Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Radiator Removal

We recently purchased a property in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The home has steam heating, but we are converting to forced air. The home is from either 1915 or 1922, radiators are original. Would like to sell them if possible, but they are still in place. They would need to be removed from the property. Also scrapping the old boiler and piping. Pics show the types in the house, I do not have a count yet.



Comments

  • 1Matthias
    1Matthias Member Posts: 148
    Don't do it! Properly balanced and maintained, steam heat is *so* much better than forced air. I've lived with both, and can honestly say that I would never live in another house with forced air again, at least without immediately ripping it out and installing steam or hot water heat. Invest in your own comfort, and restore the existing system, instead of ripping it out and installing an expensive, inferior replacement.
    luketheplumber
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Why would you do that? You will never know the comfort of steam. What a shame.
    luketheplumber
  • ScottSecor
    ScottSecor Member Posts: 849
    Not sure about your area, but here in NJ you would have to pay a pretty penny to remove the old radiators, boiler and piping. I know we don't discuss pricing here on the wall, but I would guess you are looking at thousands. Not that simple to disconnect and remove 800lb radiators while protecting those shiny floors and detailed molding.
    delta T
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    Not to mention the expense to properly repair all the holes left by the old piping. That could go way up as well, I am pretty sure people never factor that in or just do garbage repairs. Restoration work like that is never cheap.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    luketheplumber
  • brandonf
    brandonf Member Posts: 205
    Dude. Call Gerry Gill. Then get a Unico system for A/C. Steam is awesome. Keep it.
    Homeowner, Entrepreneur, Mechanic, Electrician,

    "The toes you step on today are connected to the butt you'll have to kiss tomorrow". ---Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
    1MatthiasKC_Jonesdelta T
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    You will have to punch a lot of holes in the floor to compensate for the size of windows you have. Forced air will barely heat the place without a lot of air flow.
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/g-w-gill-plumbing-and-heating

    Call Gerry and don't look back!

    7601 First Place, Suite A-2
    Oakwood Village, OH 44146

    https://www.gwgillplumbingandheating.com/

    Gerry Gill
    Email
    Phone 440-252-7120 or 440-439-4417
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,160
    I think we lost our OP -- "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts..."
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    JohnNY
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542

    I think we lost our OP -- "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts..."

    LOL, I suspect he/she is lurking in the background, probably questioning his decision. I hope he changes his mind for the sake of his family's comfort.
    1Matthias
  • delta T
    delta T Member Posts: 884
    What a shame, looks to be in excellent shape (at least what we can see of it).
    1Matthias
  • LJPurvis
    LJPurvis Member Posts: 17
    I could not agree more with EVERY response to this post. We use geothermal and the same type of radiators and we love it. Further, we have a neighbor that had decided to do the same thing you are talking about. They regret it...BIG TIME. They now suffer from higher heating bills with the benefit of having cold spots and hot spots in the house.
    They only removed the radiators because they didn't like the looks of them and now they are very sorry.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Anyone else notice the picture on the original post has been changed?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Amen to all who commented above. Will be the biggest regret of your renovation project
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    I'm pretty sure the OP didn't like the things we said and went ahead with the tear out. If so I feel sorry for them and the false bill of goods they were sold.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    I'm horrified by this post.

    Horrified.


    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    KC_Jonesluketheplumber
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 1,880
    It is a shame. I am currently talking my niece into not removing her steam heating system in her beautiful 1912 house.
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    JohnNY said:

    I'm horrified by this post.

    Horrified.


    I would love to know what happened with this place. Those pictures show a gorgeous house that should be preserved, heating system included.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15