Replacing radiators on gas welding: when to change them and how

Comfortable heating operation is only possible if a high-quality radiator is installed. Replacing batteries on a gas welding machine allows you to be confident in the strength, reliability and durability of the connection. In order to properly prepare and carry out this work, you need to understand the features of using gas welding when replacing heating equipment.

Gas welding equipment for radiator replacement Source portaltepla.ru

Why do they sometimes need to be changed?

During the cold season, comfort in the house depends on the quality of the radiators. If the temperature at home is too low, additional measures must be taken to correct the situation. 25 degrees is considered the most comfortable. Sometimes the cause of problems is heating radiators.

The following reasons may be grounds for replacement:

• Worn and unreliable previously installed radiator.
• Low power of the device used.
• Uneconomical energy consumption for heating.
• Significant structural damage accumulated over a long period of time.
• Carrying out major repairs during which it is possible to update the heating system.

Of course, in most cases it is possible to refuse repairs and leave everything as it is. However, in this case, residents will have to use ineffective heating, which will not be able to warm up the apartment.

A specialist performs the work Source portaltepla.ru

How to install a radiator using gas welding:

Carrying out repairs

If the homeowner realizes the need to replace the radiators, then he will have to do it himself or invite a professional to do the work. In the latter case, you will need to take the following steps:

• You need to choose a suitable specialist and ensure his arrival. He will study the situation on the spot, take the necessary measurements and draw up a work plan. You can get recommendations from your specialist on choosing suitable radiators for replacement.
• To understand what radiators and pipes are needed, and to choose the right equipment, it is important to understand how the heating system works, the advantages and disadvantages of various designs. Using existing knowledge and expert advice, the necessary equipment is purchased.
• Before replacing heating batteries with gas welding, it is necessary to ensure the dismantling of the existing structure. It is best to do this shortly before installing new equipment. Before work, you need to shut off the water supply. In a situation where repairs are being carried out in an apartment building, you will need to contact the Housing Office for this.
• The technician determines the exact location and begins installation. Next comes the replacement of equipment and installation of welding radiators.
• When the replacement is completed, it is necessary to test the reliability of the equipment. To do this, you need to turn on the water supply. The tenant or master does not have the right to do this on their own. To check the quality of the work done, you need to contact a housing office employee.

The efficiency of the updated heating system will be determined not only by the quality of the specialist’s work, but also by the correct choice of pipes and radiators.

Certificate required to work as a welder Source portaltepla.ru

Depreciation of equipment

The use of metal options is in most cases reliable and convenient, but it also has important disadvantages. If you do not change the heating equipment. Over time, the inside of the pipes gradually becomes overgrown, reducing the diameter and making it difficult for the coolant to pass through.

This happens because the water contains impurities that settle on the walls. This process proceeds very slowly, but over many years it will lead to a decrease in the flow of coolant and a deterioration in the quality of heating.

The coolant circulates in the heating system under high pressure. Over many years of operation, it can significantly deform the threaded joints. When using gas welding, this problem does not exist.

The deposits inside pipes and radiators are hard and almost impossible to clean. If they are located in the radiator, then due to its complex shape it is difficult to access them. The only way to fix the heating is to replace pipes and radiators.

The use of taps is mandatory Source 1-teplodom.ru

Preparing parts

Before starting pipe welding work, it is necessary to prepare the edges for the connection. I always do it in this order:

1. I check the pipes for compliance with the parameters specified in the design of the engineering system (plumbing). The instructions require compliance with the following parameters:

• geometric dimensions;
• certificate of conformity (especially for pipes through which drinking water is supposed to be transported);
• absence of defects in the circumference (pipes must be perfectly round, not oval in cut);
• absence of defects in thickness (the walls of metal pipes must be the same along the entire length of the part);
• compliance of the chemical composition of the metal with the requirements set forth in GOST of Russia (this is determined during laboratory testing or from accompanying documents).

