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Unusual Radiator Repair By All Steamed Up, Inc.

Gordo
Gordo Member Posts: 856
This radiator had internal tie rods and gasketed sections.



 We had to cut out the 2"  recessed plugs at both ends on the top and the end opposite the inlet at the bottom to get access to the internal tie rods.



New EDPM gaskets were installed between the sections and new tie rods and nuts installed.  The ends were re-plugged with counter-sunk 2" plugs (a bit hard to find).



It held water at 30 psi for 15 minutes. Eventually.
All Steamed Up, Inc.
"Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc

Comments

  • moneypitfeeder
    moneypitfeeder Member Posts: 249
    Glad to see

    That you could salvage the rad. It has beautiful scroll work, and it would be a shame to see it end up in a scrap yard with a plain jane, light weight new replacement in its place. Great job on the "rejuvenation"!
    steam newbie
  • Mark Eatherton
    Mark Eatherton Member Posts: 5,853
    Now THAT is a lost art...

    Where did you find the flush bushings?



    ME
    It's not so much a case of "You got what you paid for", as it is a matter of "You DIDN'T get what you DIDN'T pay for, and you're NOT going to get what you thought you were in the way of comfort". Borrowed from Heatboy.
  • MikeyB
    MikeyB Member Posts: 696
    Plugs

    Check McMaster Carrs Website, page 53, and 54
  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,752
    Re: radiator rebuild

    Pretty cool Gordo, I have not seen any with internal rods. We take bushes and plugs out all the time but we still are wanting to do the american rococco rads. Getting the internal r/l nips out is the challenge. I still am contemplating. Tim
  • There must be

    10,000 threads on The Wall about re-building a radiator and very few showing how it's done.



    Excellent work, Gordo.  I commend your craftsmanship and your patience.



    Alan
    8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour

    Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
  • Jason_13
    Jason_13 Member Posts: 304
    Radiators

    Was this for steam or hot water? I have to assume steam.

    Good work!
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    edited April 2012
    Thanks, ME

    The search for those 2" flush plugs are worthy, I think, of their own separate thread!



    Look for it soon.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    Internal Left Hand/Right Hand Nipples

    for connecting radiator sections are an Infernal Problem! 



    In spite of having custom wrenches made by local machine shops for getting those nipples apart (for rather high $$), we've not had good luck dealing with them and have put that project on the very back burner for now.



    Those radiators pictured  above are the first we've ever seen with internal tie rods, and I thought they would be of interest.



    I'd much rather deal with those radiators any day than the LH/RH nippled ones.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    edited April 2012
    Thanks!

    They were steam.  But I suppose they could be used for hot water.  They had a 1/8" top tapping (not shown) that was plugged.



    The old gasketing material was mainly the substance that dare not speak it's name.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    Thanks, Alan!

    I would say that the usual radiator repair with push nipples is the norm.  My partner Steamhead taught me how to do it.  We have a whole collection of various sizes of push nipples.



    I never really thought it would be of interest to document such a repair.



    The next time we do one with push nipples, I now hope to take pictures and post it.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    The Proud Owner Of These Radiators

    Plans to have them sand blasted and repainted professionally. 



    Whenever we drop off iron scrap to be recycled, we almost always see a meth-head in an old junker of a pick-up dropping off a load of vapor steam radiators to be sent to the Middle Kingdom to be turned into junk to be sold back to us.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    oh THAT

    We call it broccoli.  Or white cardboard among friends :)
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    GRIN! That's a good one!

     but why "broccoli"?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
This discussion has been closed.