Radiator Stripping and Cleaning
 

I just found a much better radiator than I am currently using but I need to prep it beforeit goes into operation.

It is a Harrison 80-J , 16cm x 16cm x 5cm, and looks to be copper (under the flaking paint).

I want to strip the paint off of the whole radiator. Is there a solution that I can soak the radiator in to dissolve the paint, but won't affect the copper? also from looking into the inlet and outlet it looks like a whitish scale on the inside any reccomendations for this?

Thanks

MEK ( Methyl Ethyl Ketone) works pretty good as a solvent, but I have been having a harder time finding lately

I know every Home Depot I've worked at carries it, about $2.50 for a quart. Then again I'm in the northeast, I don't know what the ones around you have.

MEK is about the strongest stuff you can use on it. That should dissolve it pretty nicely, but it tends to leave a sticky residue of paint stuff if you dont clean it all off. You will have to soak it several times to remove everything. I'd also clean out the inside with a pine sol enema.

Thanks for all of the help :D

Paint stripper?? :p

Ive cleaned cores in Hydrocloric acid and Kettle descaler before to good effect but they were not painted.

I wish I had an ultrasonic cleaning system, I would use it so much :D

Dissolving the paint into indescribable toxic goo is easy; getting rid of that goo is the hard part. Expect this to be very very messy. Try not to let it inside the heatercore. You'll need an old toothbrush, lots of paper towels and newspaper, and a large container of paint thinner for immersing the heatercore and floating the gunk off. The slime will eventually settle out of the paint thinner so you can decant and reuse it.

The heavy-duty, non-citrus types of paint stripper are surprising in that they'll lift just about anything off copper and brass but leave the tarnish intact. So plan to follow up with vinegar or something for that crust on the inside.