Cleaning the pipe end with a grinding machine before welding.

1. I am preparing the pipes for connection. To do this, I personally recommend doing the following:

• check that the pipe edge is cut strictly at an angle of 90 degrees;
• clean the edge to a metallic shine (the width of the cleaned area should be up to 10 mm from the cut);
• degrease the end, remove all traces of oil, paint, rust, and so on.

For a correct connection, it is necessary that the opening angle of the pipe cut edges is about 65 degrees, and the blunting value is 2 mm. If this is not the case, additional machining of the end must be performed.

For this purpose, special chamfer removers, grinders and trimmers are used. Specialists who design large-diameter pipelines use milling machines or special preparation methods (plasma or gas cutters).

Tools for processing pipe ends will help any novice craftsman in his work.

How to connect radiators

The main element of the heating system that affects the quality of heating is the radiator. During operation, a large amount of coolant passes through it. It is important to ensure a reliable connection to the pipes.

Typically, a threaded connection made using gas welding is used for this. The second is absolutely reliable and can completely eliminate the possibility of leakage throughout the entire service life.

When carrying out the work yourself, you need to select the dimensions of the new radiator so that it fits in the place intended for it. Welding requires the availability of appropriate equipment and skills to work with it. Connecting the radiator is carried out in several steps:

• Before starting the procedure, you need to remove the furniture located in the work area. Nearby sections of walls and floors are covered with non-combustible material.
• Before starting work, you must call a specialist from the housing office or management company to turn off the water while the equipment is being replaced. If we are talking about a private house, then the owner can do this work himself by opening the drain tap.
• Old radiators are being removed. It is often done using a grinder. At the same time, you need to monitor the quality of the cut to which the new equipment will be attached.
• Before joining parts, it is necessary to clean the surfaces. The parts that are joined must fit each other exactly.
• Before welding, the radiator is installed on special mounts in the place where it will be located in the future.
• Carrying out welding work. At the same time, the connected areas are heated. At the same time, the filler wire is supplied. Its material should best suit the metal from which the pipes and radiator are made. An acetylene torch is most often used. You can use methane or propane, but you need to monitor the flame temperature. It should be twice that which is sufficient to melt the filler wire.
• After the procedure is completed, you must wait for the parts to cool completely. Then a thorough inspection of the connections is carried out. There may be some areas that will need to be re-processed. In order to ensure complete sealing, the connection must be reliable.
• At the last stage, the reference seams are cleaned. To do this, you need to wait until the surface cools down. After this, the parts are painted.

After installation of new equipment, high-quality heating will be provided.

Using gas welding you can get a beautiful connection Source tsaritsyno.online

Replacement principle

Gas welding is the process of joining several parts by heating their contacting edges and filler material to the melting point. The result is a high-strength connection that can withstand significant loads. Gas welding is performed using special equipment: as a rule, this is an acetylene generator, an oxygen cylinder, gas reducers and a burner.

How to strip and paint

When gas welding of radiators is carried out, scorch marks and stains remain on the metal. If left like this, it will look unattractive. Therefore, it is important to clean and repaint the equipment. To do this, perform the following steps:

• First, the surface is treated with sandpaper. For this, N 3 or N 4 is usually used.
• If there are deposits, it is not recommended to remove them with a grinder. If you do this, the strength of the connection will decrease.
• Remove dust from connections using a damp cloth. After this, it is recommended to additionally wipe the connection with dry material.
• The surface is degreased using a solvent.
• Cover the metal with two layers of anti-corrosion primer.
• Heat-resistant enamel is applied. It is advisable to use several layers. This must be done so that the blackness does not show through the paint. Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has completely dried.

Work is carried out when the equipment is cold. In this case, the paint durability will be higher. If there is a need to carry out work in winter, the heating must be turned off in advance, providing the opportunity to cool down. The color of the enamel is chosen so that it matches the design of the surrounding environment.

