Replacing cast iron steam radiators after accident. Help with conflicting opinions, Philadelphia

dthewett

We live in Philadelphia and our 1908 house has original cast iron radiators, single pipe steam, with an oil-fired boiler.

A contractor misguidedly applied a highly toxic, industrial-use-only paint to 9 of our 12 radiators, painting them in place in our house. The vapors from this paint made me and my family ill (including our 16-month-old toddler), so we cannot be in our house. The paint shows no sign of curing anytime soon (it has been over a month), despite the heat being on due to the need to heat the house in the winter.

Given how nasty the paint is, even when (or if!) it theoretically cures, or the most noticeable of the off-gassing stops, we doubt that we will feel comfortable being in our house while it is there on our radiators, especially with a toddler. Unfortunately, due to the need to heat the house, we cannot address this problem until the winter passes.

We have decided that the best course of action is to replace the 9 recently-painted radiators with new radiators. We considered other approaches, but have decided against them in order to ensure peace of mind that we can return to a functioning heating system without this paint present.

We considered stripping the radiators in place, but have been advised that best practice for radiators is to have them sandblasted. Furthermore, the labor hours needed to chemically strip the radiators in place would be expensive — and, after this experience, we do not want to introduce more chemicals into the house in the form of paint-strippers.

We also ruled out sandblasting and repainting the radiators due to the fact that moving these 115-year-old radiators could end up damaging the seals between sections, leading us to have to replace at least some of the radiators anyway. This option also quickly added up in cost and complication, since one contractor would be needed to unhook and replace the radiators, another to move them to and from the sandblaster, and yet another to actually perform the sandblasting and repainting.

So, we are looking into replacing with new cast iron radiators, pre-cured with less toxic (nearly zero VOC) paint. That said, we have received conflicting advice from contractors and are nervous about moving forward with the project.

We were initially dismayed when the first contractor told us that we would also have to replace our oil-fired boiler in the process. He said that during the removal of the old radiators, rust/sediment from the radiators would drain down to the boiler tank and cause the boiler to rust.

However, we have since spoken with other plumbers/HVAC contractors, none of whom agree with this advice or have any idea what he is talking about. Yes, they say, there is some sediment in the system —but that is part of normal wear and tear, and the removal would not cause any extra sediment to flow down to the boiler. In fact, there is really nothing in the condensate system to "drain."

While we would consider replacing the boiler at some point, perhaps converting to gas or biomass, we are nervous about the cost of replacing the boiler at this stage, especially while it is unclear whether and what the painter’s liability insurance will be covering. We have also received an amazingly high quote for a new boiler and have heard about long production delays and order backlogs.

Another contractor warned us about possible damage to the pipes that could be caused by the stress put upon them when the old radiators are removed and the new ones installed.

I understand that this is a complicated situation, so I would accept advice on any or all of these points:

1. Rust/sediment/sludge draining back from the radiators to the boiler and damaging boiler during radiator removal and installation
2. Risks to pipework during radiator removal and installation
3. Does anyone have experience with biomass on a steam system?
4. If anyone knows anyone who is well-versed in steam systems in the general Philadelphia area, we would appreciate any referrals.

Jamie Hall

Queston 1. Not a problem. Your scary contractor who said that has no clue what he's talking about.
Question 2. The radiators are connected to the system with unions. Not a problem.
Question 3. ?? I don't know of any biomass residential size steam boilers
Question 4. I don't, but I know there are some -- @STEVEusaPA any suggestions? @Steamhead you know oof someone?

Mad Dog_2

They are all Knuckleheads!   Two choices
1) Disconnect all affected rads. Have a moving company take them to sandblasting yard.  Have them blasted. Sometimes these places powder coat them too. If not take to 
A legit paint or autobody shop.  Yiu don't want paint that will off gas and stink.  Reinstall and your done.dont waste time w Chemical strippers .  Don't worry about leaks on old rads. Its kinda rare. 
2) Size and purchase Burnham Classic Fancy rads and install. Gorgeous but NOT CHEAP..have 2 in my home. Love em. OR 
Plain, new Burnham Cast Iron Rads -not as ornate but cheaper.  Mad 🐕 dog

Mad Dog_2

Steamhead is not too far and Dan Foley is in Virginia/DC area.  Two of the best contractors in 🇺🇸 America, great guys and personal friends.  Mad 🐕 Dog

dthewett

Thanks for your reply!

