Steam heating via radiators

[no_hypocrisy]

I live in a house built in 1932. A radiator in every room.

But I'll only be using a fraction of the house during the winter.

How do you "turn off" the radiators in the rooms not used so I don't pay for unnecessary heat?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. That little black handle should shut off the hot water to the radiator.

I like radiator heat. It's actually quite efficient.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Turning the black valve clockwise (when viewed from above) should shut down that radiator. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Thanks. If it's stuck, how do you loosen the little black knob?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. There should be a screw in the middle of the top of the knob.

Try loosening that. If it's stuck a bit of WD-40 might help.

[Kaleva]

5. If it's stuck, I wouldn't mess with it then.

If one really wants to be able to close it, call in a pro and have them do it.

Ending up with a badly leaking valve, via the probably very old packing, and not being able to isolate the radiator isn't good.

[PoliticAverse]

6. Old black plastic knobs will tend to crack easily when you try to use force on them,

I replace them with metal ones (you remove the knob by removing the screw in the middle).

For stuck ones you can just try a pair of "Vise-Grips" gripping the shaft below the knob, but the
problem may just be that someone painted it shut or the valve packing (contained at the bottom
of the shaft secured by a large nut that the shaft goes through) has become solid and needs to be
replaced.

[kickysnana]

7. Frozen pipes break and leak. Plan a head.