removing radiator valves

Big Ed_3

The shut off valve would be made of brass , just use too wrenches . The other half which is in the radiator , you use a spud wrench if you want to reuse . A torch would be needed on two rusted steel fittings.Steel and cast iron fittings you can crack the cast..

T_2

Has anyone ever heard of using an Acetylene Torch to remove old radiator valves? If so how would you go about doing it?

bob young

cut with chisel , or saw or grinder

torch is a bad idea . nothing good can happen. cut them off.

Plumb Bob

You can use a propane or MAPP torch (not acetylene) to heat up the general area if a fitting is hard to unscrew otherwise. It is NOT necessary to try to heat only the outer part in the hope of expanding it; it won't stay hot for long anyway. But all heat is good because any thermal expansion puts stresses on the joint that tend to loosen whatever is holding it together.

T_2

The connection to the rad is no problem. I have disconnected the rads before. It's the shutoff valve that's connected to the pipe coming from the floor below. It doesn't want to turn by itself at all. Do you need 2 people. One to hold the wrench on the pipe from below and another to try to turn the brass valve. I cut a piece of black pipe about 6' long to give me leverage but with one wrench only, the whole connection starts moving from the elbow below not just where the valve connects to the straight piece coming up.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Always use two wrenches in opposition to one another!