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.

Guidance needed for removing Hydronic Radiator

We are new owners of a house built in 1900. We're remodeling the bathroom on the second floor, and need to remove the radiator (both for finishing demo/rebuilding and to have the radiator sandblasted and powder coated). After much googling, this radiator doesn't line up with anything I've found. I was directed here in hopes you can help me identify what's what on this rad. There are pictures here:
http://imgur.com/gallery/nOJ9x95

Any insight as to how to deal with this are appreciated!

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,168
    Those are unions connecting the valve at the top and the elbow at the bottom to the radiator itself. Undo them and the pipes should just pull free of the radiator. Or the radiator free of the pipes, more likely.

    It's also bolted to the wall. May I humbly suggest supporting it on something so it can't drop or tip forward unexpectedly? That puppy is heavy.

    Also... I can see why you're working on it.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Raven1025
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    Is this steam or hot water?

    In any event if you want a new valve for the top, I would work on getting the spud out of the radiator before refinishing.
    A new valve requires and comes with a new spud.
    You cannot reuse the old spud.
    Raven1025
  • It looks like a hot water system, and if so, you will need to drain the system to a level below the bottom of this rad.
    Look for a fill valve near the boiler, and close that off as well.
    We can also help with the selection of a new valve, if needed.
    If you post some photos of the boiler and its piping, we can mark the fill valve.—NBC
    Raven1025
  • Raven1025
    Raven1025 Member Posts: 6
    Thank you, this is already helpful! Bear with me, since I'm a total n00b when it comes to radiators. The spud is at the top of the vertical pipe on the left, correct?

    I had wondered about the weird bolts holding it up. I just noticed there is one support for it at the right end. (I'm including photos, but the location of the piece makes it hard to get clear ones) Would there simply have been more of these holding it up? Or would there have been other fittings to support it?

    I'll get photos of the boiler, and share those.
  • Raven1025
    Raven1025 Member Posts: 6
    Just realized in my excitement to go get boiler pictures, I didn't include the above mentioned support pictures. Here they are:
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    The air bleeder on the top implies hot water.....but you see everything here......if steam it would have hammered a lot from the sagging right end.

    The two bolts are trying to hold the RH end up and I would think the left is hanging on the pipes.
    This is much heavier than you imagine.
    I would seriously block it up underneath, just loosen the unions first, then remove the 2 bolts, disconnect the unions.
    You don't want to put more weight on the pipes.
    Stand it on the floor then lay it down.

    That is when you would then remove the old spud, the part with the union nut that is screwed into the radiator at the top.
    You want to preserve the lower spud in place, as it will probably not be replaced.
    This needs at least 2 heavy duty sets of muscles.
    Raven1025
  • Raven1025
    Raven1025 Member Posts: 6
    Here is the boiler and a cropped photo of what I think is the fill valve, so you can correct me if I'm wrong!
  • Raven1025
    Raven1025 Member Posts: 6
    > @JUGHNE said:
    > The air bleeder on the top implies hot water.....but you see everything here......if steam it would have hammered a lot from the sagging right end.
    >
    > The two bolts are trying to hold the RH end up and I would think the left is hanging on the pipes.
    > This is much heavier than you imagine.
    > I would seriously block it up underneath, just loosen the unions first, then remove the 2 bolts, disconnect the unions.
    > You don't want to put more weight on the pipes.
    > Stand it on the floor then lay it down.
    >
    > That is when you would then remove the old spud, the part with the union nut that is screwed into the radiator at the top.
    > You want to preserve the lower spud in place, as it will probably not be replaced.
    > This needs at least 2 heavy duty sets of muscles.

    Believe me, I'm imaging it's awfully heavy. I'm amazed it's still on the wall! Especially since the wall is pretty much held together by the paneling in the background and the wallpaper above it.

    When we reinstall it, how should it be supported? More of the wall supports like the one in the photos? Or is there some sort of stand or feet I should look for? I'd like to keep some of the historical integrity, but also want the system to be safe and functional.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    Your cropped picture is the auto pressure reducing valve...PRV....just above is a new looking ball valve. A quarter turn lever should shut off the supply to the boiler. Is it already off...lever handle perpendicular to the pipe?
    There is a boiler drain just under the pump. You should not have to drain the entire system, just get the water below that rad.
    When no more water drips from the bottom union you are low enough, I would drain a little more after that as a precaution.

    There were wall hangers for that type of rad. They were wall brackets and the bolts/clamps were adjustable for height. They would hold the rad out away from the wall. Maybe the wall was built out from previous remodeling and not reused.
    Someone here may have pictures. Sometimes that type of hardware is stored maybe in the basement

    .........
    I now see your support brackets, after removing the rad you should be able to figure them out.

    I don't see an expansion tank near the boiler, is it off to the right with that smaller copper line connected to it?
    delta T
  • Raven1025
    Raven1025 Member Posts: 6
    Here are other pictures I took, in case more detail was needed. I don't know if they're helpful to identify parts, I tried to get closer shots of anything that seemed relevant. To the right is the hot water heater, which seems to be connected.
  • Rich_49
    Rich_49 Member Posts: 2,766
    You didn't get what you didn't pay for and it will never be what you thought it would .
    Langans Plumbing & Heating LLC
    732-751-1560
    Serving most of New Jersey, Eastern Pa .
    Consultation, Design & Installation anywhere
    Rich McGrath 732-581-3833