Two radiators in one room Source tsaritsyno.online

How to replace a radiator using welding:

Battery selection

The quality of heating depends not only on the installation, but also on the correct choice of radiator. It is important that it provides exactly the required amount of heat. If there is not enough of it, the residents will freeze. If there is a lot, there will be discomfort due to the heat, and energy for heating will also be wasted uneconomically.

When selecting equipment, you need to determine the most suitable material and take into account how many sections there should be in the radiator. It must be taken into account that the power of one is indicated in the technical documentation.

The simplest method of calculation is the following. It is necessary to take into account the area of ​​the room. For a ceiling height of 2.40-2.65 m, the number of square meters must be multiplied by 100 W. The resulting value must be divided by the power of one section. This way you can determine their number.

The use of welding ensures a reliable connection Source tehkomfort.rf

A small radiator was suitable for this room Source tehkomfort.rf

The required value can be found in the documentation. If this is not possible, use the standard value of 170 W. If there is a need for rounding, this will need to be done upward.

In apartments with high ceilings, it is more advisable to use a different calculation method. Here you need to determine the volume of the room. To find out, it will be enough to multiply the area of ​​the room by the height of the ceilings. The result obtained is multiplied by a coefficient corresponding to the type of building. For a panel one it is 41 W, for a brick one - 34. By dividing the calculated value by the heating power of one section, it will be possible to obtain their number.

The result will be approximate. For a more accurate accounting, you need to take into account the following:

• Features of the climate in the area where the housing is located.
• The presence of a balcony or loggia in the room.
• The number of windows available, as well as the method of glazing them.
• Number of floors, as well as the location of the apartment.
• The location of the radiator in the room and the use of a decorative screen for it.
• Use of external or internal insulation.

The most popular are radiators made of steel, aluminum, cast iron, copper, and bimetallic.

When carrying out work, you need to move the furniture to the side Source tsaritsyno.online

What are the benefits of using gas welding?

Compared to using threaded connections, replacing heating radiators with gas welding is more profitable. The only important advantage of the former is the relative ease of disconnecting the old radiator and connecting a new one. When using gas welding you can get the following advantages:

• High level of reliability and durability of the connection. The place where the work took place is not inferior in strength to other sections of the pipe.
• Any required configuration can be connected.
• When replacing heating radiators on gas welding, you can adjust the heating temperature. This is done by changing the angle of exposure to the flame. In this way, the optimal operating mode is selected.
• Aesthetic appearance. Since this connection method does not use a large number of fittings. It will look more beautiful once the finishing touches are completed.
• Such work can be carried out without using an electrical network. This is important when replacing heating batteries with gas welding during repairs in new buildings or for connecting equipment outside the city.
• High protection from internal and external mechanical loads.
• Typically, in heating systems of apartment buildings, water is under high pressure. The use of rigid piping connected by welding is preferable in such conditions.
• The use of gas welding allows you to create reliable connections between parts made of various materials: steel, brass, copper and others.
• Water hammer may occur during operation. They have a destructive effect on threaded connections. Welded ones guarantee that in such cases there will be no leakage. When using other options, situations are possible when flooding occurs after a water hammer.

After replacing radiators with gas welding, you can be confident in the reliability and quality of the hydraulic system.

The video describes how to replace heating radiators:

Safety regulations

Work involving the use of open flames and explosive components is classified as fire hazardous. For this reason, when performing them, generally accepted safety standards must be strictly followed. Possible types of violations and consequences during gas welding work:

• Explosion of gas or acetylene cylinders;
• thermal injuries;
• harmful effects of harmful fumes and dust;
• effects on vision;
• possibility of ignition of flammable materials.

With the advent of new highly efficient heating devices on the market, many users of heating systems have a desire to replace their outdated cast iron radiators with new modern bimetallic devices. In order to carry out an effective replacement, you need to professionally decide on the choice of installation option. Today, many different methods of connecting heating equipment are practiced, but a particularly effective one is to resort to gas welding.

