How to remove paint from a radiator: how to remove old paint from a radiator, how to remove, paint remover, how to clean paint from a radiator

Over time, the paint on the heating battery swells and cracks due to exposure to high temperatures.

To restore the original appearance, it is necessary to remove the old paintwork, then reapply it.

This process requires time and a certain skill. We will tell you in this article how to remove old paint from a cast iron or aluminum radiator at home.

The right choice of coloring composition

Before you clean the batteries from paint, you need to go to a building materials store and buy a new paint composition there.

To paint heating appliances, it is necessary to choose heat-resistant paints, the basis for which can be:

Acrylic . Water-based compositions, which include acrylic polymer, remain as bright and odorless for a long time. They can be given any shade you like by adding the appropriate pigment to the base enamel. Acrylic paint intended for application to the surface of batteries is designed for heating temperatures not exceeding 80 ºС.
Alcides . The basis for such coloring compositions are organic solvents. The result is coatings that are stronger than acrylic ones. If you need to paint the radiator white or light color, it is better not to use alkyd enamel, since the surface of the devices will quickly turn yellow. Alkyd-based compositions can be used to paint batteries, but only in dark shades.
Heat-resistant varnish . Aluminum or bronze powder is added to it.
Silicone resin.

In order to give old cast iron radiators a more aesthetic appearance, two-component compositions are used. In them, heat-resistant varnish is mixed with powder, the color of which can be matched to silver, gold or bronze. Their cost is low, but at the same time they are well applied to devices and are durable.

Silicone coatings have similar properties, but such enamels are expensive. The process of applying them is simple, since they are sold in aerosol cans. Silicone-based compounds are sold in a wide range of colors.

When choosing a coating, first of all, take into account its thermal resistance.

Temperature effect on the paint layer

If, on most of the surface, the protective coating has good contact with the pipe, this connection will need to be partially destroyed. It is best to use high temperatures. As a result, processing will be greatly simplified. To perform this work, you can use a blowtorch or a hair dryer. Additionally, you will need a spatula. By increasing the temperature on the surface of the pipe, the homogeneous structure of the paint layer is destroyed. Before it cools down, removal is carried out using a spatula.

Work order:

Turning off the heating system.
Cleaning the pipe surface from dirt.
Temperature influence on the lines using a hair dryer or blowtorch.
Use a spatula to remove the paint layer.

If necessary, additional mechanical cleaning is performed using the methods described above. It is prohibited to increase the temperature in those heating areas where rubber gaskets are installed or there are polymer elements. This may damage or change their appearance and properties.

Preparing the battery for painting - how to remove paint

Before you start painting the heating device, you need to figure out what removes old paint on radiators and carry out a number of preparatory measures. Otherwise, you will not get a new high-quality coating.

Before painting radiators, you should perform certain actions:

Prepare tools and work area.
Remove the previous coating and existing rust, having first found out how to remove old paint from radiators.
Clean surfaces and degrease them.
Apply primer.

The highest quality and most beautiful coating is obtained if it is applied to a dismantled device. If it was connected to the heating system using an American connection or special kits, then you can remove the radiator without any problems.

When it is firmly fixed, then before removing the paint from the radiator and applying a new composition, the walls and floor covering of the room must be protected from dirt by using plastic film or other materials. They also prepare tools and everything else for repairs in advance.

Best answers

Vyzhevsky E.A:

file sandpaper grinder

Jill:

There is a special construction hairdryer for removing paint. Or a liquid, it’s really very caustic

It’s better to change them right away, there will be fewer problems

injenere:

Using a spatula and then a knife. It is not necessary to hammer to the metal. The main thing is that the surface is level

Inevitability:

Hardware stores (or construction stores) sell metal brushes; for batteries, it is better to take ones with long “hair.” the sound will be unpleasant, but the effect is obvious.

Mikhail Alekseev:

In household goods they sell remover of old paint - it's acid-based. It's a very caustic thing. Effect - 100% current You must be very careful, following the instructions and without children in the room where this cleaning is performed

Sergey:

liquid to remove old paint, but it is better to wear gloves—-

Methods for cleaning radiators

Before you start painting heating appliances, you need to remove the previous coating from them. There are several ways to remove old paint from batteries.

Option one is mechanical cleaning. To implement it you can use:

special brushes for metal work;
angle grinder;
different attachments for an electric drill;
coarse sandpaper.

This method is labor-intensive; its implementation will require a lot of time and patience, especially for radiator fins.

Option two is cleaning using chemical reagents. Battery paint remover is usually sold in glass containers. If a construction wash is used, it is necessary to ensure the room is ventilated and use a respirator.

There is a certain sequence of actions on how to remove old paint from a radiator:

pour a little liquid into a plastic cuvette;
Using a brush, the composition is carefully applied to all surfaces of the device;
maintain the period of time specified in the instructions for the composition, most often it is 20 minutes;
when the coating wrinkles and begins to peel off, it is removed from all surfaces of the radiator; a medium-width metal spatula is best suited for this;
Final cleaning is performed with a metal brush.

One liter of chemical reagent will be enough to remove paint from a battery consisting of 10 sections. To make work easier, before removing paint from the radiator, its surfaces must be thoroughly washed with soapy water and dried.

When the radiator is ribbed, it is more convenient to apply the chemical composition using a sprayer. Before starting work, taking into account the characteristics of the mixture, you need to remove objects made from plastic and rubber from the processing area, and lay an oilcloth over the floor covering.