Jamie Hall said:

Queston 1. Not a problem. Your scary contractor who said that has no clue what he's talking about.
Question 2. The radiators are connected to the system with unions. Not a problem.
Question 3. ?? I don't know of any biomass residential size steam boilers
Question 4. I don't, but I know there are some -- @STEVEusaPA any suggestions? @Steamhead you know oof someone?

1. Great
2. The contractor's (different from the clueless one) concern about the pipes was that the torque needed to unattach the radiators would cause enough movement down the line of the pipes that cracks could occur down the line. Is there any validity to that concern?
3. something like a wood pellet boiler: https://woodboilers.com/tarm-biomass-products/wood-pellet-heating/

Thanks again!

dthewett

Mad Dog_2 said:

They are all Knuckleheads!   Two choices
1) Disconnect all affected rads. Have a moving company take them to sandblasting yard.  Have them blasted. Sometimes these places powder coat them too. If not take to 
A legit paint or autobody shop.  Yiu don't want paint that will off gas and stink.  Reinstall and your done.dont waste time w Chemical strippers .  Don't worry about leaks on old rads. Its kinda rare. 
2) Size and purchase Burnham Classic Fancy rads and install. Gorgeous but NOT CHEAP..have 2 in my home. Love em. OR 
Plain, new Burnham Cast Iron Rads -not as ornate but cheaper.  Mad 🐕 dog

Thanks for your reply! Good to know that we are dealing with knuckleheads.

1) we are wary about taking our chances with the radiators getting damaged during the process of moving and blasting.

2) we've been in discussion with Castrads about new radiators. They will use water based paint / next to zero VOC and will cure them at the factory using infra-red (https://www.castrads.com/us/finishes-and-samples/)

After this we want peace of mind that we can move back in with a working system and no vapors.

Thanks again.

pecmsg

dthewett said:

Thanks for your reply!

Jamie Hall said:

Queston 1. Not a problem. Your scary contractor who said that has no clue what he's talking about.
Question 2. The radiators are connected to the system with unions. Not a problem.
Question 3. ?? I don't know of any biomass residential size steam boilers
Question 4. I don't, but I know there are some -- @STEVEusaPA any suggestions? @Steamhead you know oof someone?

1. Great
2. The contractor's (different from the clueless one) concern about the pipes was that the torque needed to unattach the radiators would cause enough movement down the line of the pipes that cracks could occur down the line. Is there any validity to that concern?
3. something like a wood pellet boiler: https://woodboilers.com/tarm-biomass-products/wood-pellet-heating/

Thanks again!

2) No Way! As stated there should be Unions on the rads, open and remove the rad.

dthewett

dthewett said:

Mad Dog_2 said:

They are all Knuckleheads!   Two choices
1) Disconnect all affected rads. Have a moving company take them to sandblasting yard.  Have them blasted. Sometimes these places powder coat them too. If not take to 
A legit paint or autobody shop.  Yiu don't want paint that will off gas and stink.  Reinstall and your done.dont waste time w Chemical strippers .  Don't worry about leaks on old rads. Its kinda rare. 
2) Size and purchase Burnham Classic Fancy rads and install. Gorgeous but NOT CHEAP..have 2 in my home. Love em. OR 
Plain, new Burnham Cast Iron Rads -not as ornate but cheaper.  Mad 🐕 dog

Thanks for your reply! Good to know that we are dealing with knuckleheads.

1) we are wary about taking our chances with the radiators getting damaged during the process of moving and blasting.

2) we've been in discussion with Castrads about new radiators. They will use water based paint / next to zero VOC and will cure them at the factory using infra-red (https://www.castrads.com/us/finishes-and-samples/)

After this we want peace of mind that we can move back in with a working system and no vapors.

Thanks again.

@Mad Dog_2 That said, we have not fully committed to any particular solution yet. We'd be happy to revisit the idea of blasting and repainting. Thank you for your recommendations of contractors! We'd love to get in touch with them. Thanks again for your thoughts!

dthewett

pecmsg said:

dthewett said:

Thanks for your reply!

Jamie Hall said:

Queston 1. Not a problem. Your scary contractor who said that has no clue what he's talking about.
Question 2. The radiators are connected to the system with unions. Not a problem.
Question 3. ?? I don't know of any biomass residential size steam boilers
Question 4. I don't, but I know there are some -- @STEVEusaPA any suggestions? @Steamhead you know oof someone?

