Very old Radiator Leaking

[DanaRunkle]

I just bought an old farmhouse and there's a small very old, very rusty radiator in the small mud room off the kitchen. The dogs banged into it while playing and moved it, now it seems to be leaking.

It's a very slow leak, and I think it is leaking from a joint going into the radiator. I turned off the radiator and then found the handle further down the pipe in the basement to turn off the water. I thought I turned off the water, but it is still leaking.

Is there anything I can do to repair the joint while it still has that slow leak? Any recommendations on best way to repair the joint?

Thanks.

[HayZee518]

water ??? old radiators are steam. they have a valve with a built in union for connecting to the steam system. shut off the valve and use a 24 inch pipe wrench to break the union loose. unscrew the gland and move the radiator out of the way. clean off both surfaces of the union with 00 steel wool. lubricate the threads of the union with vaseline and re-assemble the radiator/valve joint. the vaseline makes it easier to draw the joint up tight! the union joint is a machined surface, which, when made up tight forms a leak proof joint.

[DanaRunkle]

yes water, and I think it is coming from the pipe that leads into the radiator, not the radiator itself though, although it seems to be pooling under a leg of the radiator. But thanks so much for the advice I'll give it a try. The furnace is off since it is summer, so there's no heat to turn the water in the system to steam.

[MichaelStoner]

Be Careful

Dana,

I normally don't respond to these types of things but I want to make sure you don't create a huge disaster for yourself.

The approach that HayZee provided is basically correct BUT be careful. Not all radiators are steam! I have a hot water system in my house (built 1915) which means all the radiators are filled with water. I had one break and dumped 100+ gallons from my system down through 2 stories of my home.

A couple of ways to tell (I think...I am not a professional here). I think steam heat only has one inlet on the radiator. If you have an inlet and an outlet, then you probably have water in the pipes. The other way to tell is if on the boiler you have a circulator pump, you have water as this is required to keep the pipes from freezing when the system is not active (I think).

The point is....don't loosen that union until you are certain it is steam otherwise you may dump gallons of water all over your house. If it is water, your system will have a valve to drain it.....which you should do before working on the leak.

That's my 2 cents....feel free to refund.

[MichaelStoner]

Oh....and one more thing. If it is a water system, that leak won't stop until the entire system is drained. i.e. any radiators in your house that are above it will cause the water to drain out of the system through that radiator (which could be a lot of water). As well, that will create air gaps in your upper radiators which will not allow them to heat properly and will have to be bled once the leak is resolved. So even though it is summer, to prevent all that water damage, you should take care of it soon.

That was one more cent for good measure...now you have my 3 cents.