To remove paint and primer from one battery, you need about one can of chemical reagent. After 30 minutes the coating begins to swell. The paint becomes soft and can be easily cleaned with a metal brush or just a spatula.

Sometimes one time is not enough to remove the previous coating and then the procedure must be repeated. The method of removing old paint from a battery is selected individually.

General recommendations

Removing paint from a heating battery in any way is made easier by the following general tips:

The chemical remover must be kept in its original container throughout all work.
Rubber joints should not be treated with chemical compounds.
Mechanical processing should be carried out in conditions of good air circulation.
Before carrying out mechanical treatment, it is forbidden to apply a remover.
If the product is covered with three or more layers of paint, then the chemical method is not advisable. It is better to use a mechanical or thermal method to remove the coating.
When using chemical compounds, protection with a respirator, fabric and rubber gloves, and sealed goggles is required. The room should be well ventilated.

It is better to remove old coating in a hard-to-reach place using a wooden strip with medium-grain sandpaper. This will allow you to process the transverse ribs of the heating battery.

Cleaning and priming the surface of radiators

If the procedure for removing paint from cast iron radiators is clear, and the composition can be completely removed, then it will be difficult to do this with new powder-coated radiators.

The smooth polymer surface is an obstacle to getting good adhesion between old and new paint. In this situation, there is only one way to remove paint from the battery - mechanical cleaning of the surface of the device with sandpaper.

When the gloss is removed and the old coating is cleaned, the entire radiator is degreased with white spirit, nefras or a similar solvent. Subsequent actions depend on the type of paint chosen. Enamels made on the basis of heat-resistant varnish or silicone can be applied directly to the metal, while alkyd and acrylic compositions require a base that ensures good adhesion of the new coating to the surface.

To extend the life of newly painted heating equipment, it is necessary to perform a high-quality primer, and the composition for this should be prepared in advance. The most popular brand is GF-021, which is intended for acrylic and alkyd paints. It is usually gray and red-brown in color.

Basic Safety Precautions

When carrying out work to clean the old paint layer from the surface of radiators, simple safety precautions must be observed. Regardless of the method for removing the outdated layer of enamel, all work must be carried out after wearing protective clothing and protecting the eyes and respiratory organs with goggles and a respirator.

On a note! The most dangerous to human health is chemical cleaning. When using chemicals, you must follow safety regulations for working with them. After all, such substances are caustic and toxic. Therefore, when working with them, you need to thoroughly ventilate the room and prevent them from coming into contact with the surface of the skin, use a respirator and wear gloves.

Battery painting

To paint heating radiators, use brushes, a roller or a spray gun.

You need to proceed as follows:

Mix the paint thoroughly.
Then pour it into a small cuvette or other container.
If necessary, the coloring composition is diluted with a solvent of the desired brand. This point is especially important when working with a spray gun, when a more liquid consistency is required.
When using alkyd enamels and heat-resistant varnishes, white spirit, nefras are used, and acrylic compositions are diluted with plain water.

The roller or brush is dipped into the paint and they begin to paint the radiator from top to bottom in two layers.

Heat treatment

Old paint can be removed by exposing it to high temperatures, but this is unlikely to be done with a hair dryer. Practice shows that this method is not as effective as in theory, and a hair dryer can remove already cracked enamel and only in its most damaged places. In our case, it is better to use a blowtorch, which will heat the paintwork in a matter of minutes, almost to the point of boiling.

Advice
It is highly not recommended to carry out such processing indoors. Paint heated to critical temperatures releases toxic substances and an unpleasant odor. Working with fire in the house requires maximum compliance with fire safety rules.

It is more convenient to carry out this procedure with an assistant, since the paint must be removed while still hot, and working with a lamp and a spatula at the same time is inconvenient. The surface is heated until the paint peels off. The old coating is cleaned off with a wire brush.

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The most common mistakes

When removing paint from a metal surface, you should avoid the following mistakes:

Using a hair dryer or torch indoors. When heated, paint will release toxins, so poisoning cannot be avoided. Such work should be carried out in the fresh air.
Firing of brass and cast iron products. When heated, these metals become covered with scale and become brittle. This will lead to their rapid destruction.
Working without personal protective equipment. Failure to follow basic safety precautions increases the risk of injury.
Mechanical cleaning of thin sheets of metal. Pressing too hard may damage them. The product will lose its shape, or dents will appear on it, which will be difficult to straighten.

In order to avoid mistakes when performing work, you need to know what metal the product is made of and what type of paint it is coated with.

Mechanical removal of old coating

The mechanical method of cleaning a heating structure from the old finish is considered the most labor-intensive, but also effective. Any hand or power tool will help. The most convenient one is an angle grinder, or grinder in other words. Instead of a disk, a wire brush is attached to it - a brush. You can replace the grinder with a screwdriver, drill or other strongly rotating tool. You will have to make an effort to carry out manual mechanical processing and get rid of dust, because there will be a lot of it, but after a couple of hours there will be no trace left of the old coating.

It is not always necessary to completely remove old paint from the heating system; sometimes it is enough to remove obvious “rags” with a spatula and sand them with sandpaper. It is impossible to achieve ideal smoothness of cast iron batteries; to do this, the surface must be well primed. Therefore, before choosing a cleaning method, you need to decide whether it will be carried out completely or partially.