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Replacement One Pipe Radiator Valves

Hello All,

Im in the process of gutting my kitchen and have the radiators moved out and found that when I turned on my heat this year, that the old valves no longer shut off completely. They are the orignal valves (1920's) and the rubber disk in the metal cup has pretty much degraded to nothing. The rubber seal is riveted in and looks like it would be a severe chore to replace. I have found the Hoffman 185 series valves and my local plumber has them but as I was perusing the data sheets on the 185 series, they are only suggested for 2-pipe systems and not 1-pipe steam.

http://www.hoffmanspecialty.com/pdf/hs900/HS900-180a.pdf

So, my questions are...

1. Will the 185 valve allow the proper seperation of steam and water in a 1-pipe system or will I have hammer issues?

2. My old valves are all chromed or at least silver colored in some way. Im guessing the chances of finding non-bare-brass valves will be pretty much impossible? I can certainly paint the new ones in some way tho :-0

3. Are there better options than the Hoffman 185 series? My supply pipes range from 1" to 1.5" which eliminates the Hoffman 184 series valves.

Thank you for any suggestions or help. My local plumber was impressed with how well I had the system tuned up and I told him I owed it all to my old copy of 'Ancient Art of SH' and the WALL. :-)

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Look at them again, Jess

    I think you'll find that the "rivet" is actually a special nut that's screwed onto the end of the stem. It's a little different than the usual washer setup because almost all those old valves had "Jenkins discs" which allowed the washer cup to rotate on the stem, which meant far less wear on the washer.

    If the nut is stuck, soak it with penetrating oil. You may have to search for replacement washers, but it's much less work than trying to remove the old valves and tailpieces.

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  • Jess Askey_2
    Jess Askey_2 Member Posts: 2
    Okay, one more question then...

    So, If I do get these valves repaired with a new disc there is one more issue with them that you all might be able to help with. The handles on the valves are either 100% wood or some are like compressed particleboard material. They are just basic ~3" knobs with a nice rounded top. Is my best bet to find these in an old radiator shop out east somewhere? My friend who is a plumbing expert in State College, PA said he had a pile of them but threw them out the day before I saw him. :-(

    I guess I may just want to make some new ones out of some nice maple on in the end however.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Most heating supply houses

    carry these in a "fits-all" pattern, or can get them. As a last resort, some Home Depot stores carry them too.

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    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
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