New radiator valve tail piece too short

snoop

I have extracted all the unions on all my radiators and now my I am going to tighten up the nuts on the tail pieces but they do not reach. The pipes coming out of the floor wont reach the radiator as the tail pieces in the radiator are shorter. I went to a few plumbing supply stores and every one sells the very short ones. Does anyone have recommendations on valves that have long tail pieces? Not many manufacturers document the tailpiece length...

Also, is it possible to purchase just tail pieces in different lengths, if so does the mating compression surface unique to manufacturer?

JUGHNE

2 pipe radiator?

Fred

Will a close nipple in the radiator and then a coupling to screw the spud into make it too long?

snoop

This is a 2 pipe radiator, is there such a thing for a coupling to lengthen it? My old valves were much longer, they are 2.75" for the L value while everything else seems to be less than 2.62".

Fred

A standard plumbing close nipple and coupling, of the right diameter is typically used, when an extension is required. It seems you have a very short difference to make up. I doubt that a nipple/coupling will be short enough to work. I don't know if you have a reducer bushing in that end of the radiator that can be removed to give you a little more room and then use a different reducer configuration that adds a little length and extension. It may make more sense to take a valve and spud to a plumbing supply and see if they have any other brands that might have longer spuds or valve necks.

snoop

Yeah I think a coupling may add to much length. I believe the part of the radiator where the tail piece screws into is called the bushing. I have not tried extracting that yet but i would imagine it would be harder than tail piece. They all took a lot of heat with mapgas and a zawsaw to extract.

From research I have found most are 2 5/8" long.

2 1/2" BlueFin Valve (the one i bought)
2 5/8" Standard Length between various manufacturers
2 3/4" the valve I am replacing

JUGHNE

Do you have access to the piping in the basement?
If so there may be enough movement in the pipe for a little horizontal swing. You would have to enlarge the hole in the floor.
If the riser is on a horizontal run out below the floor you only need less than a 1/4"?

EBEBRATT-Ed

I don't like cranking stuff to make it fit but if your within a 1/4" or less you usually don't have much choice. Suggest trimming around the pipes as @JUGHNE mentioned and go or it

Alan Welch

In another thread on this page they suggest a nipple extender for a similar problem with trv valve, try Google search

ch4man

umm slide the radiator over a bit?? i dont know,,,,,

MilanD

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/163068/trv-help-they-dont-fit#latest

Fred

ch4man said:

umm slide the radiator over a bit?? i dont know,,,,,

It's a two pipe system so it's not some move-able but you would think you could squeeze 1/4" out of it somewhere. I'm hoping that the height of the new valve and the old one are the same but I don't know. If not he may have a little play in the pipe to pull it up a bit (I hope)

j a_2

Will a male by female coupling work, I think it might....

JohnNY

Use two bushings instead of one in the radiator. That's the best way to make up a small distance.

Danny Scully

@j a, you mean an extension coupling?

j a_2

Yes same o same o

ch4man

Fred said:

ch4man said:

umm slide the radiator over a bit?? i dont know,,,,,

It's a two pipe system so it's not some move-able but you would think you could squeeze 1/4" out of it somewhere. I'm hoping that the height of the new valve and the old one are the same but I don't know. If not he may have a little play in the pipe to pull it up a bit (I hope)

oops missed that

eclecticmn

I came upon this old posting by mistake. I am not the only person to have this problem. Actually a similar problem.
Years ago I bought my house with hot water cast iron radiators. The valves were either stuck open or shut.
I bought all new valves and did all the radiators at once. A big mistake.
The new valves were mostly shorter than the old ones. Some times there was enough slop in the steel pipes to get by. Not always.

The solution was to remove the steel nipples in the floor with a pipe wrench with a 4 or 6 foot cheater bar.
I took the nipple to the local good hardware store and had them thread a nipple maybe 3/4 inch longer. It was December in MN and I had no heat. I hooked up a ventless natural gas heater to keep my pipes from freezing as I finished the work. I should have done it one radiator at a time.