Replacing Cast Iron Radiator in Top Floor Block: Thermostatic Valve & No-Drain Solutions

Question

Hello, I have an old cast iron radiator in a block of large panels on the top floor. I have a valve with a thermostatic head at the entrance to the radiator, while there is no valve at the outlet. Is there a replacement of such a radiator without draining the water from the riser or freezing the...

Pan.Kropa · Answer

Water will also flow in through the downstream pipe.

Maku3s · Answer

Even on the top floor where it runs off with little pressure?

Pan.Kropa · Answer

The communicating vessel principle works here and the water will overflow through the bottom pipe.

nuszek · Answer

Not, there is almost the same pressure in the outlet as in the supply. The pump only forces the flow. If it is the last floor, and the risers are not connected by an equalizing system, it is enough to turn off the power and drain in this riser / if there are valves in the basement / and drain the water only from this radiator. Install the valve downstream.

Maku3s · Answer

So I only have freezing left

kierbedz4 · Answer

You must obtain a written consent from the Housing Association to replace the heater. And in it Notes. Due to the heating action, perform the work when the ambient temperature is around 6 degrees Celsius. Order a service in the Cooperative, they will turn off the pump for some time and from this riser they will drain the water one floor below and do the job. In addition, you must report to the company that reads the allocators for reading and reassembly on a new radiator. Replacing the radiator costs about PLN 180.

Grzegorz740 · Answer

For what purpose do you want to replace the cast iron radiator? I have such heaters installed and I am not complaining. And it never occurred to me to change the radiators.

Such replacements are rather made after the heating season, when there is no water in the system, and not during.

It is not known where the central heating valves in the block are really located. Because they may be in a room inaccessible to tenants. It happens differently.

kierbedz4 · Answer

In radiators, regardless of the season, the water is circulating all the time, only the pumps are turned off. Valves can also be installed in some tenants 'basements and only plumbers from the Cooperative can determine in which tenants' basement there are valves from the riser from which the heater is supplied. People want to improve the aesthetics a bit and replace the radiators with aluminum ones. Before the heating season, we replaced all radiators with aluminum ones in the M5 apartment with the consent of the Cooperative.

Maku3s · Answer

I want to replace the cast iron bathroom with a ladder. I do not need to explain where my aspirations come from.

kierbedz4 · Answer

It was necessary right away. There is no better radiator in the form of a ladder, which is the CALOR radiator, which is probably only available in Castorama. We went through this topic in my son and my apartment. However, it must have parameters such as the heating power to correspond to a removable ribbed radiator. My proposal is the Carmen + 40A radiator for PLN 374. catalog number 503032. Due to its design, the towel rail radiators have a very high thermal efficiency. Go to the Internet and you will learn about its parameters. This type and size corresponds to the parameters of a ribbed bathroom radiator and is accepted by the Housing Association.

Grzegorz740 · Answer

It depends where and in what cooperative. For example, for me, after the heating season, the water is drained and it is filled before the heating season. I know this from the fact that before the heating season, there is information on the entrance door to the cages that the water will be filled into the central heating system, set the thermostatic heads to 5 and report any leaks to the estate administration. And you can even hear how the system is filled with water. If it were otherwise, there would be no such information.

kierbedz4 · Answer

Before the heating season, with the valves open, only water is topped up and nothing else. If you make modifications in your apartment, which requires draining the water from the heating system, refilling the system is at your expense. Due to the fact that our colleague lives on the top floor, he may hear sounds water replenishment in the installation.

Maku3s · Answer

Hello, I managed to replace this unfortunate radiator by freezing the pipes. The skilled person has installed a thermostatic valve from Comap and an angle shut-off valve on the return. The problem is that when I turn off both valves (to and from the radiator), even though the radiator gets cold, I can't drain the water for a moment to take it off and finish it before the wall. I don't know why the pressure is still there, even though several liters have passed. Please help

ta_tar · Answer

I suspect that you turn off the top valve only with the thermostatic head. If so, there are heads which, for the safety of the radiators, do not completely close the water flow. You need to turn off the inflow another way.

Maku3s · Answer

But these are new inlet and return valves so how can they not have a complete flow stop?

ta_tar · Answer

And they can have frost protection. Are you sure they're closing all the way?

Maku3s · Answer

I took off the thermostatic cap and even put a coin under it so that the spire was pressed down. The radiator cools down, even when I pressed the needles with a special screw plug.

ta_tar · Answer

Or maybe a naive question. How did you turn off the return valve. Show some pictures of both valves.

Maku3s · Answer

On the lower valve, I screwed the hexagon socket all the way down, until it hides. So I turned clockwise like a normal screw. However, in the upper valve I put on a carpentry clamp even to push the needles inside as much as possible.

ta_tar · Answer

Well, it should close the water supply and drain. But since you write

Maku3s wrote:
I don't know why the pressure is still there, even though several liters have passed.

then tell me how big this radiator is. Maybe you didn't drain him enough.
By the way. You set up the topic in December 2018 and you have the problem again in December 2019. Was it impossible to do it during the summer?

Maku3s · Answer

Before that, I had a problem with the replacement. Now the problem is after replacement. It is clearly written that there was a professional who changed and froze me. But so much water in an ordinary ladder radiator? Quite small and the pressure after a dozen or so liters is still high.

ta_tar · Answer

You still have a problem with showing this miracle? I think you have a camera phone. Show me, we'll discuss it further.

nuszek · Answer

At the bottom it is screwed with an Allen key, at the top a nut / is usually added to the valve so red / so that the needle is pressed in.
And if it continues to leak after that, the valves you bought are a crap.

ta_tar · Answer

Already the first note. The valve shown in the second photo is incorrectly fitted (downwards, downwards not recommended). The third photo shows nothing to us because we can't see anything. Try to drain the water again by unscrewing the flare nut on the return valve with the valve closed and with the upper valve closed. Maybe wait for some more water. Maybe the pressure goes down when you drain. Watch the water flow.

Maku3s · Answer

Unfortunately, it is still not possible to get the trash. The water ran over the bucket and continued. The fan who froze my pipes is not going to come fix it.

Replacing Cast Iron Radiator in Top Floor Block: Thermostatic Valve & No-Drain Solutions

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