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Frozen copper radiator pipes

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Rich Kontny_3
Rich Kontny_3 Member Posts: 562
in THE MAIN WALL
Means you need to seriously consider and maintain a protected system with glycol (or a hydronic antifreeze mix). Are we talking Alaska or Canada???

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  • Thomas_5
    Thomas_5 Member Posts: 1
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    Frozen copper radiator pipes

    My copper radiator pipes froze at about 50 below. In replacing them, it seems that the small section that burst has swelled the pipe more than 8 foot beyond the break. I cannot get the new fittings to slide on even 12 feet past the break. Even stranger, I cannot get the new fittings to work on some of the new pipe. Could a freeze in the pipe swell the entire system 20 or 30 feet past the break? Will I have to replace the entire 40 foot of pipe because of freeze swelling? Thanks in advance for your reply.
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
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    TRY DIFFERENT FITTING MANUFACTURER

    SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY HAVE WRONG SIZE FITTINGS. IF THEY DO NOT FIT ON NEW PIPE , SOMETHING IS RADICALLY WRONG
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,806
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    Yep

    You can not slide on a fitting because the ice expanded the pipe outward. Sometimes we use a smidgen tool to expand it further to make a female connection. I would replace the whole damaged pipe.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • realolman
    realolman Member Posts: 513
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    I would think

    they froze and expanded how ever far they expanded. It is what it is. Measure them with something.

    BUT if you can't get new fittings to work with new pipes something's wrong with the new pipes, fittings, or both.

    You didn't get them at Lowe's by any chance did you?
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