Existing Radiator and New Tile Floor

Daniel_3

You'll have to close that angle valve nice and tight. Find someone strong to do this work. Use a 18" pipe wrench to undo the union nut on the angle valve. Get a towel and tip the radiator towards the towel so the water draining will be absorbed and not spill onto your other floors when moving. You can use brute strength and move it out into the other room and out of the way. You could also use a hand truck with precisely placed pieces of wood beneath to support the radiator and use bungee cords to wrap around preventing any mishap while wheeling it out of the way. Tip it over towards the middle of the room carefully on its side and tilt it up towards the angle valve side while positioning the hand truck beneath.

When reinstalling you will have to replace the pipe nipple that serves that angle valve. You will need to remove the angle valve from the pipe nipple bu both may remove as one piece. Two pipe wrenches can take the angle valve from the nipple apart. Save the angle valve since it will most likely be the only one that will mate up to the current spud attached to the radiator. You'll need a new pipe nipple of exactly the same increased height that the floor now has been raised. Save that pipe nipple for precise measurements and have one cut and threaded at any plumbing supply house or your nearest home depot. Use a big pipe wrench with a breaker bar. If you can get a 24" or bigger wrench, all the more easier.

While your at it you can have that radiator blasted to the bare metal and get it refinished to match your new remodeled graden room.

SynrG

Old Radiator and New Tile Floor

I'm looking at installing a tile floor in my "garden room." My heating system is steam radiators and there's one in this room. The current floor is peel-and-stick vinyl tiles.

I would like to remove the radiator while I install the floor so that I can have a fully waterproof floor. (Since I have a lot of plants in this room, water on the floor is a given.) Obviously installing the ceramic tile will raise the floor height (not sure by how much since I have to figure out what all I need for subfloor) and, therefore, the radiator when I reinstall it.

So what do I need to figure out radiator-wise before I start this project? What are my options?

Thanks!
Lorree

Timco

A picture of the rad in question would help. We need to know the type of system ( type of steam) and see if this is even possible. Hard to cheat them just an inch or 2 up, and even if there is enough free play in the pipe to just lift the rad, that may change pitch in the floor and screw things up...

Tim

SynrG

I know pics would help...but I'm at work so they'll have to wait for me to get home.

Type of steam? You mean one-pipe or two-pipe? It's one-pipe. And I figured I'd have to account for radiator pitch (which may not be correct on this one anyway -- haven't yet checked).

I never have managed to do things the easy way.

Lorree

SynrG

Pics!

Ok, here's a pic of the radiator and a closeup of the plumbing/valve.

Lorree