1. Great
2. The contractor's (different from the clueless one) concern about the pipes was that the torque needed to unattach the radiators would cause enough movement down the line of the pipes that cracks could occur down the line. Is there any validity to that concern?
3. something like a wood pellet boiler: https://woodboilers.com/tarm-biomass-products/wood-pellet-heating/

Thanks again!

2) No Way! As stated there should be Unions on the rads, open and remove the rad.

Thank you, everyone! This is all very helpful. This is confirming our sense that the people we have been talking to do not really understand this situation. We are thinking that we need to seek out someone with more detailed knowledge of steam systems. We're very grateful for everyone's replies so far.

P.S. We've ordered a copy of The Lost Art of Steam Heating!

dthewett

pecmsg said:

dthewett said:

Thanks for your reply!

Jamie Hall said:

Queston 1. Not a problem. Your scary contractor who said that has no clue what he's talking about.
Question 2. The radiators are connected to the system with unions. Not a problem.
Question 3. ?? I don't know of any biomass residential size steam boilers
Question 4. I don't, but I know there are some -- @STEVEusaPA any suggestions? @Steamhead you know oof someone?

1. Great
2. The contractor's (different from the clueless one) concern about the pipes was that the torque needed to unattach the radiators would cause enough movement down the line of the pipes that cracks could occur down the line. Is there any validity to that concern?
3. something like a wood pellet boiler: https://woodboilers.com/tarm-biomass-products/wood-pellet-heating/

Thanks again!

2) No Way! As stated there should be Unions on the rads, open and remove the rad.

Thanks for confirming! Everyone's great and helpful replies so far are convincing us that the people we have been talking to do not really know what they are talking about and that we need to seek out someone familiar with steam systems.

Mad Dog_2

We remove and hand truck around rads all the time.  They are scared and inexperienced.   The pipes will be fine they are tough.  Whats with the wood mass boiler?   Mad Dog

Mad Dog_2

Good luck finding a wood burning Steam Boiler.  Never heard of one. Mad Dog 🐕 

dthewett

Mad Dog_2 said:

We remove and hand truck around rads all the time.  They are scared and inexperienced.   The pipes will be fine they are tough.  Whats with the wood mass boiler?   Mad Dog

Thanks, that's great to know that you don't have a problem with moving radiators around.

Wood mass boiler: we're not wedded to it, but were looking around as we were weighing options for boiler replacement, in case scary-but-clueless contractor was right.

EricBaisch

Hi,
I am in the Mount Airy neighborhood in Philly.  Like others said removing for blast and coat in no problem.  I used a hand cart to load about 10 radiators into my fathers pickup truck and drive them out to a place in West Chester for blast and powder coat.  You might want to mask off the unions and explain to the blaster it’s important not to hit the sealing surfaces if those with the blast media.  You should already be flushing all the crud out of the boiler every year, there’s not going to be appreciably more due to the removal but still plenty to need to get out of the boiler every season.

dthewett

EricBaisch said:

Hi,
I am in the Mount Airy neighborhood in Philly.  Like others said removing for blast and coat in no problem.  I used a hand cart to load about 10 radiators into my fathers pickup truck and drive them out to a place in West Chester for blast and powder coat.  You might want to mask off the unions and explain to the blaster it’s important not to hit the sealing surfaces if those with the blast media.  You should already be flushing all the crud out of the boiler every year, there’s not going to be appreciably more due to the removal but still plenty to need to get out of the boiler every season.

We're in Mount Airy, too! I'll message you directly. Thanks for sharing about your experience with moving and blasting your radiators. That's encouraging. How old are your radiators?

After some of the contractors warned us about the seals, I found some similar warnings on the internet, such as here: https://www.vintagecastironradiators.co.uk/articles/movingyourcastironradiator

EdTheHeaterMan

How 'bout those Eagles, last night!

Mad Dog_2

They come out beautiful after sandblasting.  Some the rads i had sandblasted were in operation since the 1870s..not one leaker Mad Dog

Waher

It shouldn't be a problem to have the radiators disconnected, media blasted to remove the paint, and powder coated. This is done all the time to de-lead and refinish radiators in renovations.

Mad Dog_2

Mad Dog_2

Love them 

Mad Dog_2

Another one 

dabrakeman

Unless you don't think there is anything about your old radiators worth saving I would highly recommend sand blasting and repaint. Had one done by an auto shop and another just blasted (for nearly nothing) and I painted myself. The union fitting is about the easiest fitting to get off in the entire system. The cost will just be in the muscle required to get them in and out of the house. That will be the same with installing new radiators. The cost of the new radiators of course will be much higher than the sand blasting and painting and, you will no longer have original radiators...

