# remove steam radiator



## rick2665 (Mar 29, 2007)

I am buying a house and need to remove several radiators. The house recently converted to forced air and i believe the radiators were left behind for show. in the basement the original steam pipes are hanging but cut, so i am also assuming the system has no water in it. Question is how best to remove the radiator, followed by what to do with the pipe coming through the wood floor. I was planning on cutting the pipe and hole sawing the floor to further cut the pipe below floor level. do i need to cap the pipe or anything or just leave it under the floor. any concerns with radiator removing from the house, other than the weight of it! do people take old radiators or should i just take it to the dump? thanks in advance for your time and help.


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## helpless handyman (Jul 6, 2006)

Hey Rick2625, the best way to get rid of the radiators is to hit them with a sledge hammer, and it will break into sections, easier to carry out to the dumb. Unless you want to haul them to a scap metal yard. I got rid of all my monsters that way, they were to heavy to carry.


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## rick2665 (Mar 29, 2007)

my kind of fix! thanks for the tip. before bashing it is there any way to ensure there is no residual nasty water in there that will pour out all over everything.


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## helpless handyman (Jul 6, 2006)

Hey Rick, if they are disconnected, tilt them towards the valve side. If there is any water, it will drain out, just make sure you have a pan to collect the water, and also someone to help you. Some of these babies are very heavy:laughing: . Good luck, I got rid of all of mine. I smashed them with a sledge hammer, and into the dumpster they went:whistling2:


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## billinak (Mar 16, 2005)

*Some peope love these old things...*

I salvaged hundreds of old radiators from an old hotel in Tacoma for resale at the Re-store, they went like hotcakes! I'm not sure what people use them for, but they sure love them. There's a rod that goes through the radiator where you can remove the fasteners and the "tubes" as they're called will unscrew from one another. Maybe you don't live in an area where you can get rid of them this way, but it might be worth some calls, you might even get a few bucks for them or have someone else come out and dismantle and remove them for you.


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## mikemy6 (Feb 21, 2007)

hi rick
i would say bring them to a salvage yard they will give you a small amount of money if you throw them in a dumpster they will go to a land fill if they go to a re-store they will become the same paperwieghts that you have now just in another flipped house. the life of these monsters is over and I think if you want to see what re-store is up to check out the prices of new cast iron Im no tree hugger but I hope you can understand why these things you may do can help.


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## jastruck (Mar 8, 2010)

FYI...houses that are not on the east coast are built now with mostly forced air. If a person buys an old house or building in the midwest (like we just did), it probably has a boiler. Here in the midwest radiators are not as easy to come by and brand new are quite expensive. It is kind of nice to have the option to buy used, so it's nice when a person doesn't choose the dump or landfill. And yes, I realize this is an old discussion. Just in case someone else is looking for an answer and finds it here, like I was doing. Thanks for having this available!


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

I'd put a post on craigslist and see if anyone wants them enough to haul them away (this will probably work for the ones on the first floor). 

Take the time NOW to not just get rid of the line but to plug the hole in the floor. My Dad just got around to doing this in his house 20+ years after the radiators were gone. :laughing:


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Its a 2 year old thread. I'm sure he took care of it by now.


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## jastruck (Mar 8, 2010)

it still comes up when people search for advise on this though, so still nice to know...


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

jastruck said:


> it still comes up when people search for advise on this though, so still nice to know...



Instead of being discourteous to the OP and others. And replying to their thread, and having them receive a notice on a 2 year old thread.

Start your own thread.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Dang. Duped by a newbie.


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