Hot Water Radiator Removal

[soloncamper]

I have a hot water radiator system in my home. I want to remove the radiator in the bathroom (installing electric radiant heat in floor). I have two pipes on my boiler, one inlet, one outlet. I have two pipes going into the radiator as well. I would like to cap the pipes in the basement. Can I simply cap the pipes or do I have to tie the two together to continue the loop?

If I have to keep the loop going, what is the best way to do that?

I can submit photos if that would help?

Thanks!!!

[joed]

You need to tie them together to keep the loop going for the other radiators on the circuit.

[Clutchcargo]

It depends on what type of loop it is. Is the bathroom radiator loop coming off the same pipe? Is it it's own zone?

[soloncamper]

On my system as the branch pipes go to a particular room, the main feeder pipes continue. My thought is that if I capped the branch, the feeded would continue on to the next room. The inlet pipe branches off of the main, into the raditor, through the radiator, back through a different pipe and into the return main pipe. I tried to upload a photo, but the file was a little too big.

Any thoughts on what I need to do?

Thanks

[Clutchcargo]

It sounds like what you've got is a T-fitting that connects to the radiator and another T that returns the water from the radiator to the same pipe. The supply and return are branched off the same pipe. If that's what you have than you should remove both T's and replace with couplings.
The reason you can't just cap them off is because those Ts are most likely "flow restricting" (Sorry, I can't think of the proper name). Water will take the easiest route so if they weren't flow restricting, the boiler water would just bypass those lines to the radiator.

[soloncamper]

Well, I have two 4 or 5 inch pipes that run parallel to each other around my basement. One is a supply the other is a return. I followed the smaller (1 or 1 1/2 inch) pipes up through the floors and to the radiator and then back to the basement. They are definately two different pipes.

Thanks again.

[soloncamper]

Here are two photos of my pipes. The pipe on the right is the supply, I think. The black pipe in the middle is gas. You can see how the supply as well as the return continue on after sending out or receiving branch lines.

Thanks

[Clutchcargo]

That is 2-pipe steam heat. You were correct to begin with, simply put a cap on it.

[soloncamper]

Thanks for the help. you say that it is steam heat, but hot water does run through it, will that matter?

Thanks again.

[Clutchcargo]

Thanks for the help. you say that it is steam heat, but hot water does run through it, will that matter?

Thanks again.

It looks like steam heat. As long as you don't interupt the main loop, you should be fine just capping them off.
You'll need a very large wrench to get those pipes apart, that is if they come apart at all. If you can't get them apart, the fittings are cast and if you hit them hard enough they should break apart. The good news is you have plenty of time to figure it out, you probably won't need your heat again until November.

Be careful when working around the asbestos.

[poorplmbr]

what you have there is known as a reverse return hot water system,where the first radiator to have hot water supplied to it is the last to return to the boiler.it is a very even,comfortable hot water system because the same temperature water is supplied to each radiator,that is there is not any cooler water dumping back into the supply line.I see and work on this type of systems all the time here on long island....you will have no problems with your heating system if you just cap or plug the pipes for your bathroom radiator.!!!!!!!P.S. it looks like asbestos insulation there!!!!!!!! have it tested and if so removed by a professional abatement contractor befor you disturb it any further......PLEASE!!!!!!

[soloncamper]

Thanks for the information. I thoght this is what I could do, but I am glad there are people that really know what they are doing that can give advise. I hope everything else goes as planned. By the way, those are asbestos covered pipes. Those are the only ones in the house like that.

Thanks again