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In the 20th and particularly the 21st century, one would expect concern over proper operation of heating systems to be a thing of the past. But, as I wrote in The Dark Ages, most steam heat systems work abominably in New York City, running too hot or too cold without indoor thermostats.

The spring and fall are particularly tricky times in or out of the heating season (October 1 through May 31). Even within the heating season, when outdoor temperatures rise, tenants find themselves in the situation where the outdoor temperature is not really warm enough to warrant no heat at all, yet none is provided and it is too cool indoors. For private homeowners outside the city, a little blast of heat in the morning is just what is needed to take the chill out. Here, however, in these transitional periods of late spring and late fall, whether one gets that welcome little bit of heat is subject to the discretion of the landlord and/or building staff. Often a complaint or two from those who are most intolerant will spur a supertendant to turn on the heat for a time.

Often, I have resorted to a small electric heater for early chilly mornings, but at best, these will only provide a very small area of comfort – nothing competes with a building’s steam system for getting the job done right.
So my nose and ears are typically piqued in hopes that I discern those unmistakable telltale sounds and smell of heat coming up. The characteristic squeals, hisses, spits, and clanking are all harbingers of good things to come. Perhaps perplexing to the urbanite how heating issues could be of such importance, the thing to understand is the tenant’s lack of control, regardless that someone maybe paying thousands of dollars per month.

Admittedly, city residents are typically spoiled by heat rising to the 80s indoors during prime heating season, so these cooler temperatures during late spring and fall may often be in the low 70s, certainly not “cold” by suburban or rural standards, where homeowners must pay for fuel themselves and are not spoiled by excessive heat.

But here, after a week of nippy mornings in mid-May, electric heaters, and heavy robes, I had all but given up hope for any steam heat this season. But then, at 6:24 AM, that familiar family of sounds began, at first nearly inaudible, teasing my senses whether it was my imagination, or was, as I had hoped, heat coming up. Soon, it was clear that someone in the building staff had made the decision to bless us with a much-needed shot of warmth. A quick check confirmed that, in fact, heat was coming up and that it was real, not imagined. The familiar orchestra of hisses and squeals became louder and to my ears was nothing less than The Sounds of Music 🙂