Hello to all! this short post will focus on assembling or disassembling sectional heating radiators. Here we will talk about three types of radiators:
- Aluminum.
- Bimetallic.
- Cast iron.
All of them are sectional and therefore they can be assembled and disassembled. Although some manufacturers specifically change the nipple so that their radiator cannot be disassembled with a regular key. So, I said an incomprehensible word - nipple. Now I will show what it is:
This is an ordinary piece of iron with left-hand threads on one side and right-hand threads on the other. The white ring in the middle is the spacer between the sections. In this case, it is made of silicone, but it can be made of paronite. The diameter of the nipple for aluminum and bimetallic radiators is one inch, but for Soviet cast iron radiators, the nipple is 1¼ inch in diameter. This means that these heaters require different keys. Now let's talk about keys.
You will need a tool to disassemble and assemble the radiator. This "miracle of technology" looks like this:
This is not the only version of this kind of instrument. You can find many design solutions in stores. For example, these are:
Regardless of how the key looks, its task is to unscrew and tighten the nipples. Personally, I have always assembled radiators using the first option of the key. It is desirable that the tool is made of hardened steel. Otherwise, one key will be enough for you only for a few joints, and then it will become unusable and you will have to buy a new one.
In order to build up the radiator, you need a pair of nipples, a pair of gaskets, a key, and preferably an assistant. Twisting radiators alone is an extremely inconvenient task. First, inspect the ends of the sections. The paint layer at the end can be thick and will need to be cleaned with a knife. There should be no sags and irregularities at the end. This mainly applies to Chinese heating appliances, while European ones usually have a thin, even layer of paint that does not require any finishing with a knife.
After finishing the ends, you should see the following picture:
Only no need to use a file to clean the end face! You can damage the planes of the ends and they will cease to compress the gasket.
Now I will show you a brief photo-instruction for assembling / disassembling the radiator. So let's get started:
Place the radiator face up on a table. Then insert the key into it until the joint you want to unscrew. In this figure, the key must be turned in the direction of the ribbing.
Having slightly unscrewed one joint, rearrange the key (to the lower or to the upper) and repeat the operation. At the end, there should be the following result:
Unscrew the nipples to the end and that's it! The radiator is dismantled!
The radiator is assembled in the reverse order. We look at the following photos:
Here the ends of the sections are already cleaned and gaskets are put on the nipples. Move on!
The nipples are twisted alternately. In this case, it is necessary to compress the radiator so that the nipple enters both sections equally. Otherwise, the joint will leak. Then we begin to alternately tighten the joints. You need to do this little by little, moving the key from one joint to another. If you sharply tighten one joint, then the second will not work due to the skew of the nipple. It just won't follow the thread. Everything should be as shown below:
After the sections are closed, you need to stretch the joints with effort. Without this, they will leak. You don't need to exert too much effort, otherwise you can break the key or it will slip in the nipple and you will injure yourself with its handle. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to shoot my own video on assembling and disassembling the radiator, so I have to use someone else's, but as soon as I have the opportunity I will replace it with my own:
For a change, let's see how cast iron radiators are disassembled:
Results of the article.
So what can be said in the end? If you need to remove sections from the radiator, then you need to remember one point - easier to do on a new deviceheating!The nipple in a radiator that has stood for several seasons can stick to it and it will be impossible to disassemble it. But you can add sections without any problems, except for the addition of extra brackets for fixing to the wall. In general, it's easier to do everything at once and then not redo it! That's all, I'm waiting for your questions in the comments!
There are some moments in life when you start thinking about renovating a living space. One of the works that must be performed is dismantling the old equipment of the heating system. At such moments, the question arises of how to disassemble an aluminum heating radiator. Despite the complexity and importance of this undertaking, it is quite easy to dismantle the product if you approach the problem responsibly.
The tool you need to get the job done
First of all, to work, you should find out the exact dimensions of aluminum radiators. To measure them, you will need a construction tape or a special folding rule. Also, if both types of devices are missing, you can use the standard student ruler. It should be noted that most of the rulers are only 30 centimeters long, so you will have to make notes on the radiator (it is better to use a pencil that can be easily washed off the surface).
Each new mark will be the end of the previous measurement and the beginning of a new one. The resulting sizes are added to the true size. Dismantling aluminum radiators requires other tools that are desirable to use for dismantling, namely:
- A complete set of wrenches (socket and ring).
