We have an old house we are restoring, and we need to buy a couple of hot-water radiators from a local salvage place that has tons of them.
How do I distinguish a steam radiator from a hot-water one, if the little pressure-release valve isn’t on the steam radiator?
And once I’ve identified a hot-water radiator is there anything else I need to look for as far as the placement of the connections? We will be running new pipe to them, so we have flexibility in that respect.
The place does pressure test them before selling them. Are there other concerns?
Thanks,
Dave
Replies
When I was in working HVAC a few years ago we had to buy several old radiators to replace some cracked ones. (I really don't know if there is any difference between a steam rad and a hot water rad) Anyways we pressured tested them and found them working alright UNTILL we hooked them all up and found a couple of them leaked. We put it down to the hot water expanding the metal and opening up the cracks which weren't found when cold. We ended up putting about a quart a special "rad leak" into the system and it plugged every leak and thread dribble in the whole system. There were literally hundreds of threaded conections we had made and some of them initially dribbled.
I would make sure you can get ALL the parts before you start. Depending on what system you use you might not be able to readily get things like left handed threaded pipes,monoflow tee's and a host of other strange stuff.
There are companies that make brand new radiators and I think one of them is in Montreal.
Depending on what system you use (2 pipe, one pipe, monoflow tee etc etc) it might not be easy to add to the system at a later date.
roger
Steam rads are not connected at the top. Hot water rads are and can be used for either steam or water.
The outfit in Montreal sell used ones. Shaeffer Brothers.(sp)
OK, so hot water radiators have 4 places to connect - left top, right top, left bottom and right bottom. Does it matter how you connect them? Should there always be one top and one bottom? I know it's OK to connect both on one end (e.g., left top and left bottom).
Depends on the system. hook them up the way the current ones are.
Ummmm.... I think that should be "hot water radiators CAN be connected at the top". I've actually never seen hot water ones connected at the top. Everyone we have ever had or seen was only connected at the bottom.And I'm not sure why the outlet for steam couldn't be connected at the top.But anyway, the OP should try the heatinghelp.com website and see what they say there.
Nope. I should clarify, the sections are connected.
The sections, now I see. That makes sense. Wouldn't want water from the steam sitting in the top.
"And I'm not sure why the outlet for steam couldn't be connected at the top."Because the condensate would be trapped in the radiator. The condensate has to flow out the bottom port. Of course I'm thinking one pipe steam....Frank DuVal
Post your Q here as well:
http://heatinghelp.com/ at the section called the 'Wall'
dpsours
Hot water rads always have an air vent at the top on one end. You can't use steam rads with water. You will never get the air out of the system.
Ron