If the covers are truly rusting, and not just rust stained from something
else, you are probably better off replacing them. Paint remover works
very well and quicker on metal than on wood. Easy to do, but difficult
in my experience to totally get rid of rust. If they are aluminum, then
it would be easie to sand and repaint. If repainting rusted metal, it
has to be cleaned entirely of rust and then cleaned up and primed right
away; don't even want salty fingerprints on it.

Haven't done it, but I suspect that replacing the covers would be cheaper
and easier in the long-run.


After reading the posts I get feeling I may go with replacing the units.
Doesn't look like it will cost much more than $100 and will save me lots
of aggravation.

Thanks everyone for your help!


I repainted our ancient range hood, which is aluminum. It had been
cleaned so much that the bare metal was beginning to show through. I
sanded lightly, took off dust, wiped down with denatured alcohol to make
sure it was extra clean. I use Preval sprayers for small jobs and they
work like a charm - 8 oz. bottle with cartridge of air and spray tip that
screw on; you put your own paint into them. I used Rustoleum primer and
Rustoleum enamel and the darn thing looks like new. I was careful not to
paint the plate with the label and knobs, and it looks like original
paint. Preval's are great for small jobs, as the spray pattern is
relatively small and there is very little overspray.

Never heard of Preval sprayers. After thinking over buying new radiators I
realized that I may just sand it down a bit and paint over it. May try your
Preyal sprayer idea or just paint with a brush.