mystery odor

[moses893]

Hi! Hoping someone here can help me. I live in an apartment on the top floor of a large, old apartment building. The apartment is heated by steam radiators. In my kitchen, there is no radiator, but there is a heating pipe extending floor to ceiling, with a vapor equalizing valve near the top. When the heat comes on in the fall/winter and the valve emits steam, it creates a strange, unpleasant chemical odor in my kitchen, sort of like moth balls or ammonia. As long as the heat is on, the kitchen smells this way. The other rooms, however, smell fine – no odor is coming from any other pipes or radiators. Does anyone here know what might be causing this smell in my kitchen, and/or what can be done? It's pretty unpleasant and I'd love to get to the bottom on it!


thanks very much,
Andrew

[akaothermick]

Most likely the steam system has a chemical treatment in it, most steam systems are treated, and what your smelling is that, surprised that it is venting into a living space though, should be vented to a non occupied area, like a upper stairwell or attic.

[moses893]

Thanks! This sounds pretty plausible to me.