Important Facts about Radiator Repair Long Island Residents Should Know
When it comes to living in New York City and its surrounding suburbs across Queens and Long Island, there are quite a few important things that we must be aware of. First of all, while New York might be one of the busiest and most heavily populated cities in the world, areas like Long Island are far less crowded and more so known for having residential homes, with relatively more land than conventional homes across the five boroughs. And with this added space, there is a lot more that needs to be looked after – one of the main areas for concern has got to be the household plumbing and heating system(s). According to the team at Elite Plumbing & HVAC, known to have the Best Plumber Rocky Point has to offer, one of the biggest concerns of homeowners across Long Island is the weather, and what that means for your daily life and household maintenance. Even before global warming was such a concern, parts of NYC, all the way out to Suffolk County Long Island were known for their inclement weather conditions – with summers reaching into the triple digits with tons of humidity, to winters that would drop down into the teens and even single digits, with tons of snowfall and ice issues. During these winters, heating is the main concern, and prepping your home for the winter should be number one on your summer to-do list.
When it comes to preparing your home for the frigid winter months, you must first make sure to identify anything that is broken and might be in need of repairs. One the most common concerns should definitely be your radiators, as these can often jam up as they are rarely used for the spring, summer and parts of the fall. When it comes to radiator repair Long Island residents need to understand that first and foremost, it’s important to know what type of radiator you have. Many older homes are heated with steam or hot water radiators, while newer homes may have convectors. While we are going to explain some of the basics of Radiator Repair Long Island residents should understand that while these tips will definitely help, we still recommend contact a team of professionals who will stand behind their work, such as Elite Plumbing & HVAC, known for the best plumber Rocky Point has in practice. For minor repairs and smaller additions, you should definitely learn to do the work yourself, but when it comes to a boiler or thermostat installation Long Island homeowners are better off leaving it to the professionals.
Hot Water versus Steam
Before delving into radiator repair Rocky Point residents should educate themselves on the different types of systems, so that they can better understand what kind of system they themselves have. In a steam system, steam quickly heats the radiator when the boiler fires. In a hot water system, heated water continually circulates through the radiators. A steam radiator has a small air vent near the top that emits bursts of steam when the radiator heats. Steam systems cycle between hot and cold. Most are connected to only one pipe at the floor, but some have two. You can dismantle and service a steam radiator valve if the boiler is off. It can be difficult to work on, however, because the high heat tends to seize up the pipe joints. When it comes to every aspect of the heating system whether it’s a radiator or a thermostat installation Long Island residents need to understand that it is a system and therefore one aspect feeds into the other, and they must all be working for the system to work correctly. Valve installation is one of the simpler parts of a heating system, and therefore you can easily do it yourself. It isn’t something like a boiler or thermostat installation Long Island experts at Elite Plumbing would be a much better option for something larger like that. One of the simpler aspects is installing a new valve – here’s how it works.
Valve Installation
Step 1: If water leaks from beneath the handle, turn down the thermostat and wait for the radiator to cool. Tighten the packing nut (just under the handle) using groove-joint pliers and tighten the larger union nut using a pipe wrench. If this does not solve the problem, move on to the next step.
Step 2: With a hot water system, in this step of the radiator repair Rocky Point residents should start by draining the water from the radiator. Turn down the thermostat. Attach a hose to the boiler’s drain valve and run the hose to a floor drain; open the valve to drain the system. Start at the top floor of your house and open the bleeder valves of all radiators.
Step 3: Unscrew the packing nut and remove the stem, first by unscrewing and then by pulling it out. If the leak originates just under the handle, wrap the stem with strand packing and reinstall. If the leak is lower or problem is not solved, continue to step 4.
Step 4: Unscrew the union nut that attaches the valve to the radiator, then unscrew the valve from the pipe. Take the old valve to a plumbing and heating supply store to find an exact replacement; look carefully to be sure it will fit. You also may need to replace the short pipe that emerges from the radiator.
For more information on plumbing, heating and radiator repair Rocky Point experts at Elite Plumbing & HVAC are here for you – contact us for more.
