heat requirements/laws for tenants

Submitted by throw_away_899210 t3_yulpk1 in pittsburgh

UPDATE: happy I had my landlord come check it out because it’s potentially a bigger issue… he came by to bleed them weeks ago and was surprised that they weren’t getting hot. he’s bleeding again but if it keeps happening, he’s going to need to call someone in. appreciate everyone’s help here!

This fall weather has been insane so I haven't thought much about heat over the past month but temps finally dropped this weekend. My radiators are only warm but not hot to the touch. I bought a little indoor tabletop thermometer/humidity reader, and the current temp in my bedroom is about 66 F. My landlord controls heat/I don't have a thermostat in my unit.

Basically, what is the minimum temp an apartment unit has to be in Pittsburgh/Allegheny County? Should I expect my radiators to be hot to the touch? I've done the New England winters in a 100yo home — some days were so cold you could see your breath — so I don't know if I'm just like accustomed to a colder indoor temp or am minimizing an issue. My landlord has been really responsive to any issues I've had so far (they came to bleed my radiators about a month ago and will be coming hopefully tomorrow for a small leak) so I don't think bringing this up would be a problem but ... landlords are landlords!

edited because I cannot spell

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Comments

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ddesigns t1_iwa099p wrote

Think the minimum is 68 degrees year round.

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tim0767 t1_iwa1q7w wrote

Did you bleed your radiators?

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ATribeCalledGreg t1_iwa37ix wrote

> B. A temperature of at least sixty-eight (68) degrees Fahrenheit shall be provided in all dwelling units regardless of thermostat location when the outside temperature is ten (10) degrees Fahrenheit or above during the heating seasons.

> C. At no time shall the temperature in the areas specified in Section 629A be less than sixty-one (61) degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature is below ten (10) degrees Fahrenheit.

https://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/Allegheny_Home/Health_Department/Article-06-Housing-Rules.pdf

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Pharmalucid t1_iwamxdp wrote

I keep mine at 64 in winter and wear a sweater. Good for the environment

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lutzcody t1_iwbk0s7 wrote

I can control my thermostat and in my lease it says it must stay at 64 or higher. I like to sleep in the cold so at night I turn it down to 64, during the day I keep it at 67 or 68

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happyjazzycook t1_iwbkenv wrote

We lived in a 150yo home with radiator heat for many years and I never felt warm no matter what the thermostat was set at. At the floor should be a knob to regulate the water level in each radiator-- have you turned it to the most open (when the radiator would be most filled with water and would be the warmest) position? If not, wait until the maintenance guy comes over to repair the leak and ask him to do it just in case a seal breaks or it won't budge.

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throw_away_899210 OP t1_iwbkjx0 wrote

Replying to happyjazzycook (#525,538)

Hey! So when the heat turned on this fall and my radiators weren’t hot, I turned all the valves as open as possible. Maintenance came over and they bled them, so they started to get warm. I’m going to ask again today because they’ll already be here. Two of the four are warm/hot but not hot to the touch. The other two aren’t warm at all.

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happyjazzycook t1_iwblwft wrote

Replying to throw_away_899210 (#525,543)

Definitely something is wrong with the radiators that aren't at all warm, and the ones that aren't warm may not be filled to the top with water even though excess air was bled out of them. In our old house I kept the knobs in the guest rooms at a halfway position and they got warm but not hot, in the lower level of the house they were fully turned on and the radiators got so hot that I made foam cushions to keep my cats (and my butt) from getting too hot. Hopefully the maintenance guys are familiar with radiator heat beyond having to bleed the system in the fall. 🤞🏻 And, another thought is, maybe the boiler is getting to the end of its life and not heating the water enough.

You can read through this article for more insight on the issue, and it does mention that "Check the radiator control valve: If a radiator is not getting hot: (steam or hot water) first see if the valve that controls it has been turned off. Try turning the valve counter-clockwise to see if it will open"

Your landlord may need to contact a plumber who is familiar with hot water radiators if the maintenance guy can't figure it out.

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throw_away_899210 OP t1_iwbn1qm wrote

Replying to happyjazzycook (#525,610)

Well all the valves are completely open/I can’t turn it counterclockwise anymore. Either it’s a boiler issue or they are really just not great with heating. I doubt it’s a boiler issue - my water gets HOT - so I’m not sure. I’m also on the top floor so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it?

It’s not uncomfortable in my apartment - it’s 66 F right now. I can work from home and i’m not like bundled up or anything but we aren’t even in winter yet, so I want to get this addressed. Appreciate your help!

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happyjazzycook t1_iwbnrbv wrote

Replying to throw_away_899210 (#525,672)

Hot water radiator heat is wonderful, the problem in our old house was that there were 12' ceilings, and I didn't want to replace the original doors/ windows so I weatherstripped as much as I could but it never seemed to be enough (went from that house to a new construction with geothermal-- wow, what a lovely difference that was!).

So maybe the boiler is old and inefficient. Maybe the valve is stuck and not open fully. Hopefully the maintenance guy can help shed a light o n the issue and it can be fixed. And, we keep our house at 68 so we're not too far off of your heat level. Maybe buy a small radiant heater to keep in the room where you are most of the time? Good luck!

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CricketFan207 t1_iwbvw9r wrote

Replying to throw_away_899210 (#525,672)

It sounds like a boiler issue, this same thing happened to me in my first apartment here. It started to get cold and the radiators just didn't get warm. I'd speak to your landlord ASAP, there's a lot of houses in the city with hot water heat and folks that service those boilers are very busy this time of year.

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Proberts160 t1_iwc1oao wrote

Replying to throw_away_899210 (#523,284)

I lived in an old apartment in Mt.Lebanon that had radiant heat. The system always seemed to get air in it which made my radiators useless. I bought a radiator key from rolliers and had to bleed them daily in order to stay warm. Might be worth getting one so you can do it yourself.

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Karma4Clunkerz t1_iwc610q wrote

Why I love winter more than summer is its easier to add layers than take them off, saving on utilities gets me one step closer to billionaire status

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sarah_plain_and_taII t1_iwdl23o wrote

I used to live in a place with landlord controlled tempersture, but being on the top floor my room got very drafty. I could “trick” my heat into turning on by draping a cold rag over the thermostat. If none of the other suggestions work out, it might be something to try.

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glenn_q t1_iwefggz wrote

Your radiator could be working properly, but the controls are screwed up. There are a lot of hot water systems like yours that operate on a "reset" schedule. What that means is that the radiator water temperature is set based on outdoor temperature on an inverse scale. So if it's 55 degrees outside, the radiator might get 120 degree water and feel warm. As the outdoor temperature drops, the radiator water temperature is raised. So it might not get to full temperature until it's 30 degrees outside.

This is done to save energy. Without the reset controller, the water is kept at the highest setting and tenants have to open windows to cool off on a warm winter day. That's obviously a huge waste of energy. But if you're not able to get your space to a liveable temperature, then adjustments can be made.

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