WILSONS YARD CAST IRON RADIATOR CARE & HANDLING GUIDE

Each Cast Iron Radiator has been carefully custom built to your specification and pressure tested to ensure it is water tight. Mishandling during delivery and installation can lead to faults. In order to ensure that your radiators remain in good condition please read this information sheet carefully.

Lifting Instructions Upon Delivery

Cast iron radiators are very heavy so please ensure you have sufficient help to unload your order when it is delivered to you via pallet courier roadside.

Whilst your radiator is on a pallet, the full length of the radiator is supported. Once the pallet is removed the radiator needs to be carried upright at all times. A common cause of leakage is due to strain on the gasket seals caused by carrying the radiator flat without supporting the middle sections or dragging the radiator. The longer the radiator the greater the strain imposed on the water tight seals.

Two short pieces of wood 20mm x 50mm x 250mm make good handles when inserted between the last 2 sections at either end.

The correct way to carry a radiator is to keep it upright at all times. Please take care when lifting cast iron radiators as they are very heavy. Always follow the correct HSE lifting guidelines. Never attempt to lift a cast iron radiator on your own or be tempted to drag the radiator across the floor surface into position for plumbing as this will cause strain on the water tight seals and cause leaking problems to occur. If you use pieces of wood as handles place them at either end of the radiator.

The Custom Painted Radiator

Damage to your custom painted radiator in transit is minimised by use of packaging. However, small scratches often occur during unpacking and handling. For this reason a pot of touch up paint is supplied. We do not recommend powder coating Paladin cast iron radiators.

The Hand Polished Radiator

The hand polishing process reveals and polishes the original cast iron surface. It is a particularly beautiful finish however as the bare metal is exposed to the air, this finish requires some attention to eliminate rust spots occurring. You will note the hand polished finish is to the sides, top and front of your radiator, the back area of the radiator is not polished as this area is difficult to treat as it is against the wall once installed.

Every 6 – 8 weeks take a soft polishing cloth lightly sprayed with WD40 and dust your polished radiator to all polished areas; this will ensure your polished radiator remains rust free.

Important Notes For Installation Of Your Radiator

Cast iron radiators are for use on central heating systems only, they are not suitable for installation on secondary HWS circuits. Upon completion of the installation the entire system must be thoroughly cleaned and flushed to remove debris and flux residues etc. When a chemical cleanser is used it must be thoroughly flushed from the system. Following this procedure the system must be closed with a good eminence water treatment to prevent corrosion.

We recommend the use of Fernox water treatments as these treatments have been tested to be compatible with our cast iron radiator gaskets, please note not all chemical treatments are fully tested to be compatible. It is also very important not to overdose your system and apply the right amount of chemical required.

Flushing and dosing must be in accordance with BS 5449, 1990, BS EN 12828:2003 and BS 7593. We strongly discourage the use of a water softener on the heating system as this treatment can cause problems with the gasket seal. It is important to note that failure to observe these requirements will render the guarantee on the products void. Corrosion inhibitor must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations and should take into account the particular metals within the system.

Valve Installation

Please be aware our thermostatic valves have a frost protection feature and are non bidirectional. The most common cause of leaks is over tightening of the valve tails into the bottom bushes of the radiator. Over tightening will crack the bush. When screwing the valve tail in to the bush turn it finger tight then using a spanner turn it until there is only moderate resistance. Using a 4” (100mm) spanner it is difficult to over tighten. It is easy to over tighten and crack the bush with an 8” spanner. A thread sealant must be applied to the valve tail threads to get a water tight seal. Sealant available from all plumbers’ merchants is recommended. PTFE tape is an acceptable alternative.

It should not normally be necessary to unscrew the bushes, but if for any reason you do, retighten them gently, enough only to create a good seal. We do not recommend the use of an 18” Stilson. The torque from an 8” adjustable spanner is more than enough to create a good seal. The male thread on each bush on the bleed valve side of the radiator is left hand thread i.e. turn anticlockwise to unscrew. This is the thread that screws into the radiator casting. The female threads on the bushes on the bleed valve side of the radiator are normal right hand thread. This is the thread that the inlet or outlet valve or bleed valve screws into. The threads on the opposite side of the bleed valve are all normal right hand thread.

Wall Stay Installation

Wall stays should be clamped between 2 adjacent rear columns of the radiator. The long threaded rod should be cut to length so that the radiator is close to the wall.