Do-it-yourself replacement of old heating radiators in an apartment is a problem that anyone can face at least once in their life. The fact is that in most old apartment buildings, heating batteries are made of cast iron or metal. Over time, this material rusts and becomes covered with scale, and the thermal conductivity of the radiator decreases accordingly. The reason for replacement may be more trivial, such as a battery leaking as a result of mechanical damage. In any case, the heating radiators in the apartment must be dismantled and replaced with new ones. This raises a completely legitimate question: is it possible to replace the batteries in the apartment with your own hands? You can, and we will tell you how to do it.
Preparatory stage
Before starting work in the apartment, it is necessary to notify the utilities. In apartment buildings, a centralized heating system is usually installed. To replace the radiator, you need to drain the water from it, respectively, you will have to block the entire riser. This can only be done by an employee of the Housing Office. It would be useful to notify the residents of the entrance and coordinate with them the time of the work.
Having received the "good" replacement of heating batteries in the apartment, you need to go to the store and purchase new radiators. It is best to give preference to products made of bimetal. They are lightweight, have a presentable appearance and are easy to install with your own hands. Moreover, bimetal radiators have good heat dissipation and long service life.
Do not forget to prepare the necessary tools and purchase fittings and stopcocks. Having made all the necessary preparations, you can get to work.
Replacing batteries in the apartment
First you need to dismantle the old radiator. As already mentioned, for this the entire riser is blocked and water is drained from the batteries. Then the locknuts on the upper and lower water supply are twisted. After that, you need to arm yourself with a building level and determine the place of the cut. If you cut off the radiator from the heating system in the apartment “by eye”, then it will be very problematic to hang a new battery evenly. It is unlikely that even a professional will be able to install on crookedly cut pipes. Considering that you replace the radiators with your own hands, try to make the cut as even as possible. It is recommended to process the cut point with a file or grinder. This is necessary in order to remove burrs.
After the battery is cut off from the heating system, it can be removed. Typically, radiators are mounted on special brackets that are built into the wall. If mounts look reliable, they can be left. If the brackets are loose, it is better to replace them with new ones.
Futor nuts are installed in the places where the radiator is connected to the heating system in the apartment. It should be noted that the water supply holes can be equipped with right and left threads. To avoid possible complications, we recommend purchasing an additional kit for connecting radiators in an apartment with your own hands. This kit includes through nuts that allow you to install the radiator in any position. To install such nuts, rubber seals are usually used, which are also included in the kit. After the nuts take their place, the mating parts of the ball valves are installed on them (in the places of water connections), a plug and an air vent device. As the latter, we recommend using the Mayevsky crane. This device can be easily installed by hand.Such devices are simple in design and reliable in operation.
Ball valves are installed on the heating pipes. To do this, threads must be cut into the pipes. If you have plastic pipes in your apartment, then the faucet is installed using a fitting. Installing additional taps will allow you to change the battery in the future without shutting down the entire system. It will be enough to turn off the water supply to the radiator in your apartment.
Considering that there are quite a lot of threaded connections, it is necessary to exclude possible leaks. To do this, you can use FUM tape or anaerobic sealant. FUM tape is wound over the thread in the same direction in which the nut is screwed. The number of turns is determined by the diameter of the pipe (average value is 8-10 turns).
The threads must be degreased before applying the anaerobic sealant. The composition must be shaken before application, after which it is applied in an even layer over the entire length of the thread. The nut or fitting is also degreased and screwed onto the lubricated thread. The property of the sealant allows you not to tighten the connection too much, the main thing is that it completely fills the thread. After 15 minutes, the composition will react with the metal, and further assembly can be carried out. Pressure testing is carried out no earlier than 1 hour later.
Now you can proceed directly to the installation. If the mounting brackets have not been dismantled, then the battery is simply hung in the old place and all threaded connections are tightened with an adjustable wrench.
Do not use too much force when tightening the nuts. Usually the fittings are made of rather fragile material and any excessive force can lead to mechanical damage to the structure.
In the event that the brackets were removed, the radiator is installed according to the following scheme. The battery is installed in place and fastened with fittings to the heating pipes. So that the structure does not collapse, you can put a few bricks. After that, using a level, check the horizontal position of the radiator (it must be even) and mark the installation locations of the brackets. Then the battery is removed, the brackets are mounted to the marked places and the final installation is made.
At this stage, the process of replacing the heating radiator in the apartment can be considered complete. All work can be done by hand, without resorting to the services of specialists. It remains only to turn on the water supply and check the tightness of the connections. If everything was done correctly, then there will be no leaks.
Conclusion
There are several ways to replace heating batteries in an apartment. The technology described above is considered optimal. There is no need to use welding equipment and other technical devices. The whole replacement process can be done by hand and in the shortest possible time. If it is not a separate radiator that is to be replaced, but all the batteries in the apartment, then repeating the installation procedure for the second or third time, you can feel like a real pro. After all, the replacement process will be much faster. Remember that the coziness and comfort in the apartment in the winter season will directly depend on the correct installation of the heating system.