Disadvantages of using welding for heating installation

The use of gas welding is often very profitable, but it has certain disadvantages:

• Relatively large heating area during operation. If you do not take the necessary protective measures, nearby furniture, walls or ceilings may be damaged. To avoid such consequences, you need to remove flammable objects from the work site and cover the rest with protective material.
• When gas welding is carried out, harmful substances are released into the air. Therefore, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment at this time.
• To perform welding work, you must have the appropriate qualifications and obtain a work permit. If the welding is done by a professional, then he must have a permit.

The permit is given by the fire service and has a limited validity period. It is necessary to ensure that the welding machine is in good working order, and that personal protective equipment is used.

After welding, traces remain on the pipes Source tehkomfort.rf

Installation of a cast iron battery Source tehkomfort.rf

The TekhStroyKomplekt company provides welding and installation services for the following products:

Alternative connection option

The main option is the threaded method. It is suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to use welding equipment and cannot contact a licensed specialist to perform the work.

In this case, thread cutting equipment, various types of fittings, nuts, and tees are used. The work can be performed without the use of high heat, which eliminates the fire hazard of the procedure.

If necessary, basic types of repairs can subsequently be carried out with your own hands. The assembly process requires careful consideration of the dimensions of the parts, as they must ensure a reliable connection.

However, it must be taken into account that the method used has less strength compared to the use of gas welding of radiators. Therefore, over time, the quality will deteriorate. Usually the weak point is the gaskets.

They will gradually be undermined and sooner or later they will lose their tightness. Therefore, in systems with high pressure and the risk of water hammer, the use of threaded connections should be limited.

Radiator with programmable thermostat Source tehkomfort.rf

The color of the radiator should match the design of the room Source tehkomfort.rf

General information about gas welding technology

The vast majority of experts are confident that replacing heating devices with gas welding makes it possible to create a higher-quality and durable connection. This type of installation creates a weld that can withstand short-term excess of permissible process pressure in heat supply systems during water hammer. The installation of heating radiators is entrusted to highly qualified gas welders. Homeowners are primarily interested in this, so as not to leave the apartment without thermal energy in winter, and not to flood the house in case of leaks due to poor-quality welds.

Replacing batteries using gas welding is used to assemble metal components of a heating system, regardless of their dimensions and configuration. During gas welding operations, melting of the edges of the parts being joined occurs, onto which a specialized filler material in the form of wire is fused for strengthening. The operational reliability of the operation is achieved by using welding gases: acetylene and oxygen. One cylinder of each gas will be enough to install 4 heating radiators. The liquid alloy, when cooled, forms a strong and fairly durable connection of the elements being welded. Correctly replacing heating radiators with gas welding reduces the chance of a heating system breakthrough to zero, since the joint, due to the direction of the solder, becomes many times more reliable than the material of the in-house pipelines itself.

Only highly professional gas-electric welders who have a certificate of education in the above profession are allowed to install heating batteries using gas welding. In addition, they must have a valid permit for knowledge of safety regulations. It is also recommended that the employee have practical experience in performing gas welding work. No less requirements are placed on welding equipment; it must be certified with an expiration date, in working order and meet generally accepted safety standards.

Replacing batteries on a gas welding machine should be carried out exclusively by highly professional gas and electric welders.

Gas welding of heating radiators is carried out by a welder in overalls, wearing specialized glasses with a shield to protect the eyes. One should not lose sight of the requirement to work with gloves to protect hands from contact with hot molten metal. According to the safety regulations, the gas welder's uniform includes the following protective equipment: glasses, eyecup, heat-resistant gloves and safety shoes.

Currently, in multi-storey buildings, a ban has been introduced on the performance of gas welding work in the absence of a special permit from the operating organization responsible for the safe operation of intra-house heating systems. Violators of the above legislative norm are threatened with receiving significant fines.