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Old Peerless wall heaters, recoat with porcelin/ceramic?

wm69

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Waaay off topic, but figured I'd ask. You never know what someone might know.



Have an older house (my grandparents built it in 1947) and it has the awesome gas wall heaters in the bathrooms (the kind that won't pass code now, but that get the bathrrom to 100 degrees in about 5 mins). The master bath has been retiled from pink(ish) to white tile, but the old heater front is still the mauve (yeah, that's right, mauve!) color.



Anyone know if this can be re-coated with porcelin/ceramic to change the color to match the white tile? I'm OCD. Bugs me every time I look at it.
 

scrambler303

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i remodeled my bath from the 20s and wanted to keep the original fixtures so i had them powder coated. they came out great. take a tile sample to the powder coater to match up.
 

wm69

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Only thing I worry about is any kind of coating will change color from the heat..... These things get HOT!

Guy on a local forum said to paint it with some oil based enamel (told to him by two different restoration people).
 

wm69

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but that looks like the same problem (to me) with discoloration from the heat.
 

Randyzzz

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There is a process for high-temp coating- Ceracoat IIRC. It is used on headers so I think the heaters should be OK. Ask your local powder coater, they will be able to best advise.
 

scrambler303

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i beleive powder coating is put on way hotter then that heater could get on the outside. i want to say 1600 degrees?
 

wm69

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Good to know. Not sure where the nearest powdercoater is. I live in BFE and there's not one anywhere around here (looked at getting at ATV frame coated not too long ago, couldn't find anyone in my area).
 

Randyzzz

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I think regular powder coating is about 400* to 450* cure temp, once cured it's good for a whole lot more.

Header paint is good to 1500*, and engine enamel is good to 500*. Engine enamel in rattle cans lays down nice. I'd give that a shot first, because if you eventually have to go to powdercoating, the pieces will have to be sandblasted anyways. And, a couple of rattle cans of engine enamel are pretty cheap. Make sure to lay down a light first coat and build from there. Follow the recoat times carefully, and you'll have a great finish.
 

wm69

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I'll try that Randy. Thanks for the input.
 

flashover604

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Check with your local gun shops. Someone probably does cerakote. A buddy of mine does it and just got done doing a set of headers silver for a pulling truck. Pretty durable stuff.
 
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