- Radiator wrench.
- Pliers.
- Screwdriver.
Procedure for dismantling old heating equipment
It is worth noting that some equipment manufacturers have their own characteristics that are used in the design. They are not very different, but they can dramatically change the order of work and actions. Disassembling aluminum radiators can be difficult without documentation for the device. Also, it would not hurt to determine the type of radiator.
The second point is to disconnect the radiator from the general heating system. Getting rid of water is a prerequisite. There are several differences in this process, as aluminum bimetallic radiators differ in design. Each of them has a special coupling that attaches the water supply hose to the radiator itself.
Perhaps a cutaway aluminum radiator will help to dismantle it. It can be found in blueprints and sketches. Well, after the coupling moves freely through the pipe, it should be removed from the thread. The removed radiator is placed on a flat surface. This could be the floor of a building or a editing table. Liquid and some dirt may remain inside the radiator.
To prevent the residue from the radiator from falling on the clean surface, cardboard paper or film is installed under it. The heating device is placed facing the installer. In this position, the right-hand thread will be considered on the one hand, and the left-hand thread on the left. This condition is used for a clear example of the execution of actions, therefore in a real situation, after some work performed, the position may be changed.
These features are not very important for an experienced installer, but will become a serious problem for beginners to achieve results. The aluminum radiator Radolit also requires special attention. Its design and details are insignificant, but slightly different from the above model.
After placing the device in the position defined above, a special filter is removed from it. The main task of the installer is to instantly clean it from residues. If this cleaning process is not carried out, there is a possibility that the dirt will harden and the filter that can be used to install new equipment will need to be thrown away and replaced, which is a waste of money and time. At the end of the cleaning, a socket wrench (ring) is taken and the elements connecting the sections of the heating system are unscrewed with smooth unhurried actions.
Perhaps the best option is to use a wrench with a special ratchet to complete the unscrewing process. Upon completion of this stage, the key is replaced by a radiator key. Its design is so simple that, in its absence, it is created with its own hands, using an apparatus for welding metal products. With its help, we dismantle the nipples. The key for disassembling aluminum batteries is placed at the maximum nipple depth.
The turns must be done in an appropriate manner that will leave the threads intact and intact. There are two types of gaskets under the nipples. The silicone ones must be thrown away, and the second gasket must be cleaned of debris, dust or dirt. The moment the device is assembled, the silicone gaskets are replaced with new ones.
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that a small number of modern aluminum radiators are not intended for disassembly. The likelihood of their analysis is high. The efforts that are being made at the moment are maximum. The main thing is that such products cannot be returned to their original form after disassembly. Here you should be careful, and, possibly, consult with a specialist in this matter.
At this stage, the dismantling of the heating system ends. All parts of it are washed, sealant and lubricant are applied to the joints, new gaskets are put, and the mechanism is assembled by analogy with the dismantling process. Only, operations are performed from the last point and gradually move up to the top of the list. For high-quality performance of work, you need to have a certificate of conformity for aluminum radiators.
Some features of cleaning radiators
The main condition for the correct and effective use of the product is its purity. This procedure should be performed every year when the heating season ends. To clean the radiator you may need:
- Steel rope.
- Bronze powder.
- Epoxy resin.
The cable is necessary to perform work on cleaning the damaged area, if any. Epoxy resin and bronze powder are necessary for the preparation of a solution, which is used to putty on damaged surfaces. The user chooses the consistency of the solution himself. The main condition is that the resin does not harden before it is applied to the damaged area of \u200b\u200bthe heating system.
Cleaning from the remains of rust, dirt that enters the system with water, is carried out after disassembly, which is described above.
After reading this manual, there should be no questions left, but if they did appear. You should consult with a professional or entrust him with the performance of this work.
There can be many reasons to disassemble a heating radiator. Perhaps it needs to be cleaned, replaced by a section, shortened (after). To do this, you can call the master and pay him, but is there any point?
Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to do. You can disassemble a heating radiator, aluminum, bimetallic or cast iron, with your own hands.
Radiator design and useful information
Regardless of which radiator you are going to disassemble - aluminum, bimetallic or cast iron, you need to know their internal structure.
All sections of radiators are interconnected by nipple-nuts with external thread. They are screwed in the middle of the sections to the same depth.
