New Radiator Stinks

John_101

Apparnetly there is an oil in and on them plus the pipe dope. It is supposed to be cleaned off before it goes in. My burned off eventually.

Brian_51

My New Radiator Stinks

I have one pipe steam heating in my house. I recently installed a small, replacement radiator in a room that was missing its original radiator. I painted it with silver, heat resistent paint before installation. Unfortunately, everytime it heats up, it stinks. I was initially under the impression that it was the result of the fresh paint and that the smell would go away after it heated up a bunch of times. However, the smell still exists (although it is slightly less offensive than a few weeks ago). Could it possibly be the pipe compound I used when attaching the new valve to the raadiator and pipe. I had been using just teflon tape for all caps and connections but someone told me I should use pipe compound as well. Was this a mistake? Will the smell eventually go away? My biggest concern is that the new radiator is in my new baby's room and that the smell is potentiually hazardous. Basically, I have been keeping the radiator off when she is asleep - the trade off being that the room stays pretty cold.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

DanHolohan

Google

"Paint VOC" and then look closely at the paint that you used. Could be a problem.

Ken_40

The idea of using tape and dope...

Is not new. But it is uneccesary, and a chemical soup created with unknown characteristics. Teflon alone is the sure bet. Dope with oils is potentially problematic. Not so much for the odors relesaed over the lengthy dry-out period, but because the oils leach back into the steam side of the rad, creating a "contaminant" when it slowly passes back into the boiler.

Use a short hose smaller than a garden variety, as large as a straw and do "selective" sniffing. The scent is one of the following:

1. Maybe from your aluminum paint (some paints are based on fish oils).

2. Maybe from the inside of the rad - which would emminate from the vent.

3. From the paste dope (certainly NOT the teflon tape).

4. NEVER us dope on the vent threads.

What do you suspect most?

Brad White_9

Brian does not smell exactly like a rose you know!

I try. I do my best. Abused, neglected, painted in colours that would make a harlot blush. And now he says I smell badly... sniff...

Some days are better than others and now this...

The Radiator.

scott w.

stinky hot paint

Brian

Before last years heating season i thought I would spruce up the ole hot water pipes in the basement that connect the cast iron rads. I also painted one small rad on the third floor bath. I used the silver high heat resistance paint. I had paint stink in the basement and third floor bath for quite a while during the heating season. It eventually will go away in a few months.

SH