milesdf
New Member
I asked this question in the plumbing forum (as part of a larger question), but I think it might be more appropriate here.
I am embarking on a full kitchen renovation soon, and will be exposing the piping for at least 2-3 of the 4 upstairs radiators in the house, which is almost 80 years old (1936). The system is currently a hot water system, and it may have always been hot water (2 pipes), perhaps a gravity system (pipes slope down to boiler), perhaps always sealed (no signs of piping in attic). The radiator pipes appear to be original, and iron, with a giant unknown being that the house sat foreclosed for several years, which resulted in the boiler being rusted through, and two downstairs radiators completely bursting from freezing (I replaced them and had the system pressure tested).
I haven't been able to find any information on how long iron hot water radiator piping is expected to last.
Can I expect much more life out of the 80 year old hot water radiator supply and return lines? Or should I outright plan on replacing them? What's the expected lifespan on these? Should I worry about replacing these if they show no sign of leakage or corrosion? It is also possible I could replace just one short downstairs feed and inspect the inside of the piping, would the inside of one pipe be indicative of the inside of them all? Would I have to inspect the inside of an elbow?
I was looking into replacing these with ox barrier pex, but it really feels like a crapshoot as to what would last longer, brand new pex or old iron. Perhaps new black steel or copper? I am capable of replacing this piping, so really the only investment would be materials and time, but perhaps the best move would be to leave it be?
I am embarking on a full kitchen renovation soon, and will be exposing the piping for at least 2-3 of the 4 upstairs radiators in the house, which is almost 80 years old (1936). The system is currently a hot water system, and it may have always been hot water (2 pipes), perhaps a gravity system (pipes slope down to boiler), perhaps always sealed (no signs of piping in attic). The radiator pipes appear to be original, and iron, with a giant unknown being that the house sat foreclosed for several years, which resulted in the boiler being rusted through, and two downstairs radiators completely bursting from freezing (I replaced them and had the system pressure tested).
I haven't been able to find any information on how long iron hot water radiator piping is expected to last.
Can I expect much more life out of the 80 year old hot water radiator supply and return lines? Or should I outright plan on replacing them? What's the expected lifespan on these? Should I worry about replacing these if they show no sign of leakage or corrosion? It is also possible I could replace just one short downstairs feed and inspect the inside of the piping, would the inside of one pipe be indicative of the inside of them all? Would I have to inspect the inside of an elbow?
I was looking into replacing these with ox barrier pex, but it really feels like a crapshoot as to what would last longer, brand new pex or old iron. Perhaps new black steel or copper? I am capable of replacing this piping, so really the only investment would be materials and time, but perhaps the best move would be to leave it be?