It is currently the fall. It is cool outside but is like a sauna inside due to the heaters in my apartment. I have complained about this issue repeatedly to the building super and office. They said they would get the heating guy to come but it has been nearly 2 weeks.
The super came in and said I can turn off the heat via a valve in my bedroom. However, when he tried, he could not turn the valve. I tried with a pair of vice grips, and even though I am fairly strong, I was not able to even budge it.
It looks like it is very old and has been painted over. This is an old building. I tried scraping off the paint and that accomplished nothing. Still wont budge.
My question is – how do I fix this so that it will turn off? It is 4 AM and I am exhausted but can not sleep because, despite having the windows wide open and fans on, I am sweating profusely. Also, right near where the valve is, I can hear water trickling inside the pipes, and it is quite loud.
Here are images of the valve I took:
Click for larger image
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
As a temporary solution you could cover the radiator with blankets or clothing to limit the amount of heat dissipation into the room. Don't worry, hot water/steam heating systems do not get hot enough to ignite combustible materials.
If you cannot get the valve repaired or replaced, then you may want to pick up some foam insulation boards and duct tape from a builder's supply store. You can cut the foam with a sharp razor knife to form a 3-sided box that would fit over the radiator. Then just duct tape the edges of the foam box and it should set in place against the wall. Adjust the distance the box is from the wall for regulating the heat in the room.