JB Weld repair of steam radiator crack
So my friend's high indoor humidity problem turned out to be the result of a 5" crack along the top seam of one radiator section. I found a previous thread where someone got 6 years out of a JB Weld repair of a steam radiator crack, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Here's the previous thread.
And here's my friend's radiator crack, after cleaning the paint and rust off. The crack continues down the back side of the rad for another 1-2 inches.
After thorough paint and rust removal followed by acetone wipes, I slathered JB Weld on it to a thickness of 1/4" to 1/2", then applied a layer of nonstick baker's parchment paper so I could do a final smoothing/shaping by hand (not shown).
Although the rest of the radiator is still rusty/crappy, all areas under the JB Weld are super clean. So I'm hoping for the best. Letting it cure 24 hours with the radiator valve off before letting it see steam tomorrow afternoon.
(Radiator is normally hidden under a shelf, so looks aren't important, but the JB Weld will be smoother than shown under the parchment paper.)
Comments
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Guess you found why the windows were fogging up. Seems like a strange place for a crack on a steam rad.
Hope the JB weld holds.
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In the area you show, the repair usually works. I would have applied it much thinner,to better permit some movement and expansion. I would have also drilled a 1/16" hole at each end of the crack to keep it from running.
Good luck.
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OK, thank you both Eds! I didn't know whether thinner or thicker was better, so I erred on the thicker side.
Good idea about drilling holes at each end. I couldn't access the backside of the crack, so that would have been difficult.
Ultimately this is the landlord's problem. I was just trying to save my friend the hassle of having a plumber spending half a day in his shop replacing the radiator. Hopefully it buys him a few more years.
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If they run the pressure low it will probably last a while. Looks like you did a good job cleaning it up.
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Thanks, I do a lot of wood gluing and painting, and surface prep is the key to success there.
Would be interesting to know what pressure this system runs at. Probably too high judging from some of the problems posted here.
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Two Eds are better than one.
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The boiler has run several cycles today and the radiator is dry, so I think we can declare victory. Only question is how long it lasts. The guy in the post I linked to above got 6 years out of his JB Weld patch. We'll see how long this one lasts.
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Thanks for this thread. Can JB Weld or JB WaterWeld be used with any reliability to repair pinhole cracks in 1) domestic water pipes 2) pipes in a hydronic heating system, so pressurized at maybe 15 psi, and 3) for cracks in boilers themselves? The stuff makes great promises.
Related to #2, I just replaced a sweat to threaded adapter on hydronic heat supply pipe that had a small leak out of where the two fittings thread together (at great effort, it was an Odyssey, plumber didn’t want to go near it for reasons of unsoldering near manifold, etc.).Would JB Weld or WaterWeld crammed into the seam have given me a few more years? What about faulty soldered joints in general? Just cram the stuff on? A band-aid, yes, but how good a band-aid? I know a pro would prefer not to do such an ugly solution, but would it work for a few years (and then you apply it again)?
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it will stop the current leak but usually a pinhole is the result of the material eroding so the hole will grow bigger around the epoxy and start leaking again
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Hi @mattmia2, that makes sense.
Now, on the other hand a leak due to a faulty soldered joint is just due to solder not having gone where it should, or not setting right due to burnt flux, or whatever, which is not a corrosion thing and shouldn't grow, so I'm thinking JB Weld might be a near-permanent fix, although ugly and unprofessional?
Also, what about boiler leaks? Could I have gone another few years if I my recent leak was accessible and I gobbed on a bunch of JB like the original poster here did with his radiator? (Of course eventually I'd have to replace the thing.)
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depends on where the boiler leak is, has to be someplace where the epoxy won't burn or melt off.
repairing a solder joint that didn't wet is unlikely, it moves a bit and it will tend to crack solder or epoxy that is just on the edge between the fitting and the pipe. the seal needs to be down between the 2 pieces of metal to resist pressure and movement. when 50/50 solder was first banned for potable water there was a system to glue the fittings together with epoxy instead of soldering them. it will work when it is bonded between the surface of the 2 pieces of metal.
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I'd embed a piece of aluminum window screen or two into the epoxy. I repaired my car exhaust that way a few years ago and it is still holding. I used the high heat JB Weld of course, which is probably not as strong.
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@Captain Who that sounds like a good method. I used a slitted Coke can and two hose clamps on my exhaust once, probably not the best idea. 🙃
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on a radiator the crack is less likely to be due to corrosion so the chance of it lasting is better. on a boiler or a pipe it is likely to be from corrosion.
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