Hi, thanks for responding! The radiator does have its air bleeder valve, and the air was let out. My first thought would be the vent on the radiator is clogged, shut, or needs to be replaced. Hi peteinsonj, by "vent on the radiator", do you mean the bleeder valve? Or something else? Finally have the plumber explain why a pump needs to be added where one did not previously exist. I assume prior to the renovation this radiator heated properly. This was my thought exactly! Prior to the reno, this radiator was a maybe a little slower than the other 3 on the second floor. However, it did heat up. My spouse says that during their heat test this morning, it remained completely cold. Hi mike_home, yes, the PEX lines are still exposed. My understanding from what my spouse said happened is that the PEX lines were also cold, and they traced back to a point all the way back to the basement where the boiler feeds it. (Which makes me think that the issue is close to there, but, I could be wrong). In terms of an explanation, the plumber is saying that this used to be a gravity-fed system, and then somewhere along the line, the owners put in multiple zones and circulators, so no wonder it needs a pump now. (Me: huh?). What I don't see is how it was working one way in May (given how cold and long our winter was), with all its same circulators and zones "stuff" and now is not working at all after their replacement work. :-) Of course -- they SHOULD have used PEX with the same inside diameter as the previous pipe. From looking at the PEX lines, I am pretty sure that they are *not* the same inside diameter as the previous pipes, but are smaller. The previous pipes were the old cast iron ones, that are 2 inches in diameter on the outside (there are still some in the house feeding the other radiators, so I can measure those). While I don't know what the diameter is inside the previous cast iron pipes, I would bet it was larger than the PEX lines. So, peteinsonj, you probably hit the nail on the head with the diameter of the line. Thanks again for your input! I'm not sure how to approach it now, but they're coming back for another heating test in the morning, so we'll see.

Hi Smoking Ponies, Thanks for bringing me back to Garden Web. I had planned to post an update about what I ended up doing, but of course got sidetracked. I could not find a cast iron, apron front sink that could be flush mounted. I can't remember exactly, but I think Kohler said that the sink wasn't "finished" on all sides. They recommended only mounting the Whitehaven undermount. So, I decided against the sink. I posed this follow up discussion about the Alfi Fireclay sinks: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0317094023838.html I ended up buying the Alfi AB511, and I absolutely love how it looks! We mounted it flush. I'm still nervous about the fireclay and am not sure how it will hold up, but so far, it's gorgeous and gets a lot of attention. Good luck! Let me know if you find what you're looking for! Lisa

Take into consideration the reverberating sound of falling water in your walls if the PVC is not mounted and insulated properly. The CI is massive enough deaden the sound with a lot less consideration than the PVC will be.

ThatÂs a good first posting, RH. I think you are a smart inquirer. Not that it matters. But, hereÂs a reply. Your query, "How long do these iron pipes last," is a great new question. The answer is, it depends. Aw Shucks. You see, if there are no extenuating circumstances, cast iron pipes are about as good as it gets. Of course, that is for old installations, such as yours. You can hardly beat PVC for new work. That said, if you have CI and it is properly installed, it will outlive you. I had a bad experience in a rental house. The idiots (sorry, they arenÂt that clever) installed CI piping when the sewers came thru after septic systems were the norm. It would have been just fine, except that the DIYers were not up to the task. They installed the new lines with a reverse slope. That is, instead of having a natural drainage slope of ¼" per foot, they installed the new pipes so that there was a small negative slope; but altogether it was a total fall. That is, the 4-inch pipes were fully adequate to take the flow, but the negative slope meant that there was a dip in the run that always was wetted with sewage. This failed, as luck would have it, years later when I became the owner. The CI pipe (No-Hub) which is a different recipe than the older version, was eaten-thru, so that is eventually formed a leak. The lower surfaces were rotted away and the leaks were evident as thin skin on the bottom-most outside diameter. This could easily occur, unseen, underground. CI pipe is a premium product. If you have it, it should last a "lifetime." Whatever that means. But I canÂt help thinking PVC is a superior product. I have also used ABS. It, too, is a great material for the purpose. It is much lighter in weight, but very durable. I would like to see it become the standard. Pinoke