Fast and lucky sawzall cutting

GW

I don’t do this everyday so I rejoiced at the fact I didn’t lunch the rad. “Old pic” is a different rad but same basic thing 

EdTheHeaterMan

Your not as think as you dumb I am! Nicely done!

Jamie Hall

@GW , that's called "skill". Nice job.

SteamingatMohawk

Been there, done that, but cut into the threads a bit. It pays to be extra careful, even though steam pressure is very low.

Great job.

ethicalpaul

If you had gotten into it, it was just the bushing...you had one more chance not to mess it up

GW

Thanks! this was a hw boiler job. wrapping up the new boiler today

JUGHNE

That was good, the smaller 3/4" ones are tougher than larger ones.
Are you going to change all the air bleeders on the old rads?

GW

Bleeding air, that was a bit of a funky situation. There was about 14 rides, most of them, the coin vents were perfect. Several of them, very strange.

One was dripping, making a mess, one of my guys alerted me to the fact rain was coming into the basement. I grab a new coin, go up to change it. Opened up the old bleeder, pressure is at zero. I spin the old vent off and all of a sudden I get a blast of water. I spin the new one on, my hairdo got a little wet.

More oddly, another rad won’t bleed any air. Like the screw is out but zilch. I eventually go to the boiler and jack it to 25. To back up and all of a sudden it’s bleeding. Not fast, like 50% or so. Eventually fills up and heat is flowing 

It’s an old two pipe conversation, old trap bodies in place. 

I’m wondering if the bleeder taps just got goopy; I’ve never seen venting issues 

SteamingatMohawk

Oops, showed my inattention to detail...

GW

That’s cool not sure how you could tell either way. This was once a steam system. But yes I am a little more relaxed when busting into steam rads 

EBEBRATT-Ed

Good job!
The smaller the pipe the tougher it gets. Sometimes you have to make more than 1 cut to get them out

EBEBRATT-Ed

Whoops! you did make two cuts

Ironman

The way you did it is the almost last resort for us. We cut the union nut off and then use a pipe wrench directly on the spud. If that fails, then we do what you did.

Nice job on getting it out clean.

SteamingatMohawk

Two oopses. In the first photo, when I saw the pipe at the top, I assumed it was steam without knowing why. I'm only familiar with my one pipe steam system.

That being said, I just bought "The Lost Art of Steam Heating, Revised" and on pages 212 and 214 it shows the steam supply at the top and return at the bottom. So, my guess was correct, but I could not prove it, if asked, since I never paid attention to 2 pipe details.

WMno57

Do the old steam radiators in this system have a water passage across the top?

JUGHNE

Just came from a house where 2 elderly sisters live.
Saved everything from their lifetime.....but on the positive side they never had cats!
There are about 12 BB heaters with screw slot bleeders in the 90 ells. 2 of them would pass no air or water.
I would guess plugged ports. Hoping for the best of water flow.

No floor drain, no isolation valves, feeder stuck, water supply is shut off, (both have been such for years before I first saw the place) boiler drain will probably not open, 2 zone valves.....however the pressure relief valve is tested and reseats nicely.
When it gets low on water it will not heat the BB's, phone call is made.

STEAM DOCTOR

Ironman said:

The way you did it is the almost last resort for us. We cut the union nut off and then use a pipe wrench directly on the spud. If that fails, then we do what you did.

Nice job on getting it out clean.

First resort for me. Quick and almost risk free. Slow and steady wins the race. Like everything else, need to work with what you feel comfortable. 

EBEBRATT-Ed

I agree with @Ironman cut the union and get a wrench on it and jam something into the stub so as to not collapse it. They will usually come out.

But sometimes you have to cut

hot_rod

And with a Leatherman? I'm impressed

STEAM DOCTOR

Fwiw, I use the Milwaukee 18v Hackzall. 

GW

WMno57 said:

Do the old steam radiators in this system have a water passage across the top?

Yes it kinda has to be that way with hot water. This seems to be a 1930s era house.

GW

Bob yes believe me I tried. I don’t enjoy sticking sawzall blades inside of Radiators  either.

GW

232,000 BTU down to 125,000. Prolly could have went to the 94000 btu but there’s just so much metal. Even this boiler was climbing pretty slowly yesterday when I had all three  zones going, wasn’t even very cold outside or in the house. Main zone is Constant circulation and the other 2 zones simply spin water on regular stat calls 

EBEBRATT-Ed

Nice Job

luketheplumber

I practiced this on a two pipe radiator that I salvaged. it was a lot easier to collapse the 3/4 inch nipple that I ever thought. I used a file instead of any power tools and barley nicked the threads. So far I feel pretty good for not cracking the old Radiator on either end.

GW

Wow you filed your way through a brass nip? I guess that works too. When you’re hauling freight it’s just faster to do the 60 Hz shuffle though. Keep at it 

Le John

Very nice job. 

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Way to go!

I get spooked on those relief cuts and invariably, I score the female threads. A anaerobic pipe sealant (Hernon Dripstop 923 or SuperDope) will seal any potential leaks.

luketheplumber

I wanted to take it slowly with my first one. I'm sure I made the dead men smile when I did all that by hand. I didn't want crack the radiator so that's good. I have another one that I might try doing with power tools next time.

Solid_Fuel_Man

@GW did someone already have press copper on that indirect? Nice touch with the flue labels. 

GW

Hi Solid we did the boiler and water heater so all that stuff is new. The old 'return header'---I 'repurposed" that, so i kinda aligned the new boiler with the old header (the header was raised up some, but in the same location). We we literally jockeying the new boiler a little front and rear, left and right to nail it. You can tell the old header isn't 'as new', and there's an 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" 90 going into the boiler. Return ball valves and the drains are new, but the c x f tees are original.