Kubota Radiator Cap Danger...

[ruffdog]

All water heaters come standard with a pressure relief valve besides being required by code. Wonder why that did not work int he You Tube Phoenix AZ case ?

They have to be in working order, like the PRV on steam engines, air compressors, propane tanks......

 

[Fallon]

Electronics solder melts at over 350f, I'd assume radiator solder would be equal or higher. A cooling system pressurizrs to 15psi or so, which raises the boiling point of water from 212f to around 250f. Antifreeze adds 10-20f to the boiling point of water so there may be some margin of error to those numbers. But either way no normal cooling system should get hot enough to melt solder.

If you are ever in doubt about the force of heated water in a contained vessel, refer to mythbusters. MythBusters-Exploding Water Heater - YouTube on a revisit they launched a waterheater several hundred feet in the air after going through a 2 story building. Powered by nothing but overheated water after defeating the safety systems. It's entirely probable your machine blew up if your radiator cap clogged up.

If your radiator hadn't been cleaned in a while it was plugged with dirt & not cooling much. Constantly letting it overheat is very abusive. You quite likely blew a head gasket in addition to and/or causing the over pressurized & blown radiator.

 

[JWR]

Amen Fallon. Agree 100%. I had said earlier in the thread that solder was NOT melted by hot water or steam in that radiator.

 

[ganeydn]

Wow! I will check with my mechanic as well as the radiator guy.

 

[Gator6x4]

All water heaters come standard with a pressure relief valve besides being required by code. Wonder why that did not work int he You Tube Phoenix AZ case ?

Water heaters explode all the time. To high of inlet water pressure, collapsed dip tube, stuck thermostat or faulty pressure relief valve.

The Myth Buster even took on exploding water heaters twice.

How To Keep Your Water Heater From Becoming a Bomb - Mr. Plumber Atlanta

 

[JWR]

Water heaters explode all the time. To high of inlet water pressure, collapsed dip tube, stuck thermostat or faulty pressure relief valve.

The Myth Buster even took on exploding water heaters twice.

How To Keep Your Water Heater From Becoming a Bomb - Mr. Plumber Atlanta

None of those things can happen without the faulty relief valve.