Removing valve union from steam radiator

branimal

I'm redoing an apartment in my building and I need to move this radiator out of the way. I put an 18" wrench on the union nut and another in the opposite direction and cranked. Nothing. Hit it with heat and pb blaster. Nothing.

Should I buy a bigger wrench? If so what size should I jump to? I've got an 18" and a 12". I see husky has a 24" for $27.

Any other ideas?

Thanks

GW

Seems like you’re binding up. Can you get the back of the jaw to also sit on the nut?

Jamie Hall

And be sure you are turning the union nut the correct direction!

JUGHNE

First picture shows the wrench on the correct direction.
But needs to do the 3 point contact as GW pointed out.
Without doing that the nut could eggshape and be binding.
Then IIWM I would carefully step on the wrench with a little bounce.

BTY, where was the opposing wrench placed?

ethicalpaul

Sawzall and cold chisel, you're going to replace the valve anyway I assume

GW

Yes that valve is beat

branimal

Opposing wrench is on the nut with the blue arrow.

Do I cut the threaded part of the union (purple arrow)?

Thanks

Jamie Hall

Before you break out the Sawzall... try again on that union nut. If you visualize yourself looking from the radiator to the valve, the nut unscrews clockwise -- which is sort of counter to what one might imagine.

JUGHNE

I believe the nut would unscrew counterclockwise if you look at the valve from the radiator point of view.

That is you would be pushing the wrench down towards the floor.
Nothing else to the right of the nut needs to or will turn.
The opposing wrench would be trying to hold the valve from snapping off of the riser pipe.
I put the 2nd wrench on the valve as I would if trying to unscrew it from the pipe......but rather than turn I lift up to oppose the other wrench.
Easiest to pull up first and wedge a block under the handle to apply pressure.
Then foot on the wrench on the union nut.

Yea, you can cut everything but this is a good one to learn on as you have nothing to lose. Remember the 3 point on the nut.

Jamie Hall

Try it both ways...

JUGHNE

Jamie, now you got me wondering and doubting myself.

But try both ways and let us know, a great learning experience as you can not hurt anything.

ethicalpaul

If you still need to cut, I would probably cut the nut. It might crack just from all the wrenching, I had one do that.

After that, you will have to work to get the valve off of the riser (unless you are tearing out the whole riser), that could be challenging too, but you can use a similar cutting technique kind of diagonally across the wrench fitting on bottom of the valve to weaken it, but be careful of the threads. Use a chisel to break it after you weaken it with the cut. There are some good youtube videos showing this technique.

branimal

Got it off.

Three point contact, my friend holding the opposing wrench. Cranked down, no luck. Looked for a cheater bar, only thing i had was a 10 foot cast iron pipe. Put it on my wrench and barely pushed down at the end of the CI pipe. Came loose.

Thanks for the advice guys!!

Side note, this one was full on brown red water. I had to be 1 qt at least.

BobC

Good to hear it's off.

Leverage is your friend.

Bob

nicholas bonham-carter

“Give me a lever long enough, with a place to stand, and I shall move the earth!”
Archimedes, 21 BC—NBC

GW

wow that's odd----that's extremely tight if you needed that much leverage. I would normally use one wrench and if it didn't come loose I would gently stand on the wrench, gently bobbing up and down.

NOTE, if one doesn't understand general inertia (of your body mass suddenly shifting when the fitting breaks loose), please don't try this, it could get ugly

GW

JUGHNE said:

Jamie, now you got me wondering and doubting myself.

But try both ways and let us know, a great learning experience as you can not hurt anything.

The original pic was correct