These Steam Radiator Tricks Will Prevent Your Apartment from Becoming an Inferno

‘Tis the season for dry skin — and for people who live in old buildings, even drier skin. Many steam radiators in apartment buildings stay on full blast all winter long, thanks to a hard-working boiler in the basement. While having heat is a wonderful thing, having to open your windows in the dead of January is not. 

Don’t sweat it, though — your century-old apartment doesn’t have to be a blazing inferno in colder months. There are a few simple tricks to bring down the temp (which means you can pack your summer PJs away for a while).

According to Mark McShane, plumbing, heating, and renewables expert at Boiler Cover U.K., you’ll need a radiator key or an adjustable wrench in order to stem the powerful heat coming out of your radiator. 

“For older-style steam radiators, you might need a radiator key to turn the valve; for more modern hot water radiators, you might need an adjustable wrench when the valve is not hand-turning.” 

Remember that radiators get very hot, so wearing a protective heat glove when working with a radiator is always a good idea. 

Most radiators have a “control” valve on one side. “It controls the flow of hot water or steam entering the radiator and, if turned, can modify the output,” says McShane. 

However, “Sometimes the valve gets painted over, corroded, or just glued, stuck or frozen, and one would be lucky to get it clean and operative some day,” he adds. 

Radiators are powered by a boiler in the basement, which sends steam up into a radiator’s pipes. The hot pipes (don’t touch ‘em!) then radiate heat into your room. One of the simplest solutions to prevent that heat from radiating is by covering the hardware with a cabinet.

Radiator covers come in all shapes and sizes, from custom-made wooden covers to plain white units from Walmart. They do a solid job of keeping the heat contained inside the cover, and add a handy little surface to your space. (Be careful, though, as it gets pretty warm.)

If you’d rather not drop money on a solid cover, I suggest keeping your eyes peeled for free ones on the street. I picked up a wooden cover on the sidewalk last month, gave it a quick coat of paint, and voilà. A cooler room in more ways than one.

In the theme of not spending money on a cover, you can also drape your radiator in fabric to keep the heat contained. Because radiators only heat up to about 215 degrees, there’s no risk of your cover catching on fire — unless you opt for a synthetic fabric, like polyester. Your best bet is to go with a wool blanket or 100% cotton sheets.

When steam is sent into the pipes of your radiator, it works to push out the cold air in the pipes. This air is forced through the small valve on the side of the unit, which is what makes that funny hissing sound. But if you place a piece of tape over the valve, the cool air can’t escape, which means there won’t be space for more hot steam to enter the pipes. This, in turn, keeps the air in the radiator at a much lower temperature. 

A word to the wise: Don’t touch the steam valve directly when placing tape on the small hole, as it’s quite hot. And if regular tape isn’t doing the trick, the folks at CityLab have found that first-aid waterproof tape works wonderfully.

The thing about radiators is that they’re either on or they’re off — there’s no in between, and there’s no way to adjust the temperature. Enter: the thermostatic radiator valve, an add-on that can control the amount of heat emitted from a unit. These valves go for as low as $20. The only catch? It’s important to have them professionally installed, which can cost a pretty penny.

A product called The Cozy bills itself as a “smart” radiator cover and lets users control the heat of their radiators via smartphone. Users can easily install the covers on their own, then download a smartphone app to adjust the heater’s temperature. The device works by automatically turning on fans when a room is growing too cold, and turning them off when it reaches the desired temperature.

“If you’re in doubt, or if the radiator doesn’t seem to do anything when you move any of the screws, call in an expert plumber or heating expert,” suggests McShane. “They will be able to tell you specifically what to do, based on your system, and ensure the correct settings are made safely.”