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How to 'extend' radiator pipes after tiling bathroom

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Tom

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Sep 16, 2012, 10:24:04 PM9/16/12
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We have hot water radiant heat in our house. After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short. I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends. A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks. I also do not want to cut the legs of the radiator to shorten it. Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

bob haller

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Sep 16, 2012, 10:29:40 PM9/16/12
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On Sep 16, 10:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have hot water radiant heat in our house.  After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short.  I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends.  A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks.  I also do not want to cut the legs of the radiator to shorten it.  Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

gien the hazards of a leak i would get a insured professional HVAC
company to make the modifications.... disassimiliar metals can cause
troubles too, you might consider a new radiator they are thinner and
look modern......

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Sep 16, 2012, 10:35:33 PM9/16/12
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On Sep 16, 9:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have hot water radiant heat in our house.  After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short.  I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends.  A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks.  I also do not want to cut the legs of the radiator to shorten it.  Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

Didn't you forsee this problem when you contracted to have the floor
retiled? A competent tile person should have warned you of this
problem.

Evan

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Sep 17, 2012, 12:32:11 AM9/17/12
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On Sep 16, 10:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have hot water radiant heat in our house.  After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short.  I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends.  A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks.  I also do not want to cut the legs of the radiator to shorten it.  Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

Use a masonry drill of the proper size to remove an
appropriate amount of the tile from beneath where
the "legs" of the radiator sit to lower the height of
the radiator and match the pipes...

As others have mentioned this should have been a
foreseeable issue during the remodel... The floor
apparently is 3/8" higher now than it used to be,
what about the transition to the room/hallway
outside the bathroom, or is that covered by
a large threshold ?

DD_BobK

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Sep 17, 2012, 3:49:02 AM9/17/12
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On Sep 16, 7:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have hot water radiant heat in our house.  After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short.  I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends.  A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks.  I also do not want to cut the legs of the radiator to shorten it.  Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

OP-

You write... "I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not
have access to the other ends."

Unless you're in an apt or multi-unit dwelling, access is downstairs
or in the basement / crawl space.
Even it you are in an apt or multi-unit dwelling, there's always
access...it's just time & money.

Bite the bullet, make access from above or below and fix the pipe
length.

This could have been done from inside the bathroom prior to the tiling
job by cutting away the subfloor, shortening the pipe & re-threading
in situ.

Still can be done from inside the bathroom but part of the new floor
would need to be removed. :(

cheers
Bob

gpsman

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Sep 17, 2012, 8:37:29 AM9/17/12
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On Sep 16, 10:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

Aren't those pipes going into the floor also threaded together...?
-----

- gpsman

tra...@optonline.net

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Sep 17, 2012, 8:56:40 AM9/17/12
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On Sep 16, 10:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have hot water radiant heat in our house.  After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short.  I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends.  A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks.

How much pipe is sticking out of the floor? You say you
can't add a coupling because it would then be too long.
But if there is enough pipe to work with, you could cut off some of
the pipe, re-thread, then use the coupling, nipples,
etc to make it back up. That assumes you have enough
clearance from the wall for access.

Another option as someone else suggested might be to
get a different radiator.

If you're not familiar with plumbing like this, I'd call in
a pro. What you think is impossible they may be able
to do in a couple hours.



hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Sep 18, 2012, 12:19:38 AM9/18/12
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On Sep 16, 9:24 pm, Tom <tmatusai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have hot water radiant heat in our house.  After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8" higher than previously so the two pipes coming out of the floor are 3/8" too short.  I cannot remove the 3/4" steel pipes, because I do not have access to the other ends.  A male/female coupling extends the pipe too much (about an inch) and I do not want to put the radiator up on blocks.  I also do not want to cut the legs of the radiator to shorten it.  Is it possible to cut the threads off of the supply and return pipes and place a brass (or steel) fitting on the end that is a compression fitting for a 1" OD pipe and has a 3/4" NPT fitting on the other end?

Removing the tile where the radiator feet are located seems about the
easiest and surest way to get things back to where they were.

tra...@optonline.net

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Sep 18, 2012, 8:51:07 AM9/18/12
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On Sep 18, 12:19 am, "hr(bob) hofm...@att.net" <hrhofm...@att.net>
wrote:
Another possibility would be to use the couplings that
the OP talked about that result in the radiator being a
bit high, then placing a piece of wood or similar under
the radiator to raise it.

comb...@massive.com

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Sep 18, 2012, 4:20:05 PM9/18/12
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On Sun, 16 Sep 2012 19:24:04 -0700 (PDT), Tom <tmatu...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>We have hot water radiant heat in our house. After having our bathroom re-tiled, the radiator now sits 3/8"

In all the years that I worked for a floor covering company we never had
this problem. We never removed the radiators, we just raised them a
half inch, installed the tile, and lowered them in place. Most pipes
have enough gove to be raised that much.

Message has been deleted

Unquestionably Confused

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Apr 5, 2016, 8:42:11 AM4/5/16
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On 4/5/2016 6:08 AM, mp...@soas.ac.uk wrote:
> Obviously this person didn't, so why do you make a ridiculous comment like this? To make yourself feel better?
>

And your reason for chiming in on a 3½ year old post is? Feel better
now? <g>
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