Stack of old radiators sitting outside

guzzinerd

The new owners of the local Army Navy store let me wander around in their back area which is full of old relics including these radiators.  They don't want much for them, $50 to $100 each if i remember right.  Would it be worth grabbing a couple?  Sorry for my ignorance but do old radiators go bad?  

There are a few in my building that have been replaced with crappy modern baseboard style models.

Waher

Depends how long they've been sitting in the elements. They'd need to be power washed out and media blasted prior to reuse.

PC7060

The units in the picture are steam radiators. Do you have steam or hot water?

EdTheHeaterMan

PC7060 said:

The units in the picture are steam radiators. Do you have steam or hot water?

From his previous posts, there is a steam boiler somewhere in the picture. If there is more than one property, I can't say if all are steamers.

The reason those radiators will not work on a Water systems is the top of each section is not connected, like the one wall hung radiator in the foreground of the first pic.

guzzinerd

I have a steam system.  I see new cast radiators in the $100-$200 range, would it still be worth restoring one of these instead?

EdTheHeaterMan

I personally have installed used radiators in homes where old water radiators have failed (from a freeze up) and have been successful. There was a plumber in Ocean City NJ who would keep old radiators he removed from old houses. He stored them outside at his workshop. He sold them for $2.00 per section. He also guaranteed that. they would not leak. If you got a leaker he would refund or let you swap. Leakers were then scrapped for cast iron value at the scrap metal recycler. All the competitors and supply houses knew about this little side business of his.

So a used radiator is just fine. Some would be sandblasted and refinished, other just wire brush and Rustoleum. The choice is yours.

ethicalpaul

Depending on your city there may be enough of them appearing in Craigslist every week from gut renovations that you don't have to resort to ones that have been sitting outside for some years.

That's where I've gotten mine, look for $50-$100 each

EBEBRATT-Ed

It's worth it if you have the time to do some work. Only you can decide that. Plus the labor to muscle them around