Old home steam boiler
We inherited an older 8-family building that was originally a single-family home and was later converted into apartments. The building is paid off, so we're grateful for that, but we're struggling with the heating system.
The building has an old two-pipe steam radiator system with only two heating zones. Some tenants complain that their apartments are too hot and open windows during the winter, while others complain that they are too cold.
We currently pay for the heat. Surprisingly, the annual heating cost is only about $3,000, which seems low for an 8-unit building. The bigger issue is the constant complaints from both sides.
We've received estimates of $100,000-$125,000 to install separate heating systems for each apartment so tenants can control and pay for their own heat. One HVAC contractor told us that because of the way the old steam system is set up, the conversion can't really be done in phases and would have to be completed all at once.
Before spending that kind of money, I'm wondering if there are other options.