ᐅ Old Radiators: How to Identify Hemp or Asbestos Rope and Replace It Safely – Tips

Hello dear forum members, I have a question about old radiators. The house dates back to the early 1960s, and as part of a renovation, the radiators in the dining room and living room have already been replaced. The bedroom still has the old radiator (three months ago the wrong radiator was delivered, so it has not been reinstalled yet). Unfortunately, I don’t know if the radiators have been replaced before. They definitely looked very old, and the paint is peeling off.

My question is about the cords shown in the attached photos. Are these hemp seals? After replacement, the new radiator has exactly one similar cord (but intact and firmly tied). To my knowledge, asbestos cord was also used in the past. Could that be the case here? Although I assume it is something “legal” since it looks like the one on the newly installed radiator. Does anyone have advice or tips? About three years ago, we installed a new thermostat on the old radiator.

Yes, that should be hemp, a well-proven sealing material for water pipes when used correctly. Nowadays, it is also available in modern forms like sealing cords, though whether they are better... the key is proper application.
What are your concerns?

007sascha schrieb:

Yes, that should be hemp, a well-proven sealing material for water pipes if used properly. It is also available today in modern forms like sealing cords, though whether they are better is another question... the most important thing is correct installation.
What are your concerns?

Thanks for the reply. Well, from the pictures you can see how frayed and old it looks. The radiator should actually have been replaced about 3 months ago, and since it will probably only happen now in January, I suddenly started paying attention to it. We are currently renovating, so you become a bit more aware of possible hazardous materials, and we sleep there—with a baby currently and also with the older child... If it were asbestos, I would naturally be very concerned! (I wasn’t aware that asbestos was also used as sealing material.) But from what I understand as an amateur, asbestos cord looks somewhat different. Especially since the other radiator was professionally replaced, was the same model, and had been there just as long.

It also looks like hemp to me – at least the one I currently use is exactly the same and frays like that if I don’t use sealing paste.