Feature

Maintenance Q & A: Fire Escapes and Radiators

by Various Authors

Q. A San Francisco Building Inspector wants me to have my fire-escape drop ladder serviced by a qualified service contractor. What can you tell me about this?

A. Section 908 of the Housing Code states that fire-escape ladders must be serviced periodically and be ready for use at all times. City inspectors have differing opinions as to how often the ladders need to be serviced. I have witnessed situations where one inspector wanted a yearly service, while another inspector wanted service performed at the time of inspection.

I have found that between 40 and 50 percent of the ladders don’t work when activated. Due to San Francisco’s salty and foggy environment, we recommend a yearly service. One of our customers near the beach actually has his ladders serviced twice a year.

A good service should consist of the following:

lubricate all moving parts;
activate the ladder until it drops swiftly to the ground;
climb up and down the ladder to ensure it is safe and will hold weight;
inspect all aspects of the fire-escape system, how it is connected to the building, roof access, etc;
replace the chain and “pull lever” warning sign if needed; and
perform any further repairs necessary to make it a safe and operable system.

It could be the last avenue of escape for your tenants. Please make sure it works.
– Scott Mazzarella, Mazzy’s Fire Protection

Q. What are some of the things to look for in a good contractor?

A. When seeking a good contractor, remember the Three Rs: referrals, references and requirements (up-to-date licenses, bondingandinsurancedocumentation). Another rule is to check-out the contractor’s “C.B.S.s.” You can find a substantial amount of information on complaints and problems with any licensed contractor at the Contractors State License Board’s Web site www.cslb.ca.gov. The Better Business Bureaushouldalsobehelpful (www.bbb.org). A simple call to the contractor’s Suppliers may hold some insightful reassurances too. Ask if they have had problems with the contractor? Does every job have specific issues? How do you feel about theirpresentationandapproach? Remember the old adage: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
– Alan Musser, Bob & Tom’s Windows

Q. The radiator in my tenant’s apartment makes loud banging sounds when the heat comes on. It sounds like someone is hitting it with a hammer. What causes this and how can it be fixed?

A. This is one of the most common problems encountered in properties with central steam heating. The problem generally stems from your tenants attempting to use the valve on their radiator as a type of thermostat. However, the radiator valve is definitely not designed for this purpose.

Let’s take a closer look at how steam-boiler systems work. High-pressure steam is generated in the boiler and is distributed throughout the building. A properly serviced boiler will be carefully set and balanced to create just the right amount of steam for the number of radiators on the line. Every radiator has a valve near the bottom and an air vent sticking out of the side. The vent allows air to escape as the steam is pushed into the radiator.

The banging and clanging, as well as water spewing or dripping from the valve, are the results of water being trapped inside the system. While the system is designed to handle the unavoidable condensation that will routinely result from the steam, it cannot purge water that has been trapped independently in the various separate parts of the system, such as a radiator.

When a tenant closes a valve—and this is usually done when the heat is already on—steam gets trapped in the radiator and condenses into water and fails to be eliminated from the system. Inevitably, a tenant will turn the valve back on and the trapped water is pushed towards the air vent by the next round of incoming steam, thus spraying water from the vent into the apartment. This can also happen when a valve is partially closed—steam still gets trapped because it no longer has a fully open valve to retreat through.

Banging pipes are also an indication of water trapped in the various pipes of the system. Again, water is usually trapped by improper use of radiator valves. However, sometimes piping has improper slopes, turns or connections causing steam to be trapped and condensed.

The first order of business with either situation is to examine the valve and air vent on all problematic radiators. Obviously, a leaking air vent is easy to find and rectify. A systemic problem could be more difficult to diagnose and repair, and will likely need the expertise of a professional contractor.

The next issue would be to educate your tenants on the proper use of radiators. A simple letter describing how the system works should suffice. First, they need to understand the importance of proper balance of the system. You should stress that if tenants really want to shut off a radiator, then management needs to be informed in order to determine if the system should be rebalanced. Second, tenants must understand that a standard radiator cannot be thermostatically controlled; it has to be either fully on, or fully off. Lastly, it is imperative that any valve adjustment be made only when the radiator is cold and the system is off! To ignore this rule invites the trapping of water and will more than likely result in leaking air vents and banging pipes.

The only real solution to the existing problems is to remove and drain the radiators near the source of the noise and/or leakage. This can be a somewhat difficult process as radiators are quite heavy and the fittings on the valves are usually rusted or corroded, so unless you’re pretty handy, we would recommend letting an experienced contractor complete this work.

These actions should resolve a majority of the problems, but there may be some situations too complex. So, if the above steps don’t help to alleviate the issues, it would behoove you to contact a qualified boiler professional and have them perform further investigation into the situation.
– Eric R. Andresen and Joseph Keng, WestCoastPropertyMaintenance

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Scott Mazzarella is with Mazzy’s Fire Protection. They specialize in the sale and service of portable fire extinguishers, fire escape maintenance, and the installation, testing, repair and inspection of fire sprinkler systems ( 415-665-5553 ). Alan Musser is with Bob & Tom’s Windows, a full-service window replacement service ( 415-468-5501 ). Joseph Keng manages West Coast Maintenance Company and is a licensed General Contractor. Eric Andresen owns West Coast Property Management and Property Maintenance Companies. West Coast Property Management can be found online, or by telephone at 415-885-6970