JUGHNE

If redone, you would want to mask tape the union spuds and remove the air vent and plug that hole with an 1/8" plug.

If you have any questionable inlet valves, this would be the time to remove the rad spuds and plug that hole with pipe plug. Changing the valve and spud as they have to match.

vhauk

and thank there is NO reason to disassemble the radiator for sand blasting or painting. 

hot_rod

Powder coating ovens run up over 400F
if there are rubber seals that would be risky

Blasting and paint would seem safer. Research the paint well, all paint has a smell, concern being what chemical are emitted at 200F

Long Beach Ed

Before you embark on this huge endeavor, confirm that the fumes from the paint are indeed toxic and not just unpleasant. There are few truly toxic paints around today and once dried, your present radiators should stop smelling. The work you describe, while easy to achieve and effective in producing a beautiful finish, will be quite costly. Confirm that it is truly necessary. Folks have painted radiators every day for over a century and have endured the smell as they dried.

Mad Dog's advice is right on. The quality of your old radiators likely exceeds that of any imported modern replacement. Not a big deal to sandblast and coat them. They'll be beautiful. Much nicer than any repainting.

Dan_NJ

If removing and blasting/painting the original rads I'm guessing you also want to be sure you're returning them to the exact same valves they were removed from when done, keeping track of which goes where. May be some different supply valves in the mix and you want to keep them all matched up to their original home, even if the rads are identical size. It may go without saying, but just saying ...

Hap_Hazzard

I installed a couple of Castrads summer before last. They're very nice, but they're expensive. The paint is safe, as far as I can tell, but I was smelling that paint all last winter. No health effects, but it definitely smells, so don't be surprised.

I agree with the recommendation to get your radiators sandblasted. You might look into getting them powdercoated. It's expensive, but it gives a very durable finish and you won't have to worry about it giving off toxic fumes. The next best thing is Rust-Oleum High Heat paint. I've used this on several radiators and it works great. Looks good and doesn't smell after it's dry.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@dthewett

I would follow @Mad Dog_2 approach.

Get your plumber to disconnect the rads.

Call a moving company to take them to the sand blaster & then have them painted. The mover can pick up and return. Mark them so you know which one goes back where.

Have the plumber reconnect.

Leaks are very unlikely

damage to pipes unlikely with a qualified plumber

nothing is going to run down into the boiler.


If you need to get back in the house buy new rads

leonz

dthewett said:

We live in Philadelphia and our 1908 house has original cast iron radiators, single pipe steam, with an oil-fired boiler.

A contractor misguidedly applied a highly toxic, industrial-use-only paint to 9 of our 12 radiators, painting them in place in our house. The vapors from this paint made me and my family ill (including our 16-month-old toddler), so we cannot be in our house. The paint shows no sign of curing anytime soon (it has been over a month), despite the heat being on due to the need to heat the house in the winter.

Given how nasty the paint is, even when (or if!) it theoretically cures, or the most noticeable of the off-gassing stops, we doubt that we will feel comfortable being in our house while it is there on our radiators, especially with a toddler. Unfortunately, due to the need to heat the house, we cannot address this problem until the winter passes.

We have decided that the best course of action is to replace the 9 recently-painted radiators with new radiators. We considered other approaches, but have decided against them in order to ensure peace of mind that we can return to a functioning heating system without this paint present.

We considered stripping the radiators in place, but have been advised that best practice for radiators is to have them sandblasted. Furthermore, the labor hours needed to chemically strip the radiators in place would be expensive — and, after this experience, we do not want to introduce more chemicals into the house in the form of paint-strippers.

We also ruled out sandblasting and repainting the radiators due to the fact that moving these 115-year-old radiators could end up damaging the seals between sections, leading us to have to replace at least some of the radiators anyway. This option also quickly added up in cost and complication, since one contractor would be needed to unhook and replace the radiators, another to move them to and from the sandblaster, and yet another to actually perform the sandblasting and repainting.

So, we are looking into replacing with new cast iron radiators, pre-cured with less toxic (nearly zero VOC) paint. That said, we have received conflicting advice from contractors and are nervous about moving forward with the project.

We were initially dismayed when the first contractor told us that we would also have to replace our oil-fired boiler in the process. He said that during the removal of the old radiators, rust/sediment from the radiators would drain down to the boiler tank and cause the boiler to rust.

