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Can this steam radiator be saved?

mjk
mjk Member Posts: 7
in THE MAIN WALL
Only one of the fins is cracked. I'd really like to remove cracked fin and reassemble. Currently the rust has sealed cracks but not sure for how long...

Comments

  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,577
    I would just keep it in place, with the system pressure set at a few ounces to avoid putting undue stress on the crack.
    It is often easy to take things apart, but very hard to get them back together!--NBC
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,302
    What pressure does your system run at now? I had a large system in a school house that was running at 5 PSI, just cutting down to 2.25 PSI (still too high but that is another story) many leaks went away.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,148
    I've had pretty good luck with really cleaning the affected area -- down to bare metal -- and using JB Weld on cracks. Of course, my system runs on about 8 ounces and gets to 12 ounces only once in a long long time, so it doesn't take much to seal a crack!
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • mjk
    mjk Member Posts: 7
    My system only runs at .5-1psi. Cracks are sealed by rust. I think I'll wait till spring and try JB weld.
  • Pumpguy
    Pumpguy Member Posts: 705
    You might want to try using Loctite wicking grade #290 adhesive and sealant. This product is very low viscosity, and is designed to be used to lock threaded assemblies and also to seal porosity in castings and welded assemblies.

    A Google search will tell all the details.

    To use, clean cracked area with a wire brush, followed by wiping off with an Acetone dampened cloth. Locitite recommends cleaning with one of their various primers, which IMO, are quite expensive. I've found they smell like Acetone, and using just Acetone alone has always worked for me.

    If you can't find some at your local hardware or auto parts store, your favorite bearing supplier can get it, or order it online.
    Dennis Pataki. Former Service Manager and Heating Pump Product Manager for Nash Engineering Company. Phone: 1-888 853 9963
    Website: www.nashjenningspumps.com

    The first step in solving any problem is TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,577
    You already have the crack sealed with one of the most powerful sealants available-rust. Pipes rusted together will only come apart with great difficulty!
    Somewhere here is a thread suggesting painting salty water on the crack to grow the rust more densely in the crack.
    Make sure your pressure is verified by a good 0-3 gauge, and don't trust the pressuretrol!--NBC

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