Dubai Debt Issues Push Stocks Down
Family Gets Early Christmas Gift From Ellen DeGeneres
Photos of D Train Murder Depict Bloody Panic
Stuy Pyro Leaves Notes In Hieroglyphics
Mayor: Sex Trafficking Victims, Please Speak Up
My apartment is freezing. It's freezing outside. I just can't win. How can I keep my apartment warm and not break the bank?With Friday feeling like the first official day of winter, it's good to address the heating issues in your apartment. Now is a also good time to replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
First off, dress appropriate for the season. It is the perfect time to make use of those mismatched socks you can't wear out in public. Put on an extra layer or two.
Then inspect your apartment. Make sure that your windows are shut and properly sealed tight to reduce drafts. If your apartment is like our office, your windows have multiple gaping holes letting in the cold air. One way to deal with that is to get weather sealant tape, and just tape around the windows. Make sure your windows are clean - dust and grime will reduce the stickiness of the tape. Install covers on your air conditioners. Close curtains at night, but leave them open on east, south and west windows during the day for solar heating. Don't block the radiators or baseboard heat with furniture, rugs or other items, for maximum efficiency. Air that is more humid will feel warmer, so keep the humidity between 20-40% and you can lower your thermostat without feeling cold. Close off areas of your apartment that you do not often use, heating only the areas you use frequently. If you live in a multiple floor apartment, close the vents on upper floors and allow the heat from lower floors to naturally rise. If you do winter baking in an oven, while the oven is cooling, leave the door open to release the heat into the rest of your apartment. However, do not use a gas oven to heat your apartment. This can result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include sleepiness, headaches sand dizziness. If you suspect this, you should ventilate the area and go to the hospital.
It is currently Heat Season in NYC, which means between October 1st and May 31st, building owners are required to provide heat under the following conditions:
"Between the hours of 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM, if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit; and, between the hours of 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, if the temperature outside falls below 40 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit."
If you do not have heat yet you should first attempt to deal directly with the building owner, management or superintendant. If that does not work, call 311 and they will work with (or without if they are unresponsive) the building owners to get heat restored.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
what the hell are you talking about? Five posts down you say its going to be 60 degrees by friday! If its cold in your apartment close the freezer door and open a damn window.
Get a cat (or two)! When it gets cold in my apartment, a blanket plus a cat = cozy and warm.
I bought a window sealer kit at the hardware store for under $10. It comes with doublesided tape and plastic sheeting. Basically you tape a clear plastic tarp around your window. Then you use a hair dryer over the plastic to smooth out the wrinkles. I couldn't believe it, but it's actually completely transparent and doesn't distort the view.
The only drawback is that you can't open the window without tearing the plastic down. We have very old drafty windows, and this worked great for us last winter to keep our apartment warm.
Didn't you guys recommend changing smoke detector batteries at the daylight savings time change in October? You really think the batteries went bad in less than 2 months?
I flew to the artic and killed a Polar bear with my bare hands. Now I sleep underneath nice warm polar bear fur.
I recommend everyone here do the same.
tape is a joke and waste of money-- the plastic sheeting is the only thing that really works...
Can someone recommend a humidifier. I looked for about 2 minutes, and there were several varieties... If anyone knows which one is the best for warmth and energy efficiency, I'd appreciate the knowledge.
"Close off areas of your apartment that you do not often use..."
I say, capital idea Gothamist! I'll just tape up the Library, the Conservatory, and the Study until Spring!
"if you live in a multiple floor apartment".... then blow me. if you live in a duplex, you can afford to heat the damned thing.
Winter starts NEXT Friday not this Friday.
The rest of this week and into next week it's suppose to be in the 50s for highs and 40s at night.
Does anyone know anything about loopholes in the law that allow a landlord to not heat your apartment? I pay my utilities separately- it specifically outlines this in the lease I signed- but I'm wondering if that's legal. I've looked all over, and I can't find anything about exceptions to the landlord-providing-heat law. He certainly doesn't provide any heat, and when the heater which I pay for was broken, he took his sweet time about fixing it.
Thanks.