However, we have since spoken with other plumbers/HVAC contractors, none of whom agree with this advice or have any idea what he is talking about. Yes, they say, there is some sediment in the system —but that is part of normal wear and tear, and the removal would not cause any extra sediment to flow down to the boiler. In fact, there is really nothing in the condensate system to "drain."

While we would consider replacing the boiler at some point, perhaps converting to gas or biomass, we are nervous about the cost of replacing the boiler at this stage, especially while it is unclear whether and what the painter’s liability insurance will be covering. We have also received an amazingly high quote for a new boiler and have heard about long production delays and order backlogs.

Another contractor warned us about possible damage to the pipes that could be caused by the stress put upon them when the old radiators are removed and the new ones installed.

I understand that this is a complicated situation, so I would accept advice on any or all of these points:

1. Rust/sediment/sludge draining back from the radiators to the boiler and damaging boiler during radiator removal and installation
2. Risks to pipework during radiator removal and installation
3. Does anyone have experience with biomass on a steam system?
4. If anyone knows anyone who is well-versed in steam systems in the general Philadelphia area, we would appreciate any referrals.

=================================================================



STOP, please wait;

There is no need to remove or replace the radiators or pipe work if they are not damaged or leaking.

You can have a "good painter" sandblast the radiators where they are located with dry ice sand blasting equipment and simply vacuum up the dry ice chips, paint chips and rust off the tarpaulin with a heavy shop vac with a HEPA filter as they work.

The dry ice will melt and dissolve into carbon dioxide gas and you will have bare radiators that can be covered with radiator covers to simplify things.

With a powerful enough vacuum system you can leave the vacuum outside and run suction hoses to the radiators that are being dry ice sand blasted.

A painter that uses dry ice sandblasting or a sandblaster that uses dry ice sandblasting can do this for you.

JakeCK

leonz said:

We live in Philadelphia and our 1908 house has original cast iron radiators, single pipe steam, with an oil-fired boiler. A contractor misguidedly applied a highly toxic, industrial-use-only paint to 9 of our 12 radiators, painting them in place in our house. The vapors from this paint made me and my family ill (including our 16-month-old toddler), so we cannot be in our house. The paint shows no sign of curing anytime soon (it has been over a month), despite the heat being on due to the need to heat the house in the winter. Given how nasty the paint is, even when (or if!) it theoretically cures, or the most noticeable of the off-gassing stops, we doubt that we will feel comfortable being in our house while it is there on our radiators, especially with a toddler. Unfortunately, due to the need to heat the house, we cannot address this problem until the winter passes. We have decided that the best course of action is to replace the 9 recently-painted radiators with new radiators. We considered other approaches, but have decided against them in order to ensure peace of mind that we can return to a functioning heating system without this paint present. We considered stripping the radiators in place, but have been advised that best practice for radiators is to have them sandblasted. Furthermore, the labor hours needed to chemically strip the radiators in place would be expensive — and, after this experience, we do not want to introduce more chemicals into the house in the form of paint-strippers. We also ruled out sandblasting and repainting the radiators due to the fact that moving these 115-year-old radiators could end up damaging the seals between sections, leading us to have to replace at least some of the radiators anyway. This option also quickly added up in cost and complication, since one contractor would be needed to unhook and replace the radiators, another to move them to and from the sandblaster, and yet another to actually perform the sandblasting and repainting. So, we are looking into replacing with new cast iron radiators, pre-cured with less toxic (nearly zero VOC) paint. That said, we have received conflicting advice from contractors and are nervous about moving forward with the project. We were initially dismayed when the first contractor told us that we would also have to replace our oil-fired boiler in the process. He said that during the removal of the old radiators, rust/sediment from the radiators would drain down to the boiler tank and cause the boiler to rust. However, we have since spoken with other plumbers/HVAC contractors, none of whom agree with this advice or have any idea what he is talking about. Yes, they say, there is some sediment in the system —but that is part of normal wear and tear, and the removal would not cause any extra sediment to flow down to the boiler. In fact, there is really nothing in the condensate system to "drain." While we would consider replacing the boiler at some point, perhaps converting to gas or biomass, we are nervous about the cost of replacing the boiler at this stage, especially while it is unclear whether and what the painter’s liability insurance will be covering. We have also received an amazingly high quote for a new boiler and have heard about long production delays and order backlogs. Another contractor warned us about possible damage to the pipes that could be caused by the stress put upon them when the old radiators are removed and the new ones installed. I understand that this is a complicated situation, so I would accept advice on any or all of these points: 1. Rust/sediment/sludge draining back from the radiators to the boiler and damaging boiler during radiator removal and installation 2. Risks to pipework during radiator removal and installation 3. Does anyone have experience with biomass on a steam system? 4. If anyone knows anyone who is well-versed in steam systems in the general Philadelphia area, we would appreciate any referrals.

