Repairing Radiators

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

November 1, 2001

Q. I live in a very old home with steam heat and cast iron radiators. I am having a hard time finding manufacturers and retailers for replacement radiators. Several of mine are leaking and are so old I believe that repair is impossible. Can you point me in the right direction to find replacements?

-Louis Arena, Bay Shore

A. Good news, Louis. I've found an expert on reconditioning and repairing old radiators - It's A-1 New and Used Plumbing and Heating Supplies, 30 Prospect St., Somerville, Mass. Owner Fran Fahey is renowned for his ability to recondition and repair old radiators. His talent has been featured in several home improvement publications and newspapers, and even on the PBS television show, "This Old House."

According to Joel Minnich of A-1, repairing leaky cast iron radiators, which you apparently have, is rather difficult. "We can patch them, but sooner or later, there's a chance that the patch will wear and another leak will sprout somewhere else," he says.

House Doctor Recent columns

If you have an old radiator and wonder if it should be repaired or reconditioned, look for two things: a long, threaded rod that holds the fins or sections together and two pipes, one along the bottom of the radiator and another that runs from the top to bottom of the radiator.

If the radiator has a threaded rod, it can be taken apart easily and repaired, Minnich says. And if it has two pipes, it can be used in both hot water and steam applications. Since these two-pipe radiators can be used two ways, they tend to be more valuable (especially to salvage yards for parts) than the one-pipe steam radiators.

Radiator repair can be expensive, Minnich says: from about $15 to $125 per section or fin. "A plumber's hourly rate is about $75, and it can take up to three hours to recondition a radiator," he says. Add another $25 to $50 for parts and $1 a pound for shipping (radiators weigh anywhere from 65 pounds to 200 pounds). You can see that one radiator can easily run up to $300 or $400 to recondition.

A-1 offers a one-year guarantee on sales of its reconditioned radiators, Minnich says. There's no guarantee for repairs.

Contact A-1 by e-mail at A1plumbing@rcn.com. or by telephone at 617-625-6140.

Perhaps a more viable solution is contacting one of the few remaining radiator manufacturers, Burnham Corp. of Lancaster, Pa. (www.burnham.com).

Burham makes three types of cast-iron radiators, including its Classic, which comes as small as three sections and as large as nine.

At its Web site, Burnham provides a search for area contractors trained in installing and repairing its products. Contact Burnham Corp. at 1241 Harrisburg Avenue, P.O. Box 3205, Lancaster, Pa. 17604-3205, or call 717-293-5811.