Professional Handyman Tip - Radiator Drain Down

When fitting a replacement radiator or radiator valve, one of the trickiest parts of the operation is draining water from the radiator and adjacent pipework. This is usually done by loosening valve connections to allow water to flow out.

The problem with this is that it is difficult to control the flow of water and to prevent splashes on to carpets. Today I tried something different.

I bought a self-tapping appliance tap and connected it to the 15mm pipework just below one of the valves. This allowed me to drain the water into a suitable container with no splashes. When the flow stopped, I closed the radiator valves and disconnected the pipework. The radiator could then be removed with no risk of black water escaping from it.

The only disadvantage of this approach is the loss of an inch of pipework but there is usually some loss anyway since no two radiators are exactly the same size.

Finally, you can remove the tap from the discarded pipework and use it again.

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