Cover active heating pipes to emit less heat into the room

Hi all,

I am renting an apartment in a 3 family house that is 100 years old with a steam radiator system.

I rent the first floor and the finished basement. The problem is that one of the bedrooms is in the basement and the heating pipes to the upstairs apartments run through it.

It is typically 80 degrees in that room. The other part of the basement is basically unusable because of how hot it is down there. I can't open the windows because it's the basement (and many of the windows are very old and sealed shut, there is one that is new and standard size and I've honestly considered putting in an air conditioner there).

I run fans all the time but there's no cooling to be had. They're no match for the heat from the pipes.

Is there any inexpensive way to cover the pipes so that they are not radiating heat into the room? I've talked to my landlord but they're not doing anything about it. I don't want to spend a fortune but I feel as if I'm paying rent for space I'm not using and really need and an air conditioner would be expensive.

thanks!!!!

 

I think I have a solution for you but you don't say whether there is a radiator in that bedroom. If there is a radiator then the radiator can be zoned and shut off when there is enough heat in the room. It just takes a simple radiator thermostat that you can install yourself but don't go to the Home Depot or Lowes to find one you will need to go to a plumbing supply house where the plumbers go. You will also need some cooperation from your landlord as if memory serves me right you need to shut the boiler down to install the thermostat. If your landlord doesn't want you to install it then offer to pay a plumber of his or her choice to have it installed. Once done your heat problems should go away. At the plumbing supply place they would also have the best insulation for the pipe. I saw this information on Ask This Old House and you may be able to find the video on their website I can't say for sure. I think to convince your landlord of the value of zoning the room you should mention that it will help increase the value of his property. I certainly wish you luck and hope you post back I for one will be interested in seeing how you do.

 

I don't know, hedge, if the heating pipes are transfer pipes to the upper level, I don't think you can zone it. The pipes will be at the temperature the upper floor demands no matter what. Covering the pipe may not be an option because you would lose "your" heat unless you have a radiator in your floor level. Regardless, as stated, you need to get the landlord involved in this since you don't own it.

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply. There is no radiator in the room. I've zoned some of the radiators on the first floor but it seems that it cools down the 2nd and 3rd floors and they raise the heat which drives more heat through the pipes in the basement.

Are the pipe insulators safe for being in a bedroom? I remember when I was a kid they had white sleeves with black bands around the heating pipes in the basement but don't know if that was for less heat in the basement or not.

Thank you.

 

Ideally, the main steam pipes should be insulated for better system performance. The fiberglass insulation that you will need to use is going to cost your some money to buy.

 

I looked at plumbing supply houses and there are "pipe covers" with slits on them...they look like you could just put them on the pipes. They advertise that they are insulating. They don't seem that expensive but they're not made of fiberglass either. I'm not looking to insulate them for better performance as that is my landlord's problem. My problem is too much heat in the room.

 

Those insulating sleeves you mentioned are probably made of foam and should be good enough. No you don't need to worry about performance since as you said that is the landlords problem. That being said though you want to do the best job you can otherwise you will still have problems in that room so you don't want gaps in the insulation and to prevent the insulation from having gaps you should use zip ties. But be careful not to tighten them too much or you have puckering of the insulation and it will not work as well.
If you still have problems in that room then I suggest either having zoning starting at the boiler which will require a plumber or just not using it as a bedroom. I suppose too that those pipes could be walled in but zoning from the boiler and walling in the pipe should be done with consultation from your landlord. Speaking as a landlord myself who appreciates it when our tenants ask before doing something

 

Thanks so much. Yes, they are foam ones that I saw. Can you tell me how to measure the pipe so I know which ones to get. The pipes are all different lengths and widths but I think I only need to cover 2 or 3 to reduce the heat in the room but I don't know exactly how to measure them or line them up with the pipe cover sizes.

I want to go with whatever solution will not involve my landlord. I have no intention of making any major changes to the place or messing with the boiler (the upstairs neighbors do enough of that to his chagrin).

I think that the pipes are not walled in because they are so low. I think the ceilings are just about 6.5 feet and the pipes are below them (which is why you can feel them so well). I'm not about to start walling them in or making any other major changes to the place (again the upstairs neighbors seem to do a lot of that).

This was advertised as a 3 bed and at least 2 of the bedroom are problems as a bedroom. The other is because it is situated under the living room of the upstairs neighbors who keep strange hours (nothing you can do there) but I had hoped to do something about the heat downstairs so as not to have to move again.

 

Hi sorry I didn't post earlier you sound like a good tenant by the way and are thinking things through clearly. I think there are a couple of ways you can go about measuring and that would be to use a cloth measuring tape like what you would use when making clothes. Or if you don't have that cut a strip of paper about an inch or so which doesn't have to be straight and then get on a ladder and wrap the paper around the pipe and mark it with a pencil or pen where the straight end meets with the rest of the paper. Now get whatever thing you have to measure with and then wright that down while at your table or desk. You now have the outside diameter of the pipe and you are ready to go. Oh by the way some of that foam insulation has some sticky stuff on the side you pull something like scotch tape off and the sticky stuff is exposed. I used foam insulation for our water pipes which gets me my hot water faster to our bathroom especially in the cold weather but they didn't have that kind then. I am convinced though that this newer type is better. As to cost probably not anymore than the kind I used but if not much more that is what I would go with.
If the pipes are fairly close to the ceiling you can still insulate them but will probably have to cut the foam insulation. Not having any pictures or being able to measure them I can't say you will have to play it by ear and decide on your own. I would still use zip ties too no matter what kind of foam insulation you decide to buy. I had used aluminum foil tape you use for air conditioning ducts but that is more expensive which is why I didn't mention it first and can be hard to use in close quarters. Besides the foam insulation you might want to buy some foam tape for the bends in the pipe. In a small area I suggest just buying one package of each. The long foam pipe covers if memory serves me right are about two to three feet long but I am sure are no longer than three feet. I think one brand was Frost King and I think if you Googled Frost King foam pipe insulation then you could get a better idea by going to their website for measurements. Look though for a link from Home Depot Or Lowes though as I just checked Frost Kings website and they had no measurements. Either Home Depot or Lowes may be cheaper too and since you don't need the valve then I would go there based on cost alone unless there is no difference in price and distance. The plumbing supply companies are usually smaller businesses and all small business can use a little help budget permitting. If you do all of those things then I think the room will at least be cooler as to how much cooler I can't really say but I would think it should cool things down a great deal. When you get that installed please wait a few days and post back. I will be interested in knowing how you do and I am sure others will too. Good luck to you I hope we have helped you.

 

Here is the stuff I used for my hot water pipes


You may also want to consider a fiberglass wrap because of the heat levels of steam.


Because my boiler system is only hot water (160-180'F), I was able to use the cheaper foam (first picture). I don't remember what the cost was of 2", but I know the 1/4" x 6' (for my domestic hotwater) was $0.69 to $0.99 (depending on where I bought it from).

Check with your local hardware store or maybe someone will pipe up and confirm if the foam will be ok at steam temps. If so, it's a quick and cheap solution to your problem.