Leveling radiator

pcloadletter

I have a fairly large but short radiator in my kitchen that is pitched down to the left maybe an inch or so due to the floor. What's the easiest way to level the radiator? It weighs a ton so I can't just lift up the end myself like I can with my other radiators. If I can raise up the end a bit I will shove a block of wood under the legs on that side. I thought about sliding a rolling car jack under the left side and cranking it up but the jack won't fit. The finished floor is already damaged from other things and will be replaced in a few years, so I'm not concerned about messing up the floor. The previous homeowners never removed the radiator when they installed the engineered hardwood floor so they just cut the floor to fit around the legs and used escutcheon plates to pretty it up, but it looks like crap.

Jamie Hall

Whatever works...

should do just fine.  I have a large (like... very large) pry bar which I prop up about a foot from one end on a proper sized bit of wood, slip the short end under whatever needs lifting, and push down on the other end!  While someone else slips another block of wood under -- in this instance -- the radiator feet.



One thing to watch: make sure that in the process of raising the end of the radiator you don't do something evil to the pitch of the steam lines...

Boiler Talk

Pitching the radiator

Would it not be a good idea to loosen the nut connecting the radiator to the valve?  I have a very short radiator that is pitched slightly wrong, but has some fittings between the radiator and valve. I thought of loosening that before attempting to budge anything. 

ChrisJ

loosening valve nut

If the pipe is not willing to move enough to pitch the radiator, how do you expect to reconnect it when you are done?



Personally, i wouldn't touch the spud nut. I have a few radiators that are pitched the wrong way but have not touched them as they work fine.

Hap_Hazzard

It's a union, it can rotate.

There's always a slight risk that it might not re-seat correctly, but I loosen them all the time. A lot of my radiators fit into their recesses so tightly that I can't change the vents without yanking them out. I figure it's safer to loosen the nut than risk breaking a nipple, and so far I've never had one leak after I re-tightened it.