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Leaky Steam Raditor

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Manny7
Manny7 Member Posts: 16
in Strictly Steam
Any advice how to temporarily fix leaky seam radiator by the joint between the radiator and valve. Is soldering the only option? Thanks in advance for any advice.

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  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,737
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    Soldering wouldn't be on the list at all. Need pictures to see where the leak is to be able to answer.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • Manny7
    Manny7 Member Posts: 16
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    Thanks KC_Jones. Understood. Will post post pics this evening.
  • Manny7
    Manny7 Member Posts: 16
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    Please find attached pics showing with the water is leaking.
  • mroberts5
    mroberts5 Member Posts: 76
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    Get a big wrench and tighten the union nut. Even better, with system off, disconnect nut, clean the union sealing surfaces then reattach..tightly.
    Manny7
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    That leak comes from a union joint, between the valve and the radiator connection, known as the spud.
    If you have some pipe wrenches, you can try to reseat the Union, by loosening slightly, and retightening while rocking the radiator.
    Wrenches of 18 to 24 inches will be needed.—NBC
    Manny7ethicalpaul
  • Manny7
    Manny7 Member Posts: 16
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    Thank you mroberts5 and NBC.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    Our pleasure to be helpful, and please let us know how the repair turned out.—NBC
    ethicalpaul
  • retiredguy
    retiredguy Member Posts: 904
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    I have had good results by cleaning the mating surfaces with a very fine steel wool (000 or 0000), and not sand paper, and adding a thin coat of silicone sealant that you can buy in a tube at a hardware store or auto parts. Then see if you can find anyone that has an 18" or 24" crescent wrench you could borrow to tighten the union nut. If you have to use a pipe wrench, keep the jaws loose so as not to distort or bend the nut.
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 4,845
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    Open it, lightly sand and Never Seize the mating surfaces and threads.
  • Manny7
    Manny7 Member Posts: 16
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    Thanks for the additional tips retiredguy and pecmsg.
  • Manny7
    Manny7 Member Posts: 16
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    Hello folks, So i was finally able to borrow the correct wrench and following the advice on this thread. It did not fix the leak. I am going to try again, failing that would the next option be to replace the valve? Thanks
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    When you take the Union nut off again, feel the mating surfaces to see if any foreign matter, or scratches/gouges are on them, as the seal is metal face to metal face, with only a bit of dish washing soap for lubrication.
    Is the valve fully open?—nbc
  • Manny7
    Manny7 Member Posts: 16
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    Hi nbc, will do. The valve is fully open when the system is on. I closed it when working to try and fix the leak.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,283
    edited February 2020
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    nicholas bonham-carter said:

    When you take the Union nut off again, feel the mating surfaces to see if any foreign matter, or scratches/gouges are on them, as the seal is metal face to metal face, with only a bit of dish washing soap for lubrication.
    Is the valve fully open?—nbc

    Plus, when you go to mate the spud and the valve halves of the union again, make sure that the horizontal and vertical and angular alignment of the two pieces are as close to perfect as you can make them. Unions aren't meant to take up misalignment in any direction. Don't use torqueing the nut to try to pull the halves together! Generally they should make up by turning the nut on hand tight, and then should need no more than a quarter to half a turn on the nut to seal up. If not, it suggests that the parts or misaligned or the sealing faces are damaged.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    ethicalpaul

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