Advice to remove a radiator

Alice Woodworth

I have a 98 year old home with an original brick boiler for hot water (not steam) heat. I am working on some bathroom repairs on the second and third (top) floors and would like to discontinue the radiator in that room, while maintaining the general system. There is also an overflow tank on the third floor that appears to be holding some water. I am fearful of just draining all the water out of the system and having leaks begin - plus I have no idea how to drain the system adequately. I have heard that there is mercury in the end of the line whihc was used as some sort of a plug and that the water is supplied from the city line and is under constant pressure (in our area that is around 75 psi) I need some solid advice.

Steamhead

You need a good hot-water man

who understands that old gravity system. This was one of the simplest systems ever invented, but in order to successfully modify it you have to understand how it works.

Some of these systems used mercury-filled devices to maintain a slight pressure on the water so it could handle higher temperatures, which made smaller radiators possible. We do the same thing today with a closed expansion tank in the basement.

I doubt your system is under city pressure. There's probably a pipe with a valve in it supplying the system, and the valve is only opened when you need to add water.

I'd think twice about "discontinuing" your bathroom radiators. If the present radiators are too bulky, you can probably find slimmer ones that can deliver the same amount of heat. Then you won't have to worry about causing circulation problems.

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