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Help! Super painted radiator a year ago and it still smells noxious.

amdhunter

amdhunter

Lifer
He put some heavy silver paint on it and it smelled noxious a year ago, and it still smells just as strong today.

How can I get rid of the smell? We can't sleep at all and are choking to death.

I don't know what to do.
Help.
 
May have to strip it off.

Go back with paint meant for fireplaces etc.

The fumes may eventually go away, but you not be around to notice.
 
amdhunter said:
He put some heavy silver paint on it and it smelled noxious a year ago, and it still smells just as strong today.

How can I get rid of the smell? We can't sleep at all and are choking to death.

I don't know what to do.
Help.
Click to expand...


Does it smell when they get hot? Than your super is cheap and probably used the wrong paint. Call him and demand him to do it strip it off. I would leave them unpainted.
 
Thebobo said:
Does it smell when they get hot? Than your super is cheap and probably used the wrong paint. Call him and demand him to do it strip it off. I would leave them unpainted.
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Yes. And it's choking me to death. Any way I can strip it myself? I hate letting people into my apartment.
 
Fun fact. The silver paint is a hold over from when steam boilers were turned to hot water boilers. The old steam rads converted to hot water were too big so they used that silver paint to block as much as a third of the heat transfer. Problem is people forgot why they used that special silver paint and think they still need it to this day.
 
He told me that he wants you out. Either you leave voluntarily, or he waits a couple more years and the tumors will consume you.

You're gonna die.

Can I have your stuff?
 
If this was a house I would remove the thing, take it outside and sandblast it. But it looks like you're gonna need to use a solvent and a grinder with a brush. Have fun.
 
Black paint is more emissive and better for radiators although a lot of their heating may be from convection.
 
I figured it out. Years ago I put some duct tape around a large nut that was leaking. The super painted over it, and that tape was getting wet and causing the smell.

Once I took it off - I wiped off the entire radiator with Mr. Clean and brushed it inside and out. It's fine now, but I still have that leaky nut. I guess I can duct tape over it again, since it's a pinhole that leaks, but right now it's leaking water. I'd say overnight, it may leak half a cup of water or so.

I'm just happy there is no more smell.
 
skull said:
Sounds like an idea for the stupid and lazy, your super must love you.
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It's a pinhole sized hole. A small piece of electrical tape actually is blocking it off for now.

The radiator has been 100% smell free now. I ended up cleaning the other one in the apartment as well since it had a steamy smell to it. It's super nice now.
 
amdhunter said:
It's a pinhole sized hole. A small piece of electrical tape actually is blocking it off for now.

The radiator has been 100% smell free now. I ended up cleaning the other one in the apartment as well since it had a steamy smell to it. It's super nice now.
Click to expand...

If its that small of a leak the tapes just letting it dry and come out as vapor. Tape doesn't seal water leaks. Its not as bad as jb weld on the real repair guy though.

You really should call maintenance they probably won't care but leaks in boiler systems are bad. The fill control will keep feeding fresh water in to keep the system full. The fresh water comes with more fresh oxygen to rot the boiler and piping from the inside out.
 
skull said:
If its that small of a leak the tapes just letting it dry and come out as vapor. Tape doesn't seal water leaks. Its not as bad as jb weld on the real repair guy though.

You really should call maintenance they probably won't care but leaks in boiler systems are bad. The fill control will keep feeding fresh water in to keep the system full. The fresh water comes with more fresh oxygen to rot the boiler and piping from the inside out.
Click to expand...
I actually just told him about it when I got home today. I was worried the guy under me might complain if any water goes down to his ceiling.
 
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