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Remove section(s) from American Radiator Co. units

I have two American Radiator Co. units and would like to attempt to shorten one or both of them (one has a cracked section, the other too large for my buttoned up house). I looked at the advice in forum not sure if/how to apply to my units. The first one has two squarish knobs at the top of each section which rest against the knobs on the adjoining section, plus two rods tying all the sections together. The bottoms of each section are joined with nipples, but no rods. The section on appears to have nipples at both the top and bottom, but no rods.

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,376

    Don't even think about taking them apart. They're assembled with right-and-left-hand threaded nipples, which will be impossible to get apart after over 100 years of service. We've tried, they just end up breaking.

    Where is the one radiator leaking?

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    ttekushan_3
  • AdmiralYoda
    AdmiralYoda Member Posts: 683

    I agree…these types of radiators are not going to come apart successfully. Give us some details on the cracked section, if may be repairable.

    And you can make a radiator "feel" smaller by putting the smallest vent you can install on it, putting a blanket on top, or putting it in an enclosure.

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,839

    Or, if your system is two pipe, just partly closing the inlet valve…

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • mdmhh256
    mdmhh256 Member Posts: 27

    i can see if i can markup a photo to indicate where. Kind of a hard to reach area (inside between 2 sections) and I have tried cleaning it off and applying JB Weld - helped some but not completely.

    that said, i may have a lead on a replacement that is smaller so that could address the leak and one of the too large units.

    I am in talks to have my boiler replaced and hope to have this resolved before then.

  • mdmhh256
    mdmhh256 Member Posts: 27

    Forgot to add…. 1 pipe system.

  • AdmiralYoda
    AdmiralYoda Member Posts: 683

    Those are some beautiful radiators…if you decide to part with them there are many on here that would like to offer them a new home 😎

  • Lots of good advice on repairing the leaking radiator, as others have said, it depends on how it is assembled.

    However, the oversized radiator, has an easier solution as long as the physical size is not a problem. I have remedied this problem many times using a Danfoss 013G0140 Thermostatic Rad Valve w/ Vac Breaker. This is a temperature controlled valve which will control the amount of air exiting the radiator. This controls the amount of steam entering the radiator. When the room reaches a preset temperature, the valve will restrict the amount of steam entering the radiator, maintaining a set temperature.

    The one complaint I received using this type of valve. Even though the room maintained the set temperature. The tenant felt the radiator was not working correctly because only half of the radiator would heat up.

    Onyxiattekushan_3
  • mdmhh256
    mdmhh256 Member Posts: 27

    Thanks for the tip on the Danfoss Valve. Related, I wonder if putting a slower vent on a big radiator will increase time it takes for pressure to build and delay pressuretrol cut-in ? If yes, then maybe the thermostatic valve would be a better solution than a smaller vent ?

  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,807

    it Takes specially made tools to get them apart and reassembled. Plus probably need new R/L nipples and paper gaskets. There is a company in England that takes them apart, fully cleans them and reassembles. Fully tested and will even oil rub bronze them. Short of that, there was a company in Canada that did some types of restos, not sure if they were set up to do American rococos.

  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,807
    edited September 26

    here is the company in Canada who dismantles, cleans, assembles and finishes. Ecorad in Quebec. Here is a video of process. Includes pulling R/L nipples.


    Just FYI

    Gounthar FrankfurtethicalpaulGeosman
  • ECORAD_USA
    ECORAD_USA Member Posts: 1

    Hi mdmhh256, you can contact us, ecoradinc.com that's what we do.

    All types of cast iron radiators we can resize.

    Charlie from wmass
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,372

    I currently have a long-term project radiator that I am attempting to shorten. I do not see it being feasible to do it for consumer because I do not have the tools to properly assemble and disassemble the radiator like they did at the factory. I find it interesting that the original paperwork about these radiators touted how great they were for disassembly and reassembly. As Jamie said the radiator with the draw rods can be separated and new push nipples can be machined if the push nipples are leaking.

    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 6,660

    No, I don't think so. A slower vent on any radiator will increase the time for the radiator to fill with steam which will tend to make pressure in the system build faster, all else equal.

    You can take this to its logical conclusion by imagining replacing all radiator vents with plugs…the equivalent of putting the very slowest vents on…

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

    ttekushan_3
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,315

    The one radiator appears to only have rods at the top where there's no connections.

    I believe Steamhead is correct on both radiators, there's no push nipples there.

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

    mattmia2
  • SKYPAINTER
    SKYPAINTER Member Posts: 9
    edited September 27

    Yeh, what they said, lol. Save yourself the aggravation, Burnham aka. US Boiler Co. Lancaster, PA sells these same rads to this day, go to their website

    https://www.usboiler.net/product/classic-cast-iron-radiator.html

    garretjh
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,372

    @ECORAD_USA I remember meeting you up on the turnpike with a truck load of radiators heading to Rocky Hill.

    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,807

    I like restored American radiator rococcos better than us boiler marginal rococco and will be cheaper to restore.

    acavan
  • Haloyloy770
    Haloyloy770 Member Posts: 20
    edited September 27

    the top radiator looks to be a “steam only” radiator, and should have push nipples on the bottom, you can tell because the top of the sections don’t connect like the bottom (although with that air vent facing down you won’t get much steam 😉)

    The bottom radiator looks like it could be used for both water and steam, and I believe thous has the “thread on nipples)