pipe system, you’ll need a valve called a high-capacity thermostatic radiator actuator, which precisely controls how hot your radiator gets by modulating the flow of steam. A thermostatic valve or actuator should be installed by your super or a plumber. It’s not a complicated job, but if something goes wrong (such as with old parts), you could create a disaster by doing it yourself. A ceiling fan isn’t essential, but you can use it to accelerate the cool-down process. The downdraft it creates will cool off your hot room while pushing heated air up so it can escape out the windows. If your ceiling fan runs in both directions, remember that counterclockwise is the standard setting for cooling a room. This blows the air down, and such airflow helps to pull heat away from your skin, cooling down your body. Conversely, if you want more even heat in the winter, run the ceiling fan clockwise at a low setting. This will circulate the hot air that has floated up to the ceiling.
