Browsing this Thread:
1 Anonymous Users
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
Joined:
2006/4/18 0:04 Last Login : 2021/10/2 19:00 From Jersey Cxxx
Group:
Registered Users
Posts:
1404
|
http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/uploa ... /HEAT%20NOTICE%202009.pdf
I would call and leave a message on the after-hours number.
Posted on: 2012/1/15 21:17
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
This is why I am glad that re-wired my properties and insulated them: A couple of space heaters will suffice, even in the dead of winter, to provide emergency heat until repairs can be made.
Generally, your lease will have something about force majeure incidents. As long as the landlord is making best efforts to address the problem, you still must pay rent. Unless the apartment becomes unusable due to the situation. A landlord insurance will typically offer coverage for loss of use (no rent). This would be typically due to fire or severe storm damage (tornado). Back when I was a tenant, I did ask (and received) for a discount to cover extra heat usage during a wicked cold spell. I had to run my heat extra high to keep the plumbing for the entire building from freezing up. In the interim, I would strongly recommend you head to the mall and pick up an electric blanket or electric mattress pad. They will at least let you sleep warm while only using a few 100 watts of power.
Posted on: 2012/1/15 21:19
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
When the heat does come back on:
I am assuming the building uses a single or double pipe steam system. You can improve the heat output of the radiators blowing a fan across them. It will have the effect of making the heat transfer surface more effective, which will in turn draw more steam into the radiator (hence more heat output). I rigged this up in the office that I work at. 1/2 the radiators don't work due to repairs. Installing a fan on one radiator increased the temp from the low 60's to low 70's. Big improvements.
Posted on: 2012/1/15 21:25
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
Joined:
2005/7/13 15:03 Last Login : 2023/6/11 23:48 From Western Slope
Group:
Registered Users
Posts:
4638
|
First of all when living in a fire hazard as you do compliments of your landlord I would never ignore any foreign smells. When you discovered something burning your first instinct should have been to call the fire department immediately ! That boiler's water level should have been monitored daily it was not results surfaced due to ignorance. Space heaters have been known to cause house fires I think a recent one occured somewhere in Hudson County. With a cold apartment likt the one you are on you should go to a hotel till the boiler is fixed and bill the landlord. The City of J.C should get involved. A special thanks to who ever had the brains to call the fire dept.
Posted on: 2012/1/16 0:29
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Thats part of what I'm asking. If I go and the landlord tells me to get stuffed, am I left holding the bag? Quote: Generally, your lease will have something about force majeure incidents. As long as the landlord is making best efforts to address the problem, you still must pay rent. At what point do efforts not constitute best effort. If it's done on Tues, just forget about it? What if I'm heatless for days? A week?
Posted on: 2012/1/16 1:41
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
Joined:
2005/7/13 15:03 Last Login : 2023/6/11 23:48 From Western Slope
Group:
Registered Users
Posts:
4638
|
Quote:
I was told from the J.C. police dept to call (201) 547-4821 and leave a message it is a after hours emergency hotline. I never had a reason to call so I'm not sure of how effective it is. If need be call 911.
Posted on: 2012/1/16 3:35
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Your first question: If the landlord is supplying heat, per city code, it must be kept at a certain temperature. I think its something like 70 F during the day and 68 F at night. You might want to look it up to make sure what it is (I gave my apartment their own heating units.. so the temperature is whatever the tenant sets it at). If the landlord doesn't do so, you are entitled to place your rent into an escrow account until the situation is addressed. You cannot simply stop paying rent. Second Question:Again, its the level of inconvenience. My M.O. in a broken heat situation where its not something I can fix right away (a boiler always seems to break on a Saturday night where I can't get the part I need until Monday morning): 1. Provide 1 to 3 electric heaters to keep heat going. 2. Give in writing (email) an explanation of what is wrong, what needs to be ordered, and ETA for repairs. 3. Confirm with tenant by phone, text, or email when the repairs are complete. IMO, if I do that above, I am entitled to rent. Now to your situation: Since you can't run the electric heaters enough to keep the apartment warm, IMO you would be justified for a reduced rent for this month. Not a free month of rent mind you, since you were still able to use the apartment. The landlord also needs to address the inadequate heat on your floor. If its a single pipe system, he needs to balance the air-bleed valves. If its a two pipe system, he needs fix the shutoff valves (turn off some of the radiators on the lower floors) and adjust the pressure on the boiler. Or he could (if willing to spend the money) install automatic valves on the radiators tied to a secured thermostat. The radiators on the lower floors would shutoff as the temp reached 70F. Steam systems are notoriously tricky to balance. Not many heating guys out there that know steam well. If your landlord tries to get the system tuned properly.. I would cut him some slack on the amount of time it takes.
Posted on: 2012/1/16 15:00
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
70/65 Quote: If your landlord tries to get the system tuned properly.. I would cut him some slack on the amount of time it takes. It's been a decade, how much more time should I give.
Posted on: 2012/1/17 1:43
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Given any thought to just finding a better apartment?
Posted on: 2012/1/17 1:46
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
Joined:
2005/7/13 15:03 Last Login : 2023/6/11 23:48 From Western Slope
Group:
Registered Users
Posts:
4638
|
Quote:
Probably 'cause being a martyr doesn't allow it.
Posted on: 2012/1/17 5:31
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Rent control, but thanks for the attention.
Posted on: 2012/1/18 1:04
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Cory sorry to hear about your heating problems. I take it the landlord is a cheap f?er. He should have had an automatic water monitor/ filler device on the boiler. Talk about worry free!
The fool should have at least had an emergency shutoff when the temperature got too hot or the water too low or the steam pressure too high..the normal things a boiler needs and wants!!! Good luck
Posted on: 2012/1/18 3:14
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Just for those morbidly curious. Heat was finally restored this afternoon. Hooray.
Posted on: 2012/1/20 2:22
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Why do you assume the landlord knew squat about what his boiler didn't have? Odds are he had someone who serviced it for him. I recently looked at buying a 4 unit rowhouse that was burning $12k in oil a year!! And neither the boiler service nor the oil provider gave the owner a clue something was wrong.
Posted on: 2012/1/20 4:29
|
|||
|
Re: So our boiler self destructed the other night. Questions.
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Odds are he had someone who serviced it for him. lol. no work ever got (gets) done in the building unless I piss and moan about it. About the only tiny bit of solace I have taken from this is that it's cost the landlord many thousands of dollars to get this replaced, so perhaps he'll learn a lesson about properly maintaining buildings.
Posted on: 2012/1/20 5:20
|
|||
|