Steam radiator repair

PAUL RANCOURT

DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE IN THE NORTHEAST THAT REPAIRS OLDER STEAM RADIATORS. HAVE TWENTY RADIATORS THAT NEED NEW PUSH NIPPLES.

DanHolohan

Here you go

Radiators

It pays to wander off the Wall.

Jamie Hall

drip drip...

I have had rather good success (so far!) with figuring out where the leak is -- almost always between sections -- and prying the offending sections apart (gently -- cast iron can crack), then cleaning everything very thoroughly (you want to get down to bare metal). You will probably find that the push nipples are eroded to zilch on the bottom. You can get new nipples (right) but so long as they are structurally sound you don't really need to. What I have done -- and it has worked -- is to use the red RTV automotive sealant to form a new gasket between the sections. Then pull the sections back together (do NOT use the rods for this -- they aren't strong enough). So far, so good...

Neider

Radiator Push Nipples?

Hello, I have a freind assembling a radiatoer, and he asked me to ask all you good folks wheather he should be lubing the push nipples before assembly? (His thought was, it will leak unless he puts some gunk on it -like plumbers puddy). I guess he'd seen a radiator assembled with push nipples before, and his comment was that the person assembling the radiator soaked the push nipples in some kind of solution first.

Overall, I think he's looking for any advice on assembling with push nipples.


Thanks.
-Nat

brucewo1b

Nathaniel

They make a product for that but I would use High Temp RTV siiicone caulk just gives that extra bit of security.

Jamie Hall

indeed

You could use a light oil, I suppose, on the nipples -- but if they are really clean, and the radiator sections are clean, you don't need it. But do use the RTV -- NOT on the nipples, however!!! Put a small bead between the section faces.