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New Steam Valve will not connect to Old Radiator tail piece

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barnic
barnic Member Posts: 17
in Strictly Steam

Hello,

We are going through a kitchen remodeling project and the old steam valve with handle was disposed of during the demo. The new valve will not connect to the union nut on the tailpiece in the radiator. Are these not standard, or is there something else we should be looking at? Plumber could not remove the tailpiece with a spud wrench (a piece inside broke). 1 1/4" Pipe Size. I am assuming the new valve was bought from supplyhouse.com.

Thanks

Valve Tailpiece.png

Comments

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 8,819

    They are not standard. You have to install the one that came with the new valve. You can search youtube for videos, or this forum for written instructions about how to remove the spud from the radiator. You basically carefully cut it and chisel it out. It's not as bad as it sounds. Don't cut into the threads. You've been warned!

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,396
    edited 4:49PM

    You remove the old spud using a pipe wrench.

    You cut the nut off and then you can get a pipe wrench directly on it.

    The spud wrench is only used for installing new spuds, it'll break on old ones.

    The new valve should have come with a new matched spud. There is no standard.

    I like the digital calipers though…………. Nice choice.

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,842
    edited 5:53PM

    if you jam a rod or pipe or something nearly the same od as the id of the spud in to the old spud it will lessen the likelihood of the spud collapsing and increase the chances of it just unscrewing with the pipe wrench vs having to cut it out in pieces.

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,396
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1893905#Comment_1893905

    You mean something the same OD as the ID of the spud, I think?

    Do they often crush? You're not grabbing it right by the radiator.

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,842
    edited 6:03PM

    Depends on how stuck it is. You can get a lot more torque on it if you have something solid in the middle of it

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