================================================================= STOP, please wait; There is no need to remove or replace the radiators or pipe work if they are not damaged or leaking. You can have a "good painter" sandblast the radiators where they are located with dry ice sand blasting equipment and simply vacuum up the dry ice chips, paint chips and rust off the tarpaulin with a heavy shop vac with a HEPA filter as they work. The dry ice will melt and dissolve into carbon dioxide gas and you will have bare radiators that can be covered with radiator covers to simplify things. With a powerful enough vacuum system you can leave the vacuum outside and run suction hoses to the radiators that are being dry ice sand blasted. A painter that uses dry ice sandblasting or a sandblaster that uses dry ice sandblasting can do this for you.

And potentially blast lead paint dust everywhere? Sounds risky.

PC7060

As @Mad Dog_2 recommended; a) units are easily disconnected, don’t even need to drain system since it’s steam versus hot water;  b) use moving company to transport the rads; 3) sandblast/powder coat 

I did 15 hot water radiators, came out very nice.

Movers were key.   

Mad Dog_2

I moved boilers and radiators for many years up and down.. many times by myself if I could.  Trust me. Get a professional mover.  Its cheaper than herniated discs!  Mad Dog. 

gmcinnes

Too late for this now, with your stinky paint in place, but FWIW I just painted mine in place with a good quality latex paint and a hobo freight HPLV spray gun. No blasting. From this distance they look just like @PC7060 rads. It seems to be holding up just fine. Maybe it wouldn't on higher temp. steam rads. though.

If I was lucky enough to have any beautiful scroll work, or if they had lots of rust, I would have blasted them.

gmcinnes

You can have a "good painter" sandblast the radiators where they are located with dry ice sand blasting equipment and simply vacuum up the dry ice chips, paint chips and rust off the tarpaulin with a heavy shop vac with a HEPA filter as they work.

This is probably a good technique, but it's probably not the right situation.

Almost certainly lead paint there, and there is a 16 month toddler in the house. For a variety of reasons they can be poisoned more easily, and the results are much worse.

Definitely not a situation where you want the risk of blowing lead dust around.

leonz

Removing them and using dry ice sandblasting to clean them in a HEPA paint booth would be the best
thing to do rather than buying new rads which are not needed.

AdmiralYoda

1st. It sounds like these HVAC people are grossly incompetent or are trying to squeeze a ton of money out of you for no good reason....or maybe both.

The union is the large nut in between the radiator and the valve that supplies the steam right before it. As others have mentioned, that is probably the easiest piece to remove in the system. I removed a 70 year old one a couple years ago with a 12" pipe wrench a few years ago. There should be no real corrossion in this joint so it should come off easy and without great risk.

Perhaps post a picture of the rad and valve and we can break down what is what for you.

You can probably find a off brand 18-24" pipe wrench for $30 at any hardware store. Loosen the fitting and slide the radiator out a bit. Have somebody bring these to a blaster. Ideally, rather than pay to have them moved an additional time...have them sent to someone who does blasting and painting. Powdercoating and wet-spray are both good options.

If you are not comfortable tightening them back up...get them close to their original locations and any plumber can tighten it back up for you. Super easy.

Lastly...what paint was used that off-gassed excessively and was toxic? Myself and many others here plan to paint their own rads...it would be helpful to know of the paints that should be avoided. Thanks!

WMno57

Pipe wrenches are for pipe and round fittings. Adjustable wrenches (Crescent pattern) are for hex and square nuts. I encourage anyone who wants to DIY this to get a 24 inch crescent pattern adjustable wrench at Harbor Freight. Not as good as my vintage Minnesota made Diamalloy adjustable, but good enough.
The teeth in a pipe wrench mar the flats on nuts.

ethicalpaul

My flats are marred. No one knows but me

mattmia2

You could remove a couple at a time, cap the risers and have movers take them out to get blasted and powder coated. Could pressure test them before you blast them and after you coat them but don't do more than 10 psi- 15 psi or you might find leaks that wold never have been a problem.

reggi

@dthewett

Any clarity on this yet ?

it is unclear whether and what the painter’s liability insurance will be covering.