If Your Apartment Is Too Hot During Winter, These 7 Tips Can Help

Cover the radiator, open the doors, and close the curtains.

If you live in an old apartment building, there's a chance you're sweating your butt off at home, even when it's below freezing outside.

Deberarr / Getty Images

Steam or hot water radiators don't do a great job at evenly distributing heat throughout a building. Instead, one unit can be bitterly freezing while another can feel like a sauna. If you're in the latter category, here are a few ways to cool down your hot apartment in the winter.

1. Install a thermostatic radiator valve or actuator so you finally have control over the heat.

youtube.com

A thermostatic radiator valve keeps the temperature consistent and gives you control over your radiator setting. The valve reduces the flow of hot water through your radiator when the room gets too hot, and opens back up when the temperature drops to let the water pass through. And FYI, it's a smart idea to ask your super or a plumber to install this for you, as it can cause serious problems if you do it incorrectly.

2. Cover your radiator with unfinished wood or a wool blanket to block the heat.

Carina Olander / Via lantliv.com

Radiators don't get hot enough to start a fire, so there's no need to worry about unfinished wood turning into kindling. If you use a blanket, make sure it's not made of any synthetic materials because they could melt.

3. Turn the ceiling fan on, and make sure it's running counterclockwise.

Iaobzjls / Getty Images

Just like in the summer, a fan can help cool the room down. However, when a fan is moving counterclockwise, it pushes cool air down and hot air up. If you can, leave your windows open while you do this so the heat has a way to escape.

4. Keep the curtains closed in rooms that get a lot of direct light, so the sun isn't making the space even hotter.

Khongkitwiriyachan / Getty Images

If a room feels especially hot during the day, it might be because it gets more direct sunlight than the rest of your home. While curtains can help insulate a room, they can also block out solar heat. In fact, according to the US Department of Energy, heavy drapes can reduce heat gains from the sun by up to 33%.

5. Or stick tinted film on your windows if you're looking for a more permanent solution that doesn't involve you sitting in the dark.

Eastman Chemical Company / Via efficientwindowcoverings.org

Window film works like sunglasses, blocking heat and glare, and preventing outsiders from looking in.

Get it from Amazon for $28.97.

6. Leave the doors inside your home open so the heat isn't all trapped in one room.

Auttachod / Getty Images

Leaving the doors open allows heat to circulate and evenly distribute so that one room isn't four degrees warmer than another. The air from a chilly room will cool down the room that's pumping out the heat.

7. And open the windows to let the icy winter air cool down a sweaty room.

Ronstik / Getty Images

Old apartment building heating systems are actually built to warm units with the windows open. Hot air rises so, if you have the option, open the top window pane a few inches instead of the bottom one.