The inner part of the nipple nut is not perfectly round, but has projections so that it can be gripped and unscrewed. The thread on it is usually right-handed, but occasionally left-handed.
There are two types of nipple wrenches (see photo). Some have a square handle seat that makes it easier to turn. Others have a hole or ear into which a turning lever is inserted. If you are not going to be engaged in constant disassembly and assembly of radiators, such a key can be rented.
Two nipple wrench options.
If you have a nipple wrench without fasteners handy, use a gas wrench to work with it.
How to disassemble an aluminum heating radiator with your own hands
First of all, you need to prepare the tool. To work, you need an adjustable or open-end wrench of the appropriate size (for couplings, valves, plugs). For disassembly, you need a nipple wrench with a handle. If there is no handle, it can be replaced with a gas wrench.
Before disassembling the radiator, it must of course be removed. To do this, you need to shut off the heating system and wait until the battery cools down (work cannot be performed while the connections are warm).
Valves or couplings are usually installed at the water supply points. Using an adjustable wrench or open-end wrench, unscrew them so that they remain on the pipes and not on the radiator. Remove the radiator from the wall mounts.
In the upper and lower parts from the end there are plugs or. To remove them, a regular wrench will do. Remove them only from one side - left or right. Sometimes the thread direction markings are indicated on the plugs. The left one is marked with the letter "S", the right one - with the letter "D".
Inside the radiator, at the joints of the sections, there is a nipple nut (see photo) with an external thread. Insert the nipple wrench inside so that its head falls into it. Try scrolling it left or right - there are nuts with left and right threads.
This is what a nipple nut looks like for aluminum and bimetallic radiators. When you have determined in which direction the threads are going, back off the nut two full turns. After that, do the same on the other side. This way you can unscrew the nut evenly without disturbing the geometry of the radiator.
How to disassemble a bimetallic heating radiator
Before disassembling a bimetallic radiator, check what metal its core is made of. If the inside of the sections is made of copper, there is a risk of deforming the ends of the horizontal pipes. In the future, this will lead to a violation of the tightness of the radiator.
To avoid damaging the copper core, use two nipple wrenches. As soon as you ripped off the connecting nuts, work them synchronously (see photo). If there is no second key, then turn each side separately no more than one turn.
Simultaneous operation with two nipple wrenches when disassembling a bimetallic radiator. The procedure for disassembling a bimetallic radiator is the same as for an aluminum one:
- Turn off the heating system and wait for the battery to cool completely;
- Remove it from the wall;
- Insert the nipple wrench so that its head fits into the connecting nut;
- Unscrew it as described above.
How to disassemble a cast iron heating radiator
It is much more difficult to disassemble a cast iron battery than an aluminum or bimetallic radiator. As a rule, her age is much older, so all connections are hopelessly stuck, so you have to sweat.
To work, you need the following tool:
- Nipple wrench;
- Gas wrench, preferably with a long handle;
- Bulgarian.
In old houses, cast iron batteries were often welded to pipes. Therefore, you will have to cut off pieces of pipes from all sides, where they are brought to the radiator.
If the pipes have couplings (see photo) or nuts, unscrew them with a gas wrench. It happens so that they are firmly stuck, and paint got into the grooves. In this case, moisten the joints with solvent to remove the paint, and then treat them with a rust converter.
Muvda for connecting a cast iron radiator to heating pipes. Remove the cast iron radiator from the wall fixing hooks and lay on a horizontal surface. Insert the nipple wrench into it so that it reaches the desired nut and try to unscrew it.
The nut can have left and right threads, try to strip it in both directions. If you cannot do this, do not apply excessive force - cast iron is a rather brittle metal, and you run the risk of breaking the thread. Better use a solvent and rust remover.
After the nut begins to loosen, alternately turn it two turns at the top and bottom of the section so that it does not go into bias.
What if the cast iron battery cannot be disassembled?
There are times when the heating system is old and everything is very neglected. One way to separate sections is to warm them up. To do this, warm up the joint with a blowtorch until the alloy acquires a crimson hue and try to rip off the nut. If you succeed in doing this, do not unscrew it, but repeat the procedure on the other side of the sections.
If it is impossible to disassemble a cast-iron radiator in the usual way, you will have to use a grinder.
Do not try to break the joint with a chisel, hammer or sledgehammer. So you run the risk of hopelessly damaging both sections.
