JB Weld repair of steam radiator crack

jesmed1

So my friend's high indoor humidity problem turned out to be the result of a 5" crack along the top seam of one radiator section. I found a previous thread where someone got 6 years out of a JB Weld repair of a steam radiator crack, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Here's the previous thread.

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/161400/steam-radiator-cracked

And here's my friend's radiator crack, after cleaning the paint and rust off. The crack continues down the back side of the rad for another 1-2 inches.

After thorough paint and rust removal followed by acetone wipes, I slathered JB Weld on it to a thickness of 1/4" to 1/2", then applied a layer of nonstick baker's parchment paper so I could do a final smoothing/shaping by hand (not shown).

Although the rest of the radiator is still rusty/crappy, all areas under the JB Weld are super clean. So I'm hoping for the best. Letting it cure 24 hours with the radiator valve off before letting it see steam tomorrow afternoon.

(Radiator is normally hidden under a shelf, so looks aren't important, but the JB Weld will be smoother than shown under the parchment paper.)

EBEBRATT-Ed

Guess you found why the windows were fogging up. Seems like a strange place for a crack on a steam rad.

Hope the JB weld holds.

Long Beach Ed

In the area you show, the repair usually works. I would have applied it much thinner,to better permit some movement and expansion. I would have also drilled a 1/16" hole at each end of the crack to keep it from running.

Good luck.

jesmed1

OK, thank you both Eds! I didn't know whether thinner or thicker was better, so I erred on the thicker side.

Good idea about drilling holes at each end. I couldn't access the backside of the crack, so that would have been difficult.

Ultimately this is the landlord's problem. I was just trying to save my friend the hassle of having a plumber spending half a day in his shop replacing the radiator. Hopefully it buys him a few more years.

EBEBRATT-Ed

If they run the pressure low it will probably last a while. Looks like you did a good job cleaning it up.

jesmed1

Thanks, I do a lot of wood gluing and painting, and surface prep is the key to success there.

Would be interesting to know what pressure this system runs at. Probably too high judging from some of the problems posted here.

Long Beach Ed

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1831329#Comment_1831329

Two Eds are better than one.

jesmed1

The boiler has run several cycles today and the radiator is dry, so I think we can declare victory. Only question is how long it lasts. The guy in the post I linked to above got 6 years out of his JB Weld patch. We'll see how long this one lasts.