Radiator Full Of Rusty Bits

sterling30

Today in my single floor flat I removed two steel 60's style radiators in order to have them shot blasted and powdercoated as part of a bedroom redec job. They are each 132cm long and about 60cm high. Just about manageable on my own. The water inside them was dark brown verging on black, so I flushed them through in the garden with the hose. My technique was a manic combination of blasting water into each end with them at different angles, shaking them around, turning upside down, filling, emptying, more shaking, slooshing back and forth, and repeating in random order. Basically as thoroughly a flush as possible. The first one took about 20 minutes and the result was just clean water coming out. The other radiator was a whole different ball game. It took 45 minutes, about which time I was ready to collapse. The problem being that it was full of black rusty flakes that I could hear sliding back and forth each time I tried to tip the water out. A degree of the particles came out but often they kept blocking the outlet which I would prod with a wire. I reckon I got about 50% of the rust out but in the end I gave up as I was exhausted. What didn't help was that the outlet is slightly higher than the bottom of the rad so all the particles are lower down. If the outlet was level with the bottom then I'm sure I could pour them much easier. In the end the water came out pretty clean but it's still got a load of rusty bits in it. I can hear them if I shake the rad with no water in it. What can I do to get rid of them? Is there a solution I can pour in that will break them up so can be flushed out? It's a whole lot better than it was so if there's nothing I can do then I will take my chance with it, but I'm concerned rust may block up some pipes. Interestingly it's the radiator that is the furthest away from the water source / boiler.


Further...



Would it be recommended that I add some kind of solution to my water system via one of these radiators?


Should I consider a power flush?



It's worth mentioning that the heating system via the Combi boiler works well and all the radiators work as expected.

king132

Get a flush done and and then get a plumber to fit a filter near your boiler. Have a look at Magna Clean Filters.

coffeehound

Do you really want to reuse a rad that you know to be rusting from the inside out? Presumably the rust is from the rad itself since it seems trapped inside.

Ganga

If you intend to re-use the said radiator can you not get a magnetic pick up tool from Screwfix,Toolstation etc and stick it in the outlet and remove MOST of the metal particles and then re-flush.
When cleaned fit a filter to your CH system as recommended by King 132

sterling30

Thanks for the responses, especially the magnet idea. That's a brilliant idea. I can't believe I didn't think of that. I have one that is telescopic.

keith969

Buy new rads. They are not that expensive! Plus they are likely to be more efficient than old crudded up ones.

DingerUK

Screwfix have an offer at the moment.

Tom99

Out of interest, what is so special about these steel radiators that you want to spend so much time and money to keep them?
If they were cast iron column rads maybe.

greyteam1959

Shot blasting & powder coating old radiators is a complete waste of money.
Especially one that are badly rusted inside.
The shot blasting could quite possibly weaken a rusty radiator so that when you put it back on it leaks.
Then you have one expensive piece of scrap iron.

justjohn

As someone has said renew the rads install a magna clean. Get it flushed if you think it needs it.

sterling30

Thanks for your further input.



The property is an apartment in a Victorian Villa with lots of Victorian features but decorated in contemporary style (Colonial/Plantation to be exact). There are 7 other matching steel radiators in the apartment. Whilst all the radiators are not lovely cast iron items they are also not modern 'Screwfix' style items.



Cast iron rads stick out too far and I am not about to replace all the property's radiators with those. I am also certainly not going to buy two modern ones as they would look hideous in this property, they wouldn't match the other 7 and even if I did decide to go this route it would cost me £140 for two radaitaors (2 in the room), God knows how much for a plumber to redo the piping, re fitting the wall brackets etc. etc. etc.



Cast iron and modern radiators are quite visually obvious in being very old and very new. These steel ones, to me, are not at all special or obvious in their age. They are probably 60's but they don't shout their age like a classic mini does. That is why they are ideal for this property interior - they blend in without shouting out "look at me!" They are also very shallow, very minimal (no nasty vented grills on the top) and dare I say it but I actually quite like them.


All things considered those are the reasons why I wish to keep the one single radiator that I have found to be quite rusty in the bedroom to sit adjacent to the other radiator I removed that was fine and match the other radiators in the property.



Also it is not so rusty that it is about the fall apart and shot blasing won't blow holes in it. That's provided they don't use a 22 calibre.


I hope this clears up any doubt as to why I'm wanting to keep them.


The magnet worked brilliantly - thanks again for that idea. It took ages but I managed to remove all of the loose rust.


By the time it does rust away hopefully I'll be long gone outta here!



Appreciate all the input.