Cut the sections so that the grinder's circle is exactly where they join. So you will damage them minimally and in the future this will not affect the quality of battery operation.
The parts of the connecting nut that remain after cutting can be knocked out with a long chisel and a hammer. But this must be done carefully. The process is as follows:
Place the section so that the cut is directed downward and does not rest on anything - it needs a free move.
From the inside of the section, place a chisel on it and tap in a circle so that it comes out evenly. At first, do not make much effort, tap harder each time.
When the nut starts to come out, do not increase the impact forces. Knock it out gradually until it comes out completely.
If the nut cannot be knocked out and it has sat down tightly, there is nothing you can do about it. You will have to drill it and cut a new thread, or try to clean out the old one.
Let's sum up
As you can see, it is not difficult to disassemble an aluminum or bimetallic radiator with your own hands. The main thing is to have a nipple wrench and adhere to the technology.
There may be problems with disassembling a cast iron battery, but they can also be solved. You will have to sweat and work with your hands, but it is more profitable than paying the master.
The need to disassemble the heating battery may arise for various reasons, for example, if the junction of the sections began to leak or a crack appeared on one of the ribs. In most cases, the fixture can be saved by removing a damaged rib or sealing joints. Below we will take a closer look at this operation, which will allow the radiator to return to its original efficiency.
General information
Not so long ago, exclusively cast-iron radiators, however, now the choice of heating devices has expanded significantly, in particular, aluminum and metal batteries have appeared. Moreover, each type of them has its own design features, respectively, the process of disassembling them looks different.
Therefore, below we will consider how to disassemble heating batteries with our own hands of all the most common types.
Advice!
It is not necessary to disassemble the device to remove scale and other contaminants.
There are special liquid formulations that do the job well.
In the photo - a key for radiators
Disassembly
Instruments
Before proceeding with battery disassembly, the following tools must be prepared:
- Battery Disassembly Keys - 1 inch for bimetallic and aluminum fixtures and 5/4 for cast iron.
- Plumbing adjustable wrench;
- Blowtorch;
- Gas wrench.
Cast iron
Regardless of the type of radiator, before disassembling it, it is necessary to shut off the coolant supply, drain all the liquid from it and then dismantle it. As a rule, cast iron radiators are hung on bracket hooks. Therefore, for dismantling, it is enough to disconnect them from the pipeline; for these purposes, you should use a plumbing wrench.
Further work is carried out in the following order:
Advice!
In parallel with the described work, you can correct the number of sections, for example, install additional ones, or vice versa - remove unnecessary ones.
In the case of adding sections, additional brackets must be installed.
This completes the process of disassembling the cast iron battery. Now, you can paint it and install it in place.
Aluminum and bimetallic
Now let's look at how to disassemble an aluminum heating radiator. It should be noted that the information below also applies to bimetallic devices, since they have the same design.
The disassembly process is largely similar, however, there are some nuances:
- Smaller nipples and therefore use different keys.
- Bimetallic and aluminum devices, as a rule, are new products, therefore, significant efforts are not required to break off threaded connections, as is the case with cast iron devices.
- On the face of the plugs there is a designation for right or left threads.
- They are significantly lighter than their cast iron counterparts.
All this greatly simplifies and speeds up the assembly / disassembly process. The only thing is that the work should be done carefully so as not to damage the paint. To do this, before disassembling a bimetallic radiator or an aluminum battery, you need to cover the area with rags.
Note!
Metal spacers are installed between the sections of modern devices.
After disassembly, it is extremely important to clean and wipe them so that they are perfectly smooth, since the tightness of the joints depends on this.
It should be noted that many models of aluminum devices are non-separable. Of course, they can be disassembled, but they will not be able to assemble. Here, in fact, is the entire instruction for assembling and disassembling radiators of various types.
Output
The process of disassembling radiators is quite simple, however, difficulties may arise with cast-iron batteries, due to the "sticking" of parts. But, if you adhere to the recommendations set out above, every home craftsman can cope with the task at hand. The only thing for this is to have all the necessary tools, which are listed above.
You can get additional useful information on the voiced topic from the video in this article.
The term "battery" refers to all sectional heaters of aluminum, steel, bimetallic and cast iron types. Top and bottom nipple-nuts are used to connect individual sections.
Theoretical part
Nipple-nuts are ring-type seals equipped with external threads on both ends of the element. In the inner part there are special grooves for installing a radiator key. By rotating it in one direction or another, it is possible to close or open individual sections.
The heating batteries are disassembled into sections, as a rule, in such cases:
- During the installation of the heating system.
- When the battery is built up with additional sections.
- If the radiator starts to leak.
Bimetallic and aluminum batteries
Before disassembling the aluminum radiator, it is necessary to prepare the necessary devices.
The role of the main tool is assigned to the nipple wrench:
- This is a steel bar with a length of about 70 cm. It is necessary to weld the working part of the 24x40 mm wrench to one of its ends, and to equip the other with a through hole.
- Metal rod. It is inserted into the hole at the end of the bar, which makes it much easier to unwind the nuts.
The key has a series of notches, the pitch between which indicates the width of one section.
List of operations on how to disassemble a heating radiator with your own hands:
- Before disassembling a bimetallic radiator, you need to decide which way to turn the key. For this, the radiator is placed on the floor surface so that its front part is at the top. In this position, the right thread will be on the right, and the left thread on the left.
- There is also an easier way. You need to take the nipple and put it on in turn on the left and right. If the sides are confused, this can result in thread stripping and section breakage.
- On Western-made radiators, the foot and plugs from the front are marked as follows: the left thread is designated as S, the right thread is designated as D.
The order of untwisting the right-side section of the radiator
How to disassemble a right-sided bimetallic heating radiator:
- The key is inserted so that its "blade" goes into the upper hole: there is a special groove for fixing there.
- Further, applying force, turn the tool counterclockwise. As a result, it is necessary to achieve displacement of the nut from its place.
- At this stage of disassembling the bimetallic radiator, you will need the aforementioned bar. It is inserted into the ring on a nipple key, thus creating a lever. This will greatly facilitate the work, which will require significant efforts to implement.
- After making two full turns, the key must be moved to the lower section of the radiator. After that, the procedure is repeated.
- Having again installed the key from above, they make two turns: the sequence of actions is repeated until the section is completely unscrewed. Such an algorithm of actions, how to disassemble an aluminum heating radiator, allows you to protect yourself from distortions.
How to disassemble cast iron batteries with your own hands
Most often, old-style houses and apartments are equipped with MS-140 cast iron batteries. Nipple nuts and gaskets are also used to assemble their sections. It is especially difficult to disassemble an old battery. in the course of its long-term operation, the gaps between the sections boiled with rust. As a rule, in such cases, the key niches are eaten away by the coolant. It is also important to keep in mind a significant mass of cast iron. For example, the weight of one battery for 12 sections is 90 kg: it will be difficult to cope with such a product alone.
To implement the procedure, the following tools are required:
- Nipple radiator wrench.
- Plumbing fixtures for unscrewing sleeves and plugs.
- Small sledgehammer and chisel.
- Blowtorch (it can be replaced with a building hair dryer).
- Steel brush.
- Wooden blocks for installing the battery on the floor.
In the role of a radiator key, a round metal rod with a diameter of 18-20 mm flattened at one end is used. The dimensions of the flattened part are 28 × 40 mm, with a thickness of 6 mm. A ring is welded to the opposite edge of the rod, through which the lever is threaded. The length of the radiator wrench should be as long as half of the largest 12-section battery, plus 30 cm.
Disassembly procedure
It is very difficult to disconnect stuck intersection joints. In some cases, they stick to it so much that even significant physical effort turns out to be powerless. In such situations, the joints are warmed up before disassembly using a blowtorch or hair dryer.
How to disassemble a cast iron heating radiator:
- Cast iron is heated with a blowtorch until it begins to emit a crimson glow. After that, you can begin the disassembly procedure.
- The first step is to unscrew the plugs.
- The radiator wrench is brought to the top of the battery: its head should fall on the area of \u200b\u200bunscrewing the nipple-nut. At the end of the section, use chalk to mark the circle where the tool rod is located.
- The flattened part is inserted into the lower inner groove. Further, moving the tool in the desired direction, bring it to the marked circle.
Before starting the operation, it is important to find out in which direction it is necessary to twist the sections. If there is a nipple nut, it is screwed in turn on the right and left end of the battery: this makes it possible to determine the direction of rotation of the nipple. If the thread moves, do not loosen completely. To avoid misalignment, the top and bottom nipples must be unscrewed one full turn in turn.