Fix leaking radiator?

MountainSteam

One of the radiators on my two pipe steam system is leaking at the joints in the segments (see photo, below).

I assume that this can't be fixed and I should look for a replacement radiator, but I wanted to check here first.
Should I scrap the leaking radiator and look for a replacement?

Jamie Hall

That one is in pretty tough shape...

In principle, they can be fixed. In between each segment is a machined, tapered nipple which seals -- or is supposed to! -- against machined, tapered seats in the sections. Someone knows where such things can be obtained. I forget...

Which assumes you can get it apart. Does it have threaded tension rods top and bottom? If so, you can try getting the nuts off those rods. Easy does it. If they have been painted it may be difficult to get them to come off -- and the rods break remarkably easily. A little heat. A little PB Blaster. A lot of patience. Then you may be able to get them off. Then you can get the sections apart -- there are various schools of thought on how to do that, but I've found auto mechanic's ball joint spreaders work nicely. Main thing is to even separate them, top and bottom.

If you've gotten this far, take a look at the nipples, and I'll bet they are rusted out. As I say, it is possible to replace them -- you might even find a local machine shop which can do them.

Then you can put the whole thing back together...

Or you can look for a replacement!

dopey27177

with the time you have before the heating season it pays to try and repair the radiator.

It is no fun to repair the radiator.

Firstly you have to pull the draw rods, then using wooden wedges you have to drive the wedges in until the section come apart.

Then with a wooden block held against the the push nipple you have tap the wooden block and rotate it till the push nipple comes out. you then would need to inspect the push nipple for cuts on the surface. Make sure the surface is clean and smooth.

Hopefully the push nipples are reusable.
Years ago I have done several of these in my home. Additionally; make sure the surface in the female side of the radiator is not scored.

Usually, you can reassemble the entire radiator, going by the age of the radiator it most probably over sized for the room.

You can lose up to 3 section with any appreciable heat loss. It is advisable to sans blast all the silver paint off the radiator and paint wit a flat colored heat resistant paint.

The silver paint stops about 25% of the heat transfer from the radiator.

Good luck with the project.

Jake

Harry_6

I don't want to be a killjoy, but I don't see any threaded rods in the picture. If there are no rods, then it is almost certainly assembled with threaded nipples (also, it's tubular, which means it's probably 1920's manufacture), and I'd say there's a snowball's chance of getting it apart. It strikes me as odd, though, that it looks like three or four contiguous nipples are all leaking. Why would that be? Unless there is a leak higher up, and all we are seeing is evidence of the drippage rusting between sections. . .