hardwood floor installation now radiator doesn't fit

viali8

I installed new 3/4 inch oak in one of my bedrooms. The original flooring was 1/4 inch. Now I am having difficulty re-attaching the radiator. Is there some type of an adapter I can purchase or should I sink the radiator into the new hardwood floor . I will attempt to post a pic. Any help is appreciated.

Jamie Hall

oops... well, the first thing to try is to see if you can lift the valve and the pipe it's attached to enough. Sometimes there is enough slack in the line below to allow that. Usually not...

You don't have enough room for any combination of fittings that I can think of, and they can't go between the radiator and the valve anyway -- the valve and the spud in the radiator are a matched pair.

So. Next question is, what's underneath that floor? Can you gain access to the pipe below? Because if you can, your best bet is going to be to unscrew the vertical pipe from whatever is below, and put in a new one which is half an inch or so longer.

If that's not feasible, you just may have to sink the radiator into the floor.

viali8

Yeah! Big poops! I tried pulling the pipe up but I just don't have enough slack to have it screw onto the radiator.

Not sure what us below the floor. I think my best best is to sink the radiator into the floor

Fred

Sinking it into the floor makes the floor job look like a poor DIY job. I'd do what I have to to take that short vertical pipe off and install one that is the right height. Resorting to the floor approach would be my last option. JMHO

jonny88

Try an extension coupling before valve it might get you to the height you need.If its high you can shim up rad.

hot_rod

or cut 1/2" of the legs

BobC

An extension would be the best bet but another option would be to remove the spud from the radiator and use a couple of 45s to couple into the radiator. How much room do you have on the other side of the radiator?

Be warned spuds don''t always come out easily so you might end up having to replace the valve and spud or you could forget about a valve and pipe directly into the radiator.

Bob

JUGHNE

As Jonny88 said an extension coupling might work. Imagine a pipe coupling that has the female on one half and the other half is a male fitting. Will probably raise valve too high. But you could have shims to match your new floor. Assuming this is a one pipe rad it needs to slope back towards the valve to drain condensate out. You do NOT want to push the pipe down to correct for the height if you use the ext coup.
The Supply house has these fittings, I have some in my shop, more than I'll ever use, if you come get them they are free. (PS I'm in NE )

viali8

BobC said:

An extension would be the best bet but another option would be to remove the spud from the radiator and use a couple of 45s to couple into the radiator. How much room do you have on the other side of the radiator?

Be warned spuds don''t always come out easily so you might end up having to replace the valve and spud or you could forget about a valve and pipe directly into the radiator.

Bob

I have about 5.5 inches on the other side of the radiator.

viali8

JUGHNE said:

As Jonny88 said an extension coupling might work. Imagine a pipe coupling that has the female on one half and the other half is a male fitting. Will probably raise valve too high. But you could have shims to match your new floor. Assuming this is a one pipe rad it needs to slope back towards the valve to drain condensate out. You do NOT want to push the pipe down to correct for the height if you use the ext coup.
The Supply house has these fittings, I have some in my shop, more than I'll ever use, if you come get them they are free. (PS I'm in NE )

Thanks for the pointer. Where can I pick the coupling up at? I am assuming a lowes or home depot wouldn't stock them.

viali8

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

viali8

BobC said:

An extension would be the best bet but another option would be to remove the spud from the radiator and use a couple of 45s to couple into the radiator. How much room do you have on the other side of the radiator?

Be warned spuds don''t always come out easily so you might end up having to replace the valve and spud or you could forget about a valve and pipe directly into the radiator.

Bob

What exactly do you mean by a couple of 45's? Sorry I am a new home owner and new to steam...:/

jonny88

Any plumbing supply should have them.If you change the valve and spud be careful.The spud is very soft,dont get crazy with the sawzall.You can eliminate valve altogether if needed and pipe it in with a union etc.Honestly I just saw your last post,if I was you I would call someone.If you are not familiar with the fittings etc you may have a problem.

BobC

Two 45's allow you to offset the level of a pipe run by swiveling them into the correct location. Taking the spud out of a radiator can be a chore, if this was may I'd say go for it but if things go sideways you will have to make more than a couple of trips to a plumbing supply house for valves and fittings.

You don't have a lot of room on the other side so I would just get rid of the radiator valve and pipe it directly into the radiator with a union if I didn't use the pipe extender method.

I agree it might be best to have someone do this for you so you can get the heat back on.

Bob

JUGHNE

Extending the pipe by any method will require the valve to be removed. This is not always easy. Using the double 45 elbows will require the radiator spud to be removed, this is much more challenging than removing the valve body. If the spud (the part screwed into the radiator) must be removed, often in pieces, then you must change the valve body also.

I too suggest a plumber/steam person who might know about the extension coupling.

One place that has the extension coupling is Supplyhouse.com.
They are under black fittings, made by Ward, SKU FBEX3/4 for 3/4" pipe and SKUFBEX1 for 1"pipe.

hot_rod

We used these 1/2 " nipple extenders in the fire sprinkler business. I have never seen an 1-1/4" version? It looks like that may be an 1-1/4" connection?

It would be a simple fitting for a machine shop to build if you really want an exact piece. You may need a pro to remove that valve safely to add a piece.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

The only non-ugly way to do it right is to replace the vertical (1¼"?) nipple.

If you don't know what is directly below, find out.

You probably won't be able to de-thread the nipple out of the fitting under the floor. I've tried to remove nipples from 100 year old hot water systems without success; steam will be just as bad or worse.

If you are able to gain access under the floor, cut the pipe before the 90° bend, thread the end and use a union or coupling to fit a new 90° on.

If there's a cast iron 90° under the floor, you're in luck. You can beat it with a sledge hammer and it will fracture, split and fall away with pipe threads still intact. Screw a new cast iron 90° bend on the pipe, the new, longer vertical riser with valve and you're home. Make sure you use a good quality of pipe dope like Hernon Dripstop,

Sound easy? It isn't, but you don't want your house to look ugly, do you? And every time you walk by that radiator, you'll remember what you had to go through to make it look right.

viali8

This is very helpful! Thanks for all the help! I watched a couple youtube video's about removing valves and spuds. If I can rebuild a BMW motor I think I should give this a shot. Good thing is that I don't need the radiator hooked up immediately. I can take my time and do some more reading before i tackle it. Thanks!

viali8

Just watched this video. Doesn't look to bad of a job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u1J0hDWJJo

Double D

Extension from Supplyhouse.com
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Ward-FBEX1-1-Black-Extension-Piece-661000-p

viali8

Double D said:

Extension from Supplyhouse.com
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Ward-FBEX1-1-Black-Extension-Piece-661000-p

Awesome pic! Thanks!

zigloo99

Not to hijack this thread but @Double D - Where did you get those pads from that are under the radiator feet in your picture?

Grallert

Is there any movement up on that riser? @hot rod has the right idea. Very easy to take a bit off the legs, file the edges and be done with it.

MilanD

zigloo99 said:

Not to hijack this thread but @Double D - Where did you get those pads from that are under the radiator feet in your picture?

Furniture pads. Try home depot or amazon.

@Grallert - post is from 2 years ago...

Grallert

oops.

Dan_NJ

> @MilanD said:
> Not to hijack this thread but @Double D - Where did you get those pads from that are under the radiator feet in your picture?
>
> Furniture pads. Try home depot or amazon.
>
> @Grallert - post is from 2 years ago...

Repackaged as "Radiator floor protectors" i'd bet you could triple the price