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Radiator pitch

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ChrisJ
ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,708
in Strictly Steam
Hi,

I have a few radiators which are pitched the wrong way due to the foundation / floor sagging over the years.  Is it ever acceptable to cut the radiator legs in order to get the correct pitch on a single pipe system?  If not what is the best way go about this?  The radiators are pitched about an inch higher on the pipe side right now.



Radiators are very long length short height Kohlers.  System seems to work great but I'm sure it would work better if it could drain better.
Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment

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  • Alex_19
    Alex_19 Member Posts: 19
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    Shims

    Chris, I have steam radiators. I would suggest using wooden shims which can be purchased in many hardware stores. These are beveled strips of wood which can be slipped under the legs you need to raise.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,708
    edited May 2011
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    shims

    This may be a dumb question but do the pipes usually have that much give in them to allow me to change the pitch an inch or more?



    Also is there an alternative to the wood shims that may look better?
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Alex_19
    Alex_19 Member Posts: 19
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    Inch

    Not a dumb question. An inch is a little more than I would have expected. Perhaps if you posted a picture or two of the radiators in question, I and/or others here could better advise you.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Rod
    Rod Posts: 2,067
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    Radiator Pitch

    Hi- You don't need much pitch (slope) on your radiators. Just enough to "encourage" the water to drain out the inlet pipe. Too much pitch can cause you problems. I use quarters ($0.25) to determine how much of a shim I need on each radiator. To lift the radiators, I use a piece of 2x4 as a lever and a couple of blocks as a fulcrum, and carefully raise one end of the radiator and just stack quarters till I have enough slope. (Use a carpenter's bubble level to determine this). I then try that out for a while before replacing the quarters with a more permanent shim. You can use pieces of plywood or hardwood. Just round the corners and varnish them which seals the wood and looks good. Another possibility is to get some polyethylene or similar plastic of different thicknesses from a plastics company and use a hole saw and drill out round disks to use as shims. Plastics can be got in white and black and other colors too. If you don't have a local plastic supplier, try Mc Master Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/#  on the internet. 

    - Rod
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,708
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    picture

    Thanks for the replies!



    Here is a picture of one of the radiators I need to work with.  This is one of the longer ones.  2 or 3 others are a bit shorter in length but are the same style and age.

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_tPG1eLegC0A/TVi5bzGrffI/AAAAAAAAAwk/1NDvvd7CDqI/s576/DSC